Site founded Sept. 1, 2000. We passed 1.5 million page views on March 3, 2007
These home pages remain free of any charge. We need donations or subscriptions to continue.
Please pass on this website link to your family, relatives, friends and clients.
(2 girls and logger)

Skagit River Journal

of History & Folklore
Free Home Page Stories & Photos
The most in-depth, comprehensive site about the Skagit
Covers from British Columbia to Puget Sound. Counties covered: Skagit, Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Snohomish & BC. An evolving history dedicated to committing random acts of historical kindness
Noel V. Bourasaw, editor (bullet) 810 Central Ave., Sedro-Woolley, Washington, 98284
Home of the Tarheel Stomp (bullet) Mortimer Cook slept here & named the town Bug
(Click to send email)

Logging equipment in Aberdeen, 1890
Historic logging photos

(Huge Steam Donkey)
Huge steam donkey, with no details or names
Dec. 25, 1890, issue of the The Aberdeen Herald
      Ed. note: These photo scans have all been loaned by readers who have a little information about them but precious few details. We hope you can help us out with some information or you can suggest sources that may help our readers. Please email if you can. This small story below explained early ox-team logging.
      Here as elsewhere the selection of a road is the greatest test of a logger's practicability, and even more depends on the road than in the snow country. The road must all be down hill. The width of the road . . . is generally ten feet, though main roads are sometimes as wide s fourteen. Skids of fir about ten or twelve inches through are embedded to half their diameter in the ground . . . and placed nine feet apart. At this distance a log twenty feet long, the minimum length, will have a bearing on two skids and be in no danger of upping and burying its nose in the ground.
      Next comes the landing or rollway. When a suitable bank has been found a stout skid twenty inches through and a hundred and twenty feet long is buried lengthwise on the edge of the bank level with the ground. This is called the brow skid.
(DonkeyCrew)
Named "Two Old Timers," this Bryn Leaf photo by Darius Kinsey was captioned in his own hand as following: "This old relic was one of the first three donkeys used in pioneer logging camps of Washington. It now has a place of honor in Anderson Hall at the University of Washington, where it may be seen by future generations." Can any of you tell us more about it?
      A number of smaller skids . . . are pinned to the brow skid, following the incline of the bank to prevent the logs wearing away the bank and undermining the brow skid. A pitch of about a half inch to the foot is given the bed skids to facilitate the rolling of the logs.
      Next we begin the actual work of getting the logs to the stream. The chopper, after selecting the ground for his tree to fall on, cuts a notch six inches deep, five or six broad, and as narrow as possible, as high above the ground as he can reach. In this he inserts a spring board, which is merely a six foot board, six inches wide and an iron shoe to prevent its slipping.
      Often the tree is sawed off as much as ten or fifteen feet above the ground . . . The amount of pitch in the butt of a tree necessitates a liberal use of kerosene on the saw, which is accomplished by hanging an inverted bottle with a small hole in the cork, so a few drops may fall on it at every stroke.
      The length of logs generally cut is twenty -four feet, thirty-two and forty feet, these being the handiest for the millman. When a tree has been felled, trimmed, cut up, and a road swamped in, that grand mogul of the camp, the ox teamster . . ..presents his lordly presence and with anywhere from two to six yoke of oxen, as the size of the tree warrants. The swampers have previously raised and flattened one side of the log and rounded off the end so it may not catch on the skids and tear them out of the ground. As soon as the log with four or five of its fellows are yarded out, they are coupled together and then the faithful greaser with his swab and can of oil takes his place in front. The greaser's duty is to oil each skid before the passage of the train of logs . . . I have heard of twenty thousand feet being hauled by six yoke of oxen. On arrival at the landing the chains are removed, the logs scaled and with a groan the huge sticks are rolled to their final resting place in the river.

More photos of logging equipment. Please click thumbnails to see larger versions.
(Donkey Crew on log)
Donkey crew on log. Courtesy of the late John Wicker.
(Donkey crew)
Donkey crew, no details.
(Donkey crew Kapowsin)
Al Stewart photo compliments of Julia Spray. Details below.
This photo on the far right is from Julia (Stewart) Spray was from her grandfather, Al Stewart, a famous engineer for the Dempsey-English and Puget Sound & Baker River logging railroads. Written on the front is: "Dempsey Lbr. Co., Kapowsin, WA, 1910," with the men identified, from left as:."? Swanson, Al Stewart, Jim, Gus." Can anyone help with details?

(Bloedel Donovan 1919)
Bloedel-Donovan camp, 1919. Details below.
(Yarder)
Harry Osborne photo labeled "Yarder04"
(Delvan Donkey Loader)
Bloedel-Donovan crew at Delvan camp, Sept. 12, 1918
Far left: The 1919 Bloedel photo from Cecil and Betty (Osborne) Hittson has this written on back: June 6, 1919. From left to right: 1-Harry Osborne, 2nd loader; 2-Claude Miller, 3rd loader; 3-Rufus Green, 1st loader; 4-Joe Kiens, Leverman; 5-Don Miller, Engineer.
Far right: The 1918 Bloedel photo, also from the Hittsons, may have Third Loader Harry Osborne at the right, according to Cecil and Betty.
Many more stories about logging and sawmills can be found in our logging section.

Return to the new-domain home page
Links for portals to subjects and towns
Newest photo features
Search entire site
You can click the donation button to contribute to the rising costs of this site. You can also subscribe to our optional Subscribers-Paid Journal magazine online, which is about to enter its seventh year with exclusive stories, in-depth research and photos that are shared with our subscribers first. You can go here to read the preview edition to see examples of our in-depth research.
(bullet) Story posted on July 18, 2002, last updated Dec. 24, 2004
(bullet) See this Journal website for a timeline of local, state, national and international events for years of the pioneer period.
(bullet) Did you enjoy this story? Remember, as with all our features, this story is a draft and will evolve as we discover more information and photos. This process continues until we eventually compile a book about Northwest history.
(bullet) Can you help? We welcome correction and criticism.
(bullet) Please report any broken links or files that do not open and we will send you the correct link. With more than 550 features, we depend on your report. Thank you.
(bullet) Read about how you can order CDs that include our photo features from the first five years of our Subscribers Edition. Perfect for gifts.
You can read the history websites about our prime sponsors
Would you like information about how to join them?
(bullet) Jones and Solveig Atterberry, NorthWest Properties Aiken & Associates: . . . See our website
Please let us show you residential and commercial property in Sedro-Woolley and Skagit County 2204 Riverside Drive, Mount Vernon, Washington . . . 360 708-8935 . . . 360 708-1729
(bullet) Schooner Tavern/Cocktails at 621 Metcalf Street in downtown Sedro-Woolley, across from Hammer Square: www.schoonerwoolley.com web page . . . History of bar and building
(bullet) Oliver Hammer Clothes Shop at 817 Metcalf Street in downtown Sedro-Woolley, 82 years.
(bullet) Joy's Sedro-Woolley Bakery-Cafe at 823 Metcalf Street in downtown Sedro-Woolley, 82 years.
(bullet) Check out Sedro-Woolley First section for links to all stories and reasons to shop here first
or make this your destination on your visit or vacation.
(bullet) DelNagro Masonry Brick, block, stone — See our work at the new Hammer Heritage Square
(bullet) Are you looking to buy or sell a historic property, business or residence?
We may be able to assist. Email us for details.
(bullet) Peace and quiet at the Alpine RV Park, just north of Marblemount on Hwy 20
Park your RV or pitch a tent by the Skagit River, just a short drive from Winthrop or Sedro-Woolley
Looking for something special on our site? Enter name, town or subject, then press "Find" Search this site powered by FreeFind
    Did you find what you were seeking? We have helped many people find individual names or places, so email if you have any difficulty.
     Tip: Put quotation marks around a specific name or item of two words or more, and then experiment with different combinations of the words without quote marks. We are currently researching some of the names most recently searched for — check the list here. Maybe you have searched for one of them?
Please sign our guestbook so our readers will know where you found out about us, or share something you know about the Skagit River or your memories or those of your family. Share your reactions or suggestions or comment on our Journal. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to visit our site.
View My Guestbook
Sign My Guestbook
Email us at: journal@stumpranchonline.com
(Click to send email)
Mail copies/documents to Street address: Skagit River Journal, 810 Central Ave., Sedro-Woolley, WA, 98284.