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Historic Logging and Milling Photos

Started by Jeff, October 20, 2002, 01:14:44 PM

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Jeff

I guess they saved the little ones for the chainsaws...

Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Jeff

Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Bro. Noble

Did you notice the cord on the two man chainsaw?  My neighbor has an old Stihl two man electric chain saw.  Wonder what kind of generator they had and how they packed it around.

Noble
milking and logging and sawing and milking

Ron Scott

Timber Cruisers have lunch in the forest. Michigan's Eastern U.P. Winter 1963.  



~Ron

Ron Scott

Aspen Bolts to be sawn into fish box material for commercial fishermen. St. Ignace, Michigan. May 1964.




~Ron

Den Socling

I live along Pine Creek in North Central PA. The lumber industry has a long history around here. I've always found it to be fascinating.

About 30 years ago, Thomas Taber put together SUNSET ALONG SUSQUEHANNA WATERS. These are from that book.


These guys are running a log skid.


This is a slashdam that was used to wash logs down stream in an artificial flood. I know a place on Pine Creek where there are still timbers from a splashdam that can be seen when the water is really low. The only trace of the town that used to sit next to the dam is a small cemetary.



After a splash, the logs would have to be followed downstream to clear jams. This was often done during snowmelt.

Den Socling

When floating logs down the Susquehanna got more organized, the susquehanna boom was built near Williamsport, PA. It was more than 7 miles long. It had a shear boom to let rafts through but it grabbed all of the lose logs. It could hold 300,000,000 boardfeet. Every log was sorted and delivered to the proper mill in Williamsport. Initially, the charge was $1/mbf. Millionaires were made from this "arrangement" but not everybody was happy.



The boom ran from 1862 to 1909. There's a lot more to the story but, basicly, rails ended up doing the hauling.

Den Socling


This is the Susquehanna boom in operation. Those rock piers are still in the river.

Jeff

Here is a the first of several video clips from the tape that Paul_H sent to me. A logging train . Maybe he can comment further on each clip.

Logging Train
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Paul_H

Jeff,
I will try to phone Pat Conway today,to refresh my memory on the video.(They were Pat's old 8mm home movies)It was tranfered to VHS in 1989.
Science isn't meant to be trusted it's to be tested

Ron Wenrich

Den

If you look in the backrground of your first picture, you can see how they used to skid those big logs out by horsepower.  There is a really nifty skid trail consisting of split rails.  They used to grease those up so that horses could skid them to a landing.  Then loaded onto a railcar.  It also seems that they used to use the drainage areas ... ie the streams.

Williamsport, PA was the lumber capital of the world in 1850.  My, how times have changed.  They used to have mills that produced 250 MMbf of lumber per year.  30 Mbf/day was the norm for edging strrips that were turned into kindling for the New York City markets.  Most modern mills in our area don't produce that much.

I sit back in awe to see what they used to do 100 years ago as compared to what we can do with our "modernaization".   Our mills are smaller, and where we can log is limited by mechanics.  I used to mark timber to an area where guys could drag a winch line to.  Then I would go up slope another 100 yds. and find a charcoal flat.

One thing to keep in mind that the best production for a shift was set in New Hampshire around 1910 (I believe).  Over 100 Mbf in a shift (12 hrs).
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Brian_Bailey

If you happen to be travelling near Coudersport, Pa on Rt.6. Make time to stop at the Pa. Lumbermans Museum.  They have lots of old photos and displays of the way of life in the turn of the century logging camps. They also have a working vintage circle mill used for demostrations. Well worth the trip.
WMLT40HDG35, Nyle L-150 DH Kiln, now all I need is some logs and someone to do the work :)

Paul_H

This picture hangs in our living room.


Science isn't meant to be trusted it's to be tested

Jeff

Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Ron Scott

Loading Jack Pine Pulpwood. Michigan's Eastern U.P.; Spring 1963.

Note loader operator and deck hand needed to control the pulpwood bunch for straight decking on truck bed.


~Ron

Fla._Deadheader

Guys, I really enjoy these old pics. Keep 'em coming. Thanks, Harold
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

Weekend_Sawyer

  I love these old photos. What we have here is an online museum! :P
Imagine, Me a Tree Farmer.
Jon, Appalachian American Wannabe.

Bibbyman

I love them old pictures too.  Got a chance yesterday to page through them.  I kept thinking -  "I wonder what the suicide rate was for them logging camps and such?"  SNOW, SNOW and more SNOW!  And where there wasn't snow up to your adenoids,  it still looked overcast and dismal.

It's been overcast, rainy and cool here for the past week and I'm about to check into a clinic or head south.  And we still have green grass and the trees are turning autumn colors.

Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

Ron Scott

Early Boom Loader. Sometimes the operator didn't have a "swamper" and had to be "two places" at once.


~Ron

Jeff

Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Paul_H

That last picture made me think of Arkansawyer and his Geese
Science isn't meant to be trusted it's to be tested

Bro. Noble

milking and logging and sawing and milking

Jeff

This is worth linking to again for this thread. Its a recreation of a magazine article from "Outlook" in the 1920s. It includes some old pics. Some of you may not have seen this. I aquired the original article a while back.

https://forestryforum.com/modern_lumberjack.htm
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Ron Scott

International R-190 Series Log Hauler with Pentice Loader. Early model.


~Ron

Den Socling

I don't know how much scanning and resizing my head is going to be able to handle tonight but I'll try a couple more.




Notice the chute left of center.




All wood waste goes down the chute and into the creek. A major problem when the water was down.


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