Lumberjacks are mostly
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
n workers in the
logging
Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars.
Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...
industry who perform the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into
forest product
A forest product is any material derived from forestry for direct consumption or commercial use, such as lumber, paper, or fodder for livestock. Wood, by far the dominant product of forests, is used for many purposes, such as wood fuel (e.g. in for ...
s. The term usually refers to loggers in the era (before 1945 in the United States) when trees were felled using hand tools and dragged by oxen to rivers. The work was difficult, dangerous, intermittent, low-paying, and involved living in primitive conditions. However, the men built a traditional culture that celebrated strength,
masculinity
Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some behaviors con ...
, confrontation with danger, and resistance to modernization.
Terminology
The term lumberjack is of Canadian derivation. The first attested use of the word comes from an 1831 letter to the ''
Cobourg
Cobourg ( ) is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto and east of Oshawa. It is the largest town in and seat of Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It is ...
Star and General Advertiser'' in the following passage: "my misfortunes have been brought upon me chiefly by an incorrigible, though perhaps useful, race of mortals called lumberjacks, whom, however, I would name the Cossack's of Upper Canada, who, having been reared among the oaks and pines of the wild forest, have never been subjected to the salutary restraint of laws."
The term ''lumberjack'' is primarily historical; logger is used by workers in the 21st century. When ''lumberjack'' is used, it usually refers to a logger from an earlier time before the advent of
chainsaw
A chainsaw (or chain saw) is a portable gasoline-, electric-, or battery-powered saw that cuts with a set of teeth attached to a rotating chain driven along a guide bar. It is used in activities such as tree felling, limbing, bucking, pruning, ...
s,
feller-buncher
A feller buncher is a type of harvester used in logging. It is a motorized vehicle with an attachment that can rapidly gather and cut a tree before felling it.
''Feller'' is a traditional name for someone who cuts down trees, and ''bunching'' i ...
s and other modern logging equipment. Other terms for the occupation include woodcutter, shanty boy and the colloquial term woodhick (Pennsylvania, US).
A logger employed in driving logs down a river was known locally in northern North America as a river pig, catty-man, river hog, or river rat. The term lumberjill has been known for a woman who does this work; for example, in Britain during World War II. In Australia, the occupation is referred to as timber cutter or cool cutters.
History
Lifestyle
![A Maine Logging Camp](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/A_Maine_Logging_Camp.jpg)
Lumberjacks worked in
lumber camp
A logging camp (or lumber camp) is a transitory work site used in the logging industry. Before the second half of the 20th century, these camps were the primary place where lumberjacks would live and work to fell trees in a particular area. Many ...
s and often lived a migratory life, following timber harvesting jobs as they opened. Being a lumberjack was seasonal work. Lumberjacks were exclusively men. They usually lived in
bunkhouse
A bunkhouse is a barracks-like building that historically was used to house working cowboys on ranches, or loggers in a logging camp in North America. As most cowboys were young single men, the standard bunkhouse was a large open room with narro ...
s or tents. Common equipment included the
axe
An axe ( sometimes ax in American English; see spelling differences) is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood, to harvest timber, as a weapon, and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol. The axe has ma ...
and
cross-cut saw
A crosscut saw (thwart saw) is any saw designed for cutting wood perpendicular to (across) the wood grain. Crosscut saws may be small or large, with small teeth close together for fine work like woodworking or large for coarse work like log b ...
. Lumberjacks could be found wherever there were vast forests to be harvested and a demand for wood, most likely in Scandinavia, Canada, and parts of the United States. In the U.S., many lumberjacks were of Scandinavian ancestry, continuing the family tradition. American lumberjacks were first centred in north-eastern states such as Maine. They then followed the general
westward migration
Westward may refer to:
* The cardinal direction West
* Westward, Cumbria, a settlement in north-west England
* ''Westward'' (series), a series of games video created by Sandlot Games
* Westward Islet of Ducie Island
* Westward Television, a forme ...
on the continent to the
Upper Midwest
The Upper Midwest is a region in the northern portion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. It is largely a sub-region of the Midwest. Although the exact boundaries are not uniformly agreed-upon, the region is defined as referring ...
, and finally the
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...
.
Stewart Holbrook
Stewart Hall Holbrook (1893–1964) was an American logger, writer, and popular historian. His writings focused on what he called the "Far Corner": Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. A self-proclaimed "low-brow" historian, his topics included Ethan ...
documented the emergence and
westward migration
Westward may refer to:
* The cardinal direction West
* Westward, Cumbria, a settlement in north-west England
* ''Westward'' (series), a series of games video created by Sandlot Games
* Westward Islet of Ducie Island
* Westward Television, a forme ...
of the classic American lumberjack in his first book, ''Holy Old Mackinaw: A Natural History of the American Lumberjack''. He often wrote colourfully about lumberjacks in his subsequent books, romanticizing them as hard-drinking, hard-working men. Logging camps were slowly phased out between World War II and the early 1960s as crews could by then be transported to remote logging sites in motor vehicles.
Division of labour
![Felling axe](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Felling_axe.jpg)
The division of labour in lumber camps led to several specialized jobs on logging crews, such as whistle punk, chaser, and high climber. The whistle punk's job was to sound a whistle (usually at the
Steam donkey
A steam donkey or donkey engine is a steam engine, steam-powered winch once widely used in logging, mining, Shipping industry, maritime, and other industrial applications.
Steam powered donkeys were commonly found on large metal-hulled multi-m ...
) as a signal to the
yarder
A yarder is piece of logging equipment that uses a system of cables to pull or fly logs from the stump to a collection point. It generally consists of an engine, drums, and spar, but has a range of configurations and variations, such as the swing ...
operator controlling the movement of logs. He also had to act as a safety lookout. A good whistle punk had to be alert and think fast as others' safety depended on him. The high climber (also known as a tree topper) used iron climbing hooks and rope to ascend a tall tree in the landing area of the logging site, where he would chop off limbs as he climbed, chop off the top of the tree, and finally attach pulleys and rigging to the tree. After that, it could be used as a
spar
SPAR, originally DESPAR, styled as DE SPAR, is a Dutch multinational that provides branding, supplies and support services for independently owned and operated food retail stores. It was founded in the Netherlands in 1932, by Adriaan van Well, ...
so logs could be skidded into the landing. High climbers and whistle punks were both phased out in the 1960s to early 1970s when portable steel towers replaced spar trees and radio equipment replaced steam whistles for communication. The choker setters attached steel cables (or chokers) to downed logs so they could be dragged into the landing by the yarder. The chasers removed the chokers once the logs were at the landing. Choker setters and chasers were often entry-level positions on logging crews, with more experienced loggers seeking to move up to more skill-intensive positions such as yarder operator and high climber or supervisory positions such as hook tender. Despite the common perception that all loggers cut trees, the actual felling, and bucking of trees were also specialized job positions done by fallers and buckers. Faller and bucker were once two separate job titles, but they are now combined.
Machinery
Before the era of modern diesel or gasoline powered equipment, the existing machinery was steam powered. Animal or steam-powered
skidder
A skidder is any type of heavy vehicle used in a logging operation for pulling cut trees out of a forest in a process called "skidding", in which the logs are transported from the cutting site to a landing. There they are loaded onto trucks (o ...
s could be used to haul harvested logs to nearby rail roads for shipment to
sawmill
A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...
s. Horse driven
logging wheels were a means used for moving logs out of the woods. Another way for transporting logs to sawmills was to float them down a body of water or a specially-constructed
log flume
A log flume is a watertight flume constructed to transport lumber and logs down mountainous terrain using flowing water. Flumes replaced horse- or oxen-drawn carriages on dangerous mountain trails in the late 19th century. Logging operations pre ...
.
Log rolling
Log rolling, sometimes called birling, is a sport involving two competitors, each on one end of a free-floating log in a body of water. The athletes battle to stay on the log by sprinting, kicking the log, and using a variety of techniques as t ...
, the art of staying on top of a floating log while "rolling" the log by walking, was another skill much in demand among lumberjacks. Spiked boots known as
"caulks" or "corks" were used for log rolling and often worn by lumberjacks as their regular footwear.
The term "
skid row
A skid row or skid road is an impoverished area, typically urban, in English-speaking North America whose inhabitants are mostly poor people " on the skids". This specifically refers to poor or homeless, considered disreputable, downtrodden or fo ...
", which today means a poor city neighbourhood frequented by
homeless
Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are:
* living on the streets, also kn ...
people, originated in a way in which harvested logs were once transported. Logs could be "skidded" down hills or along a
corduroy road
A corduroy road or log road is a type of road or timber trackway made by placing logs, perpendicular to the direction of the road over a low or swampy area. The result is an improvement over impassable mud or dirt roads, yet rough in the bes ...
. One such street in
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
was named Skid Road. This street later became frequented by people down on their luck, and both the name and its meaning morphed into the modern term.
![Logging Scene Near Bellingham, WA](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Logging_Scene_Near_Bellingham%2C_WA.jpg)
Among the
living history
Living history is an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to ree ...
museums that preserve and interpret the
forest industry
The wood industry or timber industry (sometimes lumber industry -- when referring mainly to sawed boards) is the industry concerned with forestry, logging, timber trade, and the production of primary forest products and wood products (e.g. furnitu ...
are:
*
BC Forest Discovery Centre,
Duncan
*
Camp Five Museum
The Camp Five Museum is a living history museum located in Laona, Wisconsin that interprets the forest industry and transportation history of Wisconsin. It includes part or all of the Camp Five Farmstead, also known as Camp Five Logging Camp, whic ...
,
Laona, Wisconsin
Laona is a town in Forest County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,212 at the 2010 census. The census-designated place of Laona is located in the town. The unincorporated community of Blackwell Junction is also located partially ...
** The
Lumberjack Steam Train
The Lumberjack Steam Train is a passenger excursion train operated on the Laona and Northern Railway, a heritage railroad located in Laona, Wisconsin and part of the Camp 5 Museum. It is operated by the non-profit Camp 5 Museum Foundation, Inc. T ...
, a passenger excursion train, operates as part of the museum.
*
Central New Brunswick Woodsmen's Museum
The Central New Brunswick Woodsmen's Museum is a Canadian forestry museum located in Boiestown, New Brunswick.
The museum is located on a site alongside Highway 8 and the Southwest Miramichi River.
Its collection includes tools and models wh ...
,
Boiestown, New Brunswick Boiestown (1991 population: 349) is a Canadian community in the rural community of Upper Miramichi in Northumberland County, New Brunswick.
It is situated on the Southwest Miramichi River approximately 60 kilometres northeast of Fredericton, near ...
*
Coos County Logging Museum
The Coos County Logging Museum is museum in located in Myrtle Point, Oregon, United States. The museum's focus is the historical forest products industry, particularly logging specific to the local area of Coos County which is situated among va ...
,
Myrtle Point, Oregon
Myrtle Point is a city in Coos County, Oregon, United States, established in 1887. The population was 2,514 at the 2010 census. Located in the Coquille River Valley, Myrtle Point is part of the Coos Bay/ North Bend/ Charleston Metropolitan Statist ...
*
Cradle of Forestry in America
Cradle may refer to:
* Cradle (bed)
* Bassinet, a small bed, often on rockers, in which babies and small children sleep
Mechanical devices
* Cradle (circus act), or aerial cradle or casting cradle used in an aerial circus act
* Cradling (paintin ...
historic site, near
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...
*
Forest History Center
The Forest History Center is part of the Minnesota Historical Society's network of historic sites and museums. Located in Grand Rapids, Itasca County, Minnesota, on wooded acreage adjoining the Mississippi River, the Forest History Center provid ...
,
Grand Rapids, Minnesota
Grand Rapids is a city in Itasca County, Minnesota, United States, and it is the county seat. The population is 11,126 according to the 2020 census. The city is named for the long rapids in the Mississippi River which was the uppermost limit ...
*
Hartwick Pines Logging Museum, near
Grayling, Michigan
Grayling ( ') is a city and the county seat of Crawford County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the only incorporated community in Crawford County. The population was 1,884 at the 2010 census. The city is surrounded by Grayling Charter Town ...
*
Lumberman's Monument
Lumberman's Monument is a monument dedicated to the workers of the early logging industry in Michigan. Standing at 14 feet, the bronze statue features a log surrounded by three figures: a timber cruiser holding a compass, a sawyer with his saw slun ...
, near
Oscoda, Michigan
Oscoda ( ) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Iosco County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The CDP had a population of 916 at the 2020 census. The community is located within Au Sable Township and Oscoda Townsh ...
*
Maine Forest & Logging Museum,
Bradley, Maine
Bradley is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. It is part of the Bangor Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,532 at the 2020 census. The village of Bradley is in the northwest corner of the town.
History
Bradley w ...
*
Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum is near Galeton, Potter County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It documents the history and technology of the lumber industry that was a vital part of the economic development and ecological destruction of Penns ...
, near
Galeton, Pennsylvania
Galeton is a borough in Potter County, Pennsylvania. It is located southeast of Bradford, Pennsylvania. Light industries, including knitting mills and a tannery have existed in Galeton. The population declined to 993 people in 2020.
Geography
...
*
Algonquin Logging Museum in
Algonquin Provincial Park
Algonquin Provincial Park is a provincial park located between Georgian Bay and the Ottawa River in Ontario, Canada, mostly within the Unorganized South Part of Nipissing District. Established in 1893, it is the oldest provincial park in Cana ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
Culture
![Hodler_Holzfäller](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Hodler_Holzf%C3%A4ller.jpg)
Tomczik (2008) has investigated the lifestyle of lumberjacks from 1840 to 1940, using records from mostly Maine and Minnesota logging camps. In a period of industrial development and modernization in urban areas, logging remained a traditional business in which the workers exhibited pride in their craft, masculinity, and closely-guarded individualism. Their camps were a bastion of the traditional workplace, as they intentionally defied modern rationalized management. At the peak in 1906 there were 500,000 lumberjacks. Logging camps were located in isolated areas that provided room and board as well as a workplace. There were usually few women present other than the wives of cooks and foremen. Men earned praise for their skill, competitiveness, and aggression. When not at work, they played rough games, told
tall tales
A tall tale is a story with unbelievable elements, related as if it were true and factual. Some tall tales are exaggerations of actual events, for example fish stories ("the fish that got away") such as, "That fish was so big, why I tell ya', it n ...
, and built up their reputations by
consuming large amounts of food. By 1940, the business was undergoing major changes, as access roads and automobiles ended residential logging camps, chain saws replaced crosscut saws, and managers installed industrial methods of logging.
Evolution
Tie hacking
A specialty form of logging involving the felling of trees for the production of
railroad tie
A railroad tie, crosstie (American English), railway tie (Canadian English) or railway sleeper (Australian and British English) is a rectangular support for the rails in railroad tracks. Generally laid perpendicular to the rails, ties transfer ...
s was known as tie hacking. These lumberjacks, called tie hacks, used saws to fell trees and cut to length, and a
broad-axe to flatten two or all four sides of the log to create railroad ties. Later, portable saw mills were used to cut and shape ties. Tie hacking was an important form of logging in Wyoming and northern Colorado and the remains of tie hacking camps can be found on National Forest land. The remains of flumes can be seen near
Dubois, Wyoming
Dubois is a town in Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 971 at the 2010 census, but dropped to 911 in the 2020 census. The population nearly doubles in the summer with many part-time residents.
While the Town of Dubois ...
, and
Old Roach, Colorado. In addition, a decaying splash dam exists near the Old Roach site as well. There, tie hacks attempted to float logs down to the Laramie River for the annual spring tie drives, and the splash dam was used to collect winter snow-melt to increase the water flow for the tie drive.
Modern technology
Modern technology changed the job of the modern logger considerably. Although the basic task of harvesting trees is still the same, the machinery and tasks are no longer the same. Many of the old job specialties on logging crews are now obsolete.
Chainsaws,
harvesters
Harvester may refer to:
Agriculture and forestry
* Combine harvester, a machine commonly used to harvest grain crops
* Forage harvester, a machine used to harvest forage
* Harvester (forestry), a type of heavy vehicle employed in cut-to-length lo ...
, and feller bunchers are now used to cut or fell trees. The tree is turned into logs by removing the limbs (delimbing) and cutting it into logs of optimal length (bucking). The felled tree or logs are moved from the stump to the landing. Ground vehicles such as a
skidder
A skidder is any type of heavy vehicle used in a logging operation for pulling cut trees out of a forest in a process called "skidding", in which the logs are transported from the cutting site to a landing. There they are loaded onto trucks (o ...
or
forwarder
A forwarder is a forestry vehicle that carries big felled logs from the stump to a roadside landing. Unlike a skidder, a forwarder carries logs clear of the ground, which can reduce soil impacts but tends to limit the size of the logs it c ...
can pull, carry, or shovel the logs. Cable systems "cars" can pull logs to the landing. Logs can also be flown to the landing by helicopter. Logs are commonly transported to the sawmill using trucks. Harvesting methods may include
clear cutting
Clearcutting, clearfelling or clearcut logging is a forestry/logging practice in which most or all trees in an area are uniformly cut down. Along with shelterwood and seed tree harvests, it is used by foresters to create certain types of fores ...
or
selective cutting. Concerns over the environmental impact have led to controversy about modern logging practices. In certain areas of forest loggers re-plant their crop for future generations.
A ''Wall Street Journal'' survey on the best jobs in the United States ended by listing being a logger as the "worst" ''
3D's'' job, citing "work instability, poor income, and pure
danger
Danger is a lack of safety and may refer to:
Places
* Danger Cave, an archaeological site in Utah
* Danger Island, Great Chagos Bank, Indian Ocean
* Danger Island, alternate name of Pukapuka Atoll in the Cook Islands, Pacific Ocean
* Danger Isla ...
". According to a Wall St. review studying the 71 most dangerous jobs, the most dangerous job was identified as that of logging workers in 2020.
Safety
Lumberjacks and loggers have one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States. The constant danger of being around heavy equipment and chainsaws in unsafe areas maximizes the danger. Proper PPE consists of eye protection, head protection,
ear protection
Ear protection refers to devices used to protect the ear, either externally from elements such as cold, intrusion by water and other environmental conditions, debris. High levels of exposure to noise may result in noise-induced hearing loss
N ...
, long sleeves, chaps (if working with a chainsaw), and steel toe boots. When entering this profession, it is emphasized to be on one's toes because individuals are responsible for their own safety to guard against many uncontrollable hazards in the timber. For example, the weather can cause a dangerous situation quicker than one may realize. Additionally, logs and trees often plummet down a mountainside with no regard for what is in its way. In the United States, the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration'' (OSHA ) is a large regulatory agency of the United States Department of Labor that originally had federal visitorial powers to inspect and examine workplaces. Congress established the agenc ...
(OSHA) has resources dedicated for logging safety, and the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH, ) is the United States federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. NIOSH is part of the C ...
(NIOSH) has identified logging as a priority area of safety research under the
National Occupational Research Agenda The National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) is a partnership program developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The program was founded in 1996 to provide a framework for research collaborations among univer ...
.
Loggersports
![Andy Colle standing block chop](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Andy_Colle_standing_block_chop.jpg)
The sport of Loggersports grew out of competitions in lumber camps aimed at determining the best woodcutters. Today, these competitions are used to acknowledge the rich history of
forestry
Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...
and logging and to keep traditions alive.
STIHL Timbersports Series - Worldwide
The
STIHL Timbersports Series was founded in 1985, and brings competitors from across the world to compete in six
woodsman
Woodsman (also, woodsmen, pl.) is a competitive, co-ed intercollegiate sport in the United States, Canada and elsewhere based on various skills traditionally part of forestry educational and technical training programs. In North America, the sp ...
or
wood chopping
Woodchopping (also spelled wood-chopping or wood chopping), called woodchop for short, is a sport that has been around for hundreds of years in several cultures. In woodchopping competitions, skilled contestants attempt to be the first to cut or s ...
competitions. The events are broadcast worldwide on a variety of networks, including ESPN, ABC, and Eurosport.
Squamish Days Loggers Sports - Canada
In
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, Squamish Days Loggers Sports in
Squamish, British Columbia
Squamish (; Squamish language, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim: Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, ; 2016 census population 19,512) is a community and a district municipality in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, located at th ...
, attracts the finest competitors to its weekend festival in August each year. The event has entertainers such as
Johnny Cash
John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...
, who, in 1991, performed at the 5,000-seat Loggers Sports grounds during his Roadshow tour.
The Woodsmen's Days - New York, United States
The Woodsmen's Days events at
Tupper Lake, New York
Tupper Lake is a town in the southwest corner of Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 5,971 at the 2010 census. The town contains a village called Tupper Lake. Until July 2004, the town was known as "Altamont", not to be ...
commemorate the lumberjack with logging competitions and demonstrations during mid-July. Many colleges have woodsmen teams or forestry clubs who compete regionally, nationally, and internationally. The Association of Southern Forestry Clubs, for example, sponsors an annual
Forestry Conclave with 250 contestants and a variety of events.
Lumberjack Tours - United States
There are also lumberjack shows which tour the United States, demonstrating traditional logging practices to the general public. The annual
Lumberjack World Championships have been held in
Hayward, Wisconsin
Hayward is a city in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, United States, next to the Namekagon River. The population was 2,318 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Sawyer County. The city is surrounded by the Town of Hayward.
History
Early h ...
since 1960. Over 12,000 visitors come to the event each year in late July to watch men and women compete in 21 different events, including log rolling, chopping, timed
hot (power) and bucksaw cutting, and
tree climbing
Tree climbing is a recreational or functional activity consisting of ascending and moving around in the crowns of trees.
A rope, helmet, and harness can be used to increase the safety of the climber. Other equipment can also be used, depending ...
.
Lumbersexual aesthetic
![Lightning presentation Wikipedia Day Chicago 4](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Lightning_presentation_Wikipedia_Day_Chicago_4.jpg)
In 2014, the term "lumbersexual" emerged in online culture due to an observation that outdoor gear was used because of its aesthetics, not function. Whereas similar terms such as "the Urban Woodsman" existed since 2012, the term "lumbersexual" became popular in fashion magazines and online outlets during 2015 and 2016.
The term "lumbersexual" is a near
antonym
In lexical semantics, opposites are words lying in an inherently incompatible binary relationship. For example, something that is ''long'' entails that it is not ''short''. It is referred to as a 'binary' relationship because there are two members ...
ous play on the earlier "
metrosexual
''Metrosexual'' is a portmanteau of '' metropolitan'' and ''sexual'' coined in 1994, describing a man of ambiguous sexuality, (especially one living in an urban, post-industrial, capitalist culture) who is especially meticulous about his groomin ...
", a metropolitan-heterosexual man who values appearances, apparel and aesthetics. Unlike the metrosexual, the lumbersexual is a man who adopted the stylistic traits of outdoor gear, namely a
beard
A beard is the hair that grows on the jaw, chin, upper lip, lower lip, cheeks, and neck of humans and some non-human animals. In humans, usually pubescent or adult males are able to grow beards.
Throughout the course of history, societal at ...
, plaid shirt, and work boots, in urban environments.
Media reports show lumbersexuals adorned by neck and sleeve tattoos. Whereas commentators discussed whether the lumbersexual is an attempt to "reclaim masculinity", researchers show that the term is a media representation that very few people actually use for self identification.
Popular culture
In
popular culture
Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...
, the stereotypical lumberjack is a strong, burly, usually bearded man who lives to brave the
natural environment
The natural environment or natural world encompasses all life, living and non-living things occurring nature, naturally, meaning in this case not Artificiality, artificial. The term is most often applied to the Earth or some parts of Earth. Th ...
. He is depicted as wearing suspenders, a long-sleeved plaid
flannel
Flannel is a soft woven fabric, of various fineness. Flannel was originally made from carded wool or worsted yarn, but is now often made from either wool, cotton, or synthetic fiber. Flannel is commonly used to make tartan clothing, blankets, b ...
shirt, and heavy
caulk boots
Caulk boots or calk boots (also called cork boots, timber boots, logger boots, logging boots, or corks)"Caulk Boots"
...
, and is often characterized as having a voracious appetite, especially for
flapjacks. He works by cutting down trees with either an axe or with the help of another lumberjack and a crosscut saw, as opposed to the modern chainsaw.
Folklore
![Paul Bunyan Statue in Portland Oregon in 2004](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Paul_Bunyan_Statue_in_Portland_Oregon_in_2004.jpg)
The most famous depiction of a lumberjack in folklore is
Paul Bunyan
Paul Bunyan is a giant lumberjack and folk hero in American and Canadian folklore. His exploits revolve around the tall tales of his superhuman labors, and he is customarily accompanied by Babe the Blue Ox. The character originated in the or ...
. Several towns claim to have been Paul Bunyan's home and have constructed statues of Bunyan and his blue ox "Babe".
![Nätti-Jussi portrait](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/N%C3%A4tti-Jussi_portrait.jpeg)
Known for their many exploits, many real life loggers have become renowned for their extraordinary strength, intuition, and knowledge of the woods. Men such as
Jigger Johnson
Albert Lewis Johnson (18711935), better known as Jigger Johnson (also nicknamed Wildcat Johnson, Jigger Jones, or simply The Jigger), was a legendary lumberjack, logging foreman, trapper, and fire warden for the U.S. Forest Service who was known t ...
, the
Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...
woodsman who supposedly kicked knots off frozen logs barefooted,
and
Joseph Montferrand
Joseph "Jos" Montferrand (; born Joseph Favre ; October 25, 1802 – October 4, 1864) was a French-Canadian logger, strongman, and folk hero of the working man and was the inspiration for the legendary Ottawa Valley figure Big Joe Mufferaw.
L ...
(better known as
Big Joe Mufferaw
Joseph "Jos" Montferrand (; born Joseph Favre ; October 25, 1802 – October 4, 1864) was a French-Canadian logger, strongman, and folk hero of the working man and was the inspiration for the legendary Ottawa Valley figure Big Joe Mufferaw.
...
), the
French-Canadian
French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fr ...
known for his physical prowess and desire to protect the French-speaking logger, have been celebrated as
folk hero
A folk hero or national hero is a type of hero – real, fictional or mythological – with their name, personality and deeds embedded in the popular consciousness of a people, mentioned frequently in folk songs, folk tales and other folklore; an ...
es throughout
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
, and have contributed to the
myths
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of Narrative, narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or Origin myth, origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not Objectivity (philosophy), ...
of the Lumberjack.
Literature, film, and television
Books
* ''Blackwater Ben'', 2003, by
William Durbin
William Paul Durbin Jr. (born Feb. 17, 1951) is a martial artist and Baptist Minister (Christianity), minister, known for founding , meaning "spiritually positive gentle person system of martial arts", a form of Kempo, in 1982. It is a Gendai Bud ...
, about a boy who gets to live with his father as a cook in a lumberjack camp
* ''
Sometimes a Great Notion
''Sometimes a Great Notion'' is the second novel by American author Ken Kesey, published in 1964. While ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (1962) is more famous, many critics consider ''Sometimes a Great Notion'' Kesey's magnum opus. The story i ...
'', 1964, by
Ken Kesey
Ken Elton Kesey (September 17, 1935 – November 10, 2001) was an American novelist, essayist and countercultural figure. He considered himself a link between the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s.
Kesey was born in ...
(1964), about an Oregon family of
gyppo loggers
* ''Lumberjack'', 1974, by
William Kurelek
William Kurelek, (March 3, 1927 – November 3, 1977) was a Canadian artist and writer. His work was influenced by his childhood on the prairies, his Ukrainian-Canadian roots, his struggles with mental illness, and his conversion to Roman Catho ...
, about his days working in a logging camp.
* ''
The Alphabet of Manliness
''The Alphabet of Manliness'' is the debut book by American humorist and Internet personality Maddox, published in 2006. It reached the #2 position on the New York Times Best Seller List in the "Advice, How-To, and Miscellaneous" category.
Publ ...
'', 2006, by
Maddox, lists the lumberjack as one of 26 examples (each corresponding to a letter of the
alphabet
An alphabet is a standardized set of basic written graphemes (called letters) that represent the phonemes of certain spoken languages. Not all writing systems represent language in this way; in a syllabary, each character represents a syll ...
) of the pinnacle of manliness
Films
* ''
Come and Get It'', 1936 film directed by
Howard Hawks
Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American director who is not a household name."
A v ...
and
William Wyler
William Wyler (; born Willi Wyler (); July 1, 1902 – July 27, 1981) was a Swiss-German-American film director and producer who won the Academy Award for Best Director three times, those being for ''Mrs. Miniver'' (1942), ''The Best Years of O ...
* ''
The Howards of Virginia
''The Howards of Virginia'' is a 1940 American drama war film directed by Frank Lloyd, released by Columbia Pictures, and based on the book ''The Tree of Liberty'' written by Elizabeth Page. The Howards of Virginia live through the American Revo ...
'', 1940 film directed by
Frank Lloyd
Frank William George Lloyd (2 February 1886 – 10 August 1960) was a British-born American film director, actor, scriptwriter, and producer. He was among the founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and was its president ...
* ''
Wild Geese Calling
''Wild Geese Calling'' is a 1941 American drama film directed by John Brahm and starring Henry Fonda and Joan Bennett. It was distributed by 20th Century-Fox. The screenplay was written by Horace McCoy, based on a novel by Stewart Edward White. ...
'', 1941 film directed by
John Brahm
John Brahm (August 17, 1893 – October 12, 1982) was a German film and television director. His films include ''The Undying Monster'' (1942), '' The Lodger'' (1944), ''Hangover Square'' (1945), ''The Locket'' (1946), ''The Brasher Doubloon'' (19 ...
* ''
The Enchanted Forest'', a 1945 film directed by
Lew Landers
Lew Landers (born Louis Friedlander, January 2, 1901 – December 16, 1962) was an American independent film and television director.
Biography
Born as Louis Friedlander in New York City, Lew Landers began his movie career as an actor. In 1914, ...
* ''
The Strange Woman
''The Strange Woman'' is a 1946 American melodrama film directed by Edgar G. Ulmer and written by Ulmer and Hunt Stromberg, starring Hedy Lamarr, George Sanders and Louis Hayward. Originally released by United Artists, the film is now in the pub ...
'', a 1946 film directed by
Edgar G. Ulmer
* ''
The Big Trees
''The Big Trees'' is a 1952 in film, 1952 lumberjack western film, Western film starring Kirk Douglas and directed by Felix E. Feist. It was Kirk Douglas's final film for Warner Brothers, a film he did for free in exchange for the studio agreei ...
'', 1952 film directed by
Felix E. Feist
Felix Ellison Feist (; February 28, 1910 – September 2, 1965) was an American film and television director and writer born in New York City. He is probably best remembered for ''Deluge'' (1933), for writing and directing the film noirs ''The ...
* ''
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
''Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'' is a 1954 American musical film, directed by Stanley Donen, with music by Gene de Paul, lyrics by Johnny Mercer, and choreography by Michael Kidd. The screenplay, by Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich, and Dorot ...
'', 1954 film directed by
Stanley Donen
Stanley Donen ( ; April 13, 1924 – February 21, 2019) was an American film director and choreographer whose most celebrated works are '' On the Town,'' (1949) and ''Singin' in the Rain'' (1952), both of which he co-directed with Gene Kell ...
* ''
North to Alaska
''North to Alaska'' is a 1960 comedic Western/Northern film directed by Henry Hathaway and John Wayne (uncredited). The picture stars Wayne along with Stewart Granger, Ernie Kovacs, Fabian, and Capucine. The script is based on the 1939 play ' ...
'', a 1960 film directed by
Henry Hathaway
Henry Hathaway (March 13, 1898 – February 11, 1985) was an American film director and producer. He is best known as a director of Westerns, especially starring Randolph Scott and John Wayne. He directed Gary Cooper in seven films.
Backgro ...
* ''
Sometimes a Great Notion
''Sometimes a Great Notion'' is the second novel by American author Ken Kesey, published in 1964. While ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (1962) is more famous, many critics consider ''Sometimes a Great Notion'' Kesey's magnum opus. The story i ...
'', 1970 film adaptation of the novel of the same name, directed by
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...
* ''
Ferngully: The Last Rainforest'', 1992 animated film directed by
Bill Kroyer
William Kroyer is an American director of animation and computer graphics commercials, short films, movie titles, and theatrical films. He and Jerry Rees were the main animators for the CGI sequences in ''Tron''. He is currently the head of the Di ...
* ''
Fargo'', 1996 film directed by
Joel Coen
Joel Daniel Coen (born November 29, 1954) and Ethan Jesse Coen (born September 21, 1957),State of Minnesota. ''Minnesota Birth Index, 1935–2002''. Minnesota Department of Health. collectively known as the Coen brothers (), are American film ...
* ''
X-Men Origins: Wolverine'', 2009 film directed by
Gavin Hood
Gavin Hood (born 12 May 1963) is a South African filmmaker, and actor, best known for writing and directing ''Tsotsi'' (2005), which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He also directed the films ''X-Men Origins: Wolverine'', ' ...
Television
The lives of loggers have been featured on the following American television series:
* ''
American Loggers
''American Loggers'' is a television series on the Discovery Channel. It was filmed in Maine, debuted in 2009, and went off the air in 2011 after three seasons.
Storyline
The show follows the Pelletier family from Millinocket, Maine. With their ...
'' on the
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Channe ...
* ''
Axe Men
''Ax Men'' is an American reality television series that premiered on March 9, 2008 on History. The program follows the work of several logging crews in the second-growth forests of Northwestern Oregon, Washington and Montana and the rivers o ...
'' on
History
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
* ''
Here Come the Brides
''Here Come the Brides'' is an American comedy Western series from Screen Gems that aired on the ABC television network from September 25, 1968 to April 3, 1970. It was loosely based on Asa Mercer's efforts in the 1860s to import marriageable wom ...
''
* ''
The Pink Panther
''The Pink Panther'' is an American media franchise primarily focusing on a series of comedy-mystery films featuring an inept French police detective, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The franchise began with the release of the classic film ''The Pink ...
'' cartoon short, ''
Pink Campaign
This is a list of the original 124 ''Pink Panther'' animated shorts produced between December 18, 1964, and February 1, 1980, by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises (DFE Films). 92 shorts were released theatrically. The first 62 entries appeared on Sa ...
''
* ''
Wacky Races
Eccentricity (also called quirkiness) is an unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. This behavior would typically be perceived as unusual or unnecessary, without being demonstrably maladaptive. Eccentricity is contrasted with norm ...
''
* ''
Gravity Falls
''Gravity Falls'' is an American mystery comedy animated television series created by Alex Hirsch for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series follows the adventures of Dipper Pines (Jason Ritter) and his twin sister Mabel (Kristen Schaal) wh ...
''
* ''
Dexter
Dexter may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Dexter, the main character of the American animated series ''Dexter's Laboratory'' that aired from 1996 to 2003
* Dexter, a fictional character in the British Diary of a Bad Man#Main, web series ''Diar ...
''
Music
Songs
* Lumberjacks rapidly developed their own distinctive musical culture of
work songs
A work song is a piece of music closely connected to a form of work, either sung while conducting a task (usually to coordinate timing) or a song linked to a task which might be a connected narrative, description, or protest song.
Definitions and ...
. Many were based on traditional European folk tunes, with lyrics that reflected the lives, experiences and concerns of lumberjacks, with the themes of cutting, hauling, rolling, and driving, as well as narrative songs that involved romance.
* ''Big Joe Mufferaw'', a song recorded and performed by
Stompin' Tom Connors
Charles Thomas "Stompin' Tom" Connors, OC (February 9, 1936 – March 6, 2013) was a Canadian country and folk singer-songwriter. Focusing his career exclusively on his native Canada, he is credited with writing more than 300 songs and has rele ...
, one of Canada's most prolific and well-known country and folk singer-songwriters, about legendary folk hero
Joseph Montferrand
Joseph "Jos" Montferrand (; born Joseph Favre ; October 25, 1802 – October 4, 1864) was a French-Canadian logger, strongman, and folk hero of the working man and was the inspiration for the legendary Ottawa Valley figure Big Joe Mufferaw.
L ...
, a French-Canadian logger. This song appears on the album ''Stompin' Tom Meets Big Joe Mufferaw'' (1970), on the live album ''Live At The Horseshoe'' (1971), and on the album ''Move Along With Stompin' Tom'' (1999).
* ''
The Log Driver's Waltz
The Log Driver's Waltz is a Canadian folk song, written by Wade Hemsworth.
''The Log Driver's Waltz'' is also a Canadian animated film from the National Film Board, released in 1979 as part of its Canada Vignettes series.
Song information
The so ...
'', a 1956 song by
Wade Hemsworth
Albert Wade Hemsworth (October 23, 1916 – January 19, 2002) was a Canadian folk singer and songwriter.Alan Hustak, "Canadian composer dies at 85". ''Calgary Herald'', January 20, 2002. Although he was not a prolific composer, having writt ...
on his album ''Folk Songs of the Canadian North Woods''
* ''Lumberjack'', a 1960 song by
Johnny Cash
John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...
on his album ''
Ride This Train
''Ride This Train'' is the eighth album by American country singer-songwriter Johnny Cash. It was originally released on August 1, 1960 and was re-issued on March 19, 2002, containing four additional bonus tracks.
It is considered Cash's first co ...
''
* ''
The Lumberjack'', a song by
Hal Willis
* ''The Lumberjack'', a song featuring a chainsaw solo, by the American rock band
Jackyl
Jackyl is an American rock band formed in 1991. Their sound has also been described as heavy metal and southern metal. Their self-titled debut album has sold more than a million copies in the United States with hit singles like "Down on Me" ...
* ''
The Lumberjack Song
"The Lumberjack Song" is a comedy song by the comedy troupe Monty Python. The song was written and composed by Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Fred Tomlinson.
It first appeared in the ninth episode of ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'', "The An ...
'', a song by
Monty Python
Monty Python (also collectively known as the Pythons) were a British comedy troupe who created the sketch comedy television show '' Monty Python's Flying Circus'', which first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four ...
, known for its
refrain
A refrain (from Vulgar Latin ''refringere'', "to repeat", and later from Old French ''refraindre'') is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in poetry — the "chorus" of a song. Poetic fixed forms that feature refrains include the vi ...
: "I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay / I sleep all night and I work all day. ..."
See also
*
Arborist
An arborist, tree surgeon, or (less commonly) arboriculturist, is a professional in the practice of arboriculture, which is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants in dendrolo ...
*
Log boom
A log boom (sometimes called a log fence or log bag) is a barrier placed in a river, designed to collect and or contain floating logs timbered from nearby forests. The term is also used as a place where logs were collected into booms, as at the ...
*
Log driving
Log driving is a means of moving logs (sawn tree trunks) from a forest to sawmills and pulp mills downstream using the current of a river. It was the main transportation method of the early logging industry in Europe and North America.
Histor ...
*
Log scaler
The log scaler is an occupation in the timber industry. The Log Scaler measures the cut trees to determine the scale (volume) and quality (grade) of the wood to be used for manufacturing. When logs are sold, in order to determine the basis for a ...
*
Glossary of lumberjack jargon
References
Further reading
* Brock, Emily K. ''Money Trees: The Douglas Fir and American Forestry, 1900-1944'' (Oregon State University Press, 2015). 272 pp.
* Chaney, Michael P. ''White Pine on the Saco River: An Oral History of River Driving in Southern Maine'' (University of Maine Press, 1993)
* Cox, Thomas R. ''The Lumberman's Frontier: Three Centuries of Land Use, Society, and Change in America's Forests '' (Oregon State University Press, 2010); 560 pages; examines successive frontier regions prized for lumber rather than farming, beginning with northern New England in the 17th century
* Griffiths, Bus. ''Now You're Logging'', Harbour Publishing, 1978.
* Hayner, Norman S. "Taming the Lumberjack," ''American Sociological Review,'' Vol. 10, No. 2, (April, 1945), pp. 217–22
in JSTOR description of lifestyle
* Holbrook, Stewart H. ''Holy Old Mackinaw: A Natural History of the American Lumberjack'', 1938, popular
** Holbrook, Stewart H. ''The American Lumberjack'' (Collier Books, 1962), popular account
* Karamanski, Theodore J. ''Deep Woods Frontier: A History of Logging in Northern Michigan'' (1989)
* Lee, David. ''Lumber Kings and Shantymen''. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: 2006.
* Lemonds, James. ''Deadfall: Generations of Logging in the Pacific Northwest''. Missoula: Mountain Press, 2001.
*Mackay, Donald. "The Canadian Logging Frontier," ''Journal of Forest History'' 1979 23(1): 4-17
* Radforth, Ian. ''Bushworkers and Bosses: Logging in Northern Ontario, 1900–1980'' (University of Toronto Press, 1987).
* Robbins, William G. ''Lumberjacks and Legislators: Political Economy of the U.S. Lumber Industry, 1890-1941'' (Texas A. & M. U. Press, 1982). 268 pp.
* Roberge, Earl. ''Timber Country''. Caldwell, Idaho: Caxton Printers, 1973.
*
* Smith, David C. ''A History of Lumbering in Maine, 1861–1960'' (University of Maine Press, 1972)
* Sorden, L. G. and Vallier, Jacque. ''Lumberjack Lingo: A Dictionary of the Logging Era.'' (Ashland, Wis.: NorthWord, 1986). 288 pp.
* Tomczik, Adam, "'He-men Could Talk to He-men in He-man Language'": Lumberjack Work Culture in Maine and Minnesota, 1840–1940," ''Historian'' Winter 2008, Vol. 70 Issue 4, pp 697–715
External links
William Reed (Timber getter) c.1930- photo from the Jones-Mashman Collection at Lake Macquarie Library.
University of Washington Libraries: Digital Collections
*
Over 1000 images by commercial photographer Clark and his brother Darius Kinsey documenting the logging and milling camps and other forest related activities in Washington State, ca. 1910–1945.
*
Industry and Occupations PhotographsAn ongoing and expanding collection devoted to the workers in the Pacific Northwest from the 1880s to the 1940s. Many occupations and industries are represented including the logging and lumber industry.
*
Man to Machine: Peninsula LoggingOnline museum exhibit based upon the Clark Kinsey Logging Photographs Collection and the recollections of Harry C. Hall, who worked as a logger on the Olympic Peninsula in the early 20th century. Includes a video on the Hobi family logging history (late 19th century – early 20th century).
OSHA.govAn overview of logging operations along with safety standards and other important safety links.
{{Authority control
2010s fads and trends
American culture
Canadian culture
Forestry occupations
Logging
Lumberjack sports
1830s neologisms