Logging has been a part of early American history since the arrival of Europeans in the 1600’s. Far more than an a mere industry, logging is part of our American identity. Logging cleared land for farms and cities. It provided goods to sell and trade. And, logging built culture and folklore that has become part of American history and culture.
Logging in Colonial America
The Virginia Company established Jamestown in 1607 with high hopes for silver and gold riches. Basically, they were jealous of all the pretty sparklies Spain was boasting about from the Latin American colonies. Well, they didn’t find the silver and gold. The Native people thought the gold that the English were looking for was corn, which was very valuable to the indigenous people of the area.. Imagine the miscommunication and the disappointment.
What the Virgina Company did find was trees…and a lot of them. Thus began the harvesting of oak, cedar, sassafras, and more. If we’re being brutally honest, the early settlers basically saw trees and forests as a nuisance…something in the way of settlement and ‘progress’. The result was unceremonious clearings of woodlands in huge swaths. And a new industry of logging was born.
Time went on and places like North Carolina had great success harvesting their pines for timber and tar. Maine became a HUGE logging state and actually, the largest shipping state for lumber. England was a big fan of those long straight tall pines. They were excellent for ship masts. By the 1790s, New England was exporting about 36 million feet of pine boards and at least 300 ship masts PER YEAR!
Logging moves west across America
The amazing demand for wood and wood products led lumber barons to look west for more supply. In the early 1800’s, Americans began to move west for many reasons, one of them being to find new places to log.
The HomesteadAct of 1862 awarded plots of land at 160 acres! These were often heavily wooded which meant income for those who cleared it and sold the lumber. And they did.
By the twentieth Century, the new hub of all things American Logging was the Pacific Northwest. In 1970, 41% of the nation’s timber came from Washington and Oregon. We often think of American logging as a thing of the past but it’s still very much alive and a vibrant part of industry.
Logging in California
Logging was alive and well in California in the early 1800’s but it was slow and arduous work. Of course, the Gold Rush created a huge demand for housing and other buildings and that meant a sharp increase in need for timber. In twenty years about a third of the timber in the Sierra Nevada was harvested. That’s a scary statistic! And you know, those giant redwoods don’t just pop back up in a year or two….. That knowledge sparked concern for conservation which in turn led to the creation of National Parks and the US Forest Service.
So even though it was relatively short lived, the logging industry has had a huge impact on California history and today there are several places you can go experience it. (Keep reading)
Logging in American Folklore
Born of tall tales and logger lore, Paul Bunyan and his sidekick, Babe, the Blue Ox have been the subject of stories, songs, music, and theater. I think even Disney did something on him many many moons ago.
Paul Bunyan was super strong, speedy, and ridiculously skilled with that axe of his. So many lessons are woven into the Paul Bunyan stories like work ethic, thoughtfulness, and using your gifts for society. Paul Bunyan mythology is alive and well in the Pacific Northwest and into Northern California where folks are very proud of their logging traditions. Up until very recently (like one or two generations) Paul Bunyan stories were commonly known by most people. These days, his feats are mostly lost to time but there are still a few places his legacy still looms larger than life.
American Logging Culture: Work Hard, Play Hard
The life of a lumberjack in early America was rather rough. It was common for all the men to kind of lumber together on a bed of boughs with all the other men. Yup, that meant sleeping under the stars with all your co-workers, day after day after day. Hopefully you liked them.
Warm meals-HA! Water-maybe. Clean clothes-no way. These men lived for great chunks of time away from their families in damp and filthy conditions. It was grueling work and modern day OSHA would not approve of the conditions at all. (Although the conditions did indeed improve after labor unions formed.) These rough and tumble men looked forward to their time off.
One way they let off steam was to have friendly competitions. They based their competitions on what they had around them…. trees. (and axes and saws and such) So Axe throwing competitions began….and sawing, and tree climbing, and log rolling. I mean you go with what you got, amirite? These activities still thrive today in different forms.
Axe Throwing
Axe throwing is becoming a popular pastime these days…and you don’t even need to be a logger to do it! Places like Yosemite Axe Throwing are popping up and it’s great family fun! Pretty basic…so basic a kid can do it! And ours did! Check out her ‘bad axe’ axe throwing!
Journey of a tree to lumber
Trees in a forest. Enter man who will harvest the trees. We’ve talked a lot about the loggers but what about the tree? They had to somehow get out of the forest and to the mills.
As you might expect, the men used horses to haul the logs out of the forest. As the logging campus moved further and further into the wilderness, that wasn’t effective so they built log flumes. Essentially a flume is a trough with water flowing through it. The log would be put in the flume and away it went to it’s next stop, the mill. SOMEtimes, men were known to ride logs down in to town but this was frowned upon. Where as most of the time the logs cruised like a Disney ride of about five miles per hour, there were spots where the flume shot the logs fifty to sixty miles per hour.
Once at the lumber mill, the tree was cut into timber and then shipped off to whatever company was buying it to be turned into furniture, homes, etc.
Tree Conservation and Modern American Logging
Modern logging is very different than early American logging. Gone are the ideas of clearcutting and lumber companies now take great efforts to plan what where and how they harvest. There are also laws and guidelines in place to ensure the replanting of forests. There is still a pretty big demand for lumber world wide so it’s a balancing act to harvest and not devastate.
Today, surprisingly, America has more trees than it did a century ago. This is largely due to conservation efforts like those of the North American Forest Commission and the modern practices of logging and forestry. It takes a village!
Itinerary to Discover American Logging: Oakhurst California
First Stop: Nelder Grove
Nelder Grove is a patch of giant sequoia trees in the Sierra National Forest just a few miles from Oakhurst, California. What once was a logging camp and even housed a mill, is now an interpretive area and trail to explore the history of logging and peaceful scenery of the forest.
For about 10,000 years Native American tribes traveled through the area and harvested acorns and such. The first white man explored the area in 1858 and John Nelder lived there in 1875. In 1889 the property was sold to the Madera Flume and Trading Company. In 1900 the Madera Sugar Pine Company took it over and in 1928 the area was given to the Forest Service.
How to experience: Drive to the Nelder Grove Campground and hike the main trail. It will take you to the interpretive area where you can see giant sequoia stumps and learn a bit about the past. Continue hiking to the Bull Buck Tree, arguably the most striking tree in the area.
Second Stop: Sugar Pine Railroad
The Sugar Pine Railroad was instrumental to hauling the logs out of the forest and to the mills. These days the Sugar Pine Railroad hauls passengers on a field trip through history. The steam engine winds through the forest while the conductor tells you all kinds of things about logging and the area in general.
How to experience: Bring a hat and your camera! Always a good idea to have closed toed shoes. Dogs are welcome to ride but if you do, be sure to keep dog-o on a leash. We recommend the dining experience as it incorporates more old timey fun including music and good eats!
All aboard! 
That bench is carved from a giant sequoia
Third Stop: Fresno Flats Historical Village and Park
A conglomorate of historic buildings from surrounding areas all brought together in one place, The Fresno Flats Historical Village and Park is a great way to see how people lived in the area during the height of logging. There is even a piece of the flume from Nelder to see! One building was one of the early forest service buildings. In the museum building there is a replica of one of the mills (from Nelder Grove). After hiking Nelder and doing the railroad, it’s a perfect place to see and understand the life of the logs.
How to experience: Call ahead. The park has a self guided tour but it is so much better when an interpreter is available. You’ll want to pop into the museum as well. There are a bunch of local books highlighting local stories and history that I’m not sure are available elsewhere. Also, the park is free, so consider a donation to help keep this labor of love alive for all to enjoy.
Local author and historian Brenda Negley shows her book (scale of the mill behind her) 
Fourth Stop: Yosemite Axe Throwing
Test your Lumberjack skills and let off steam the way the olde time loggers did at this unique place. Fun (and safe) for all ages, hurl axes at targets. Yosemite Axe Throwing uses local materials in decoration and for targets, salvaged from deadfall due to the bark beetle and drought.
How to experience: Wear closed toe shoes and bring a great attitude. The rest (including axes and instruction) are provided for you! Bullseyes not guaranteed but fun certainly is.
Where to Stay: Yosemite Gateway Inn Best Western Plus
This All American hotel is part of the Best Western Plus family. Locally owned and operated, it’s the perfect place to stay on your itinerary to discover the history of American logging. The hotel reads more like a resort using the acreage and land to inform how the hotel is laid out. It’s extremely peaceful and FULL of sequoia stories! There are murals everywhere showcasing the area. Perhaps the most striking embellishments to the property are the lady liberty carved from a single sequoia and the cross section of one of the giant sequoias, both visible upon entrance to the property.
How to experience: Pretty simple. Make a reservation. 😉 …or enjoy their delightful restaurant! (with more redwood art)
I love Lady Liberty! 
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