Oscar Wirkkala (; October 30, 1880 – January 25, 1959) was a Finnish-American logger and inventor who spent much of his life in the Pacific Northwest.

Background

Oscar Wirkkala was born in

Kaustinen Kaustinen ( sv, Kaustby) is a municipalities of Finland, municipality of Finland. It is part of the Central Ostrobothnia regions of Finland, region. The municipality has a population about 4300 and covers an area of of which is water. The popula ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

. His father Abraham and brother Andrew arrived in America first, working at a saw mill in

Cosmopolis, Washington Cosmopolis is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,638 at the 2020 census. Geography Cosmopolis is located at (46.955352, -123.773176). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a tot ...

, to save money to pay for the migration of the rest of the family. Oscar arrived next, in 1898, followed closely by his mother, a sister, and three younger brothers. The family lived in the

Naselle Naselle is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pacific County, Washington, United States located about 23 miles (37 km) from the mouth of the Columbia River. The population was 419 at the 2010 census. The valley's Naselle River flows west into ne ...

and Deep River area of

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

from 1899 to 1905.

Career

Wirkkala invented and developed the high lead method of

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 ...

. This skyline (or "spar") method, ideally suited for steep terrain, revolutionized the industry. He also invented important pieces of that industry's machinery used during the first half of the 20th century, including the ubiquitous choker hook. His first patent was granted in 1917, and was for a four-drum donkey engine used in his high lead logging system. In the following years, several of his patented devices were manufactured, under the Wirkkala brand, at the Willapa Harbor Iron Works in

South Bend South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...

. A few of his patented inventions were still in manufacture well into the second half of the 20th century. Wirkkala sued his own patent attorney for patent infringement on the choker hook, and after several years of litigation the suit was decided in Wirkkala's favor. Later, Wirkkala developed and patented a marine propeller. In the course of his career he patented at least 18 different inventions.

Personal life

Oscar Wirkkala married twice. In 1908, Wirkkala married Johanna Mustola and the couple had three children. A year after Johanna's untimely death in 1913, Oscar married Ida Haverinen. Oscar Wirkkala died in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

Legacy

Wirkkala was one of the original fifty persons inducted into the Washington State Hall of Fame. Wirkkala was added to the Washington state Centennial Hall of Honor in 1985.

References

External links

The Washington State Centennial Hall of Honor
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wirkkala, Oscar 1880 births 1959 deaths Finnish emigrants to the United States (1809–1917) People from Pacific County, Washington Finnish emigrants to the United States American loggers 20th-century American inventors