Lumberjacks in Oregon, c. 1910

A lumberjack(US)/woodcutter (UK) is a is a tradesman in the logging industry, who performs the initial harvesting of trees for lumber and pulpwood. The term is somewhat archaic, having been mostly replaced by logger. When the term "lumberjack" is used, it usually refers to a logger from an earlier time before the advent of chainsaws, feller-bunchers and other modern logging equipment. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (480x652, 148 KB) historic image of Logging, Lower Columbia, Oregon, ca. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (480x652, 148 KB) historic image of Logging, Lower Columbia, Oregon, ca. ... For other uses, see American English (disambiguation). ... A tradesman is a skilled manual worker in a particular trade or craft. ... Logging is the process in which trees are felled (cut down) usually as part of a timber harvest. ... Crops have been harvested by hand throughout most of human history. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Tree (disambiguation). ... Timber in storage for later processing at a sawmill Lumber or Timber is a term used to describe wood, either standing or that has been processed for use—from the time trees are felled, to its end product as a material suitable for industrial use—as structural material for construction... Pulpwood refers to timber stocks that are cut in order to make wood pulp for paper production. ... A chainsaw (also spelled chain saw) is a portable mechanical, motorized saw. ... A feller buncher is a large logging machine with an attachment that cuts trees in place. ...

Historic

The lumberjack worked in lumber camps and often lived a migratory life, following timber harvesting jobs as they opened. Being a lumberjack was seasonal work. Men were the only people that could be lumberjacks. They usually lived in bunkhouses or tents. Common equipment included the axe and crosscut saw. Lumberjacks could be found wherever there were vast forests to be harvested and a demand for wood, most likely in Scandinavia, Canada, and northern parts of the United States. In the U.S., many lumberjacks were of Scandinavian or Finnish ancestry, continuing the occupation of their parents and grandparents. American lumberjacks were first centered in northeastern states such as Maine and then followed the general westward migration on the continent to the Upper Midwest, and finally the Pacific Northwest. Stewart Holbrook documented the rise and eventual westward migration of the classic American lumberjack in his first book, Holy Old Mackinaw: A Natural History of the American Lumberjack, and often wrote colorfully 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. Youth hostel in Rome. ... Military tents U.S. Army tent with constructed wooden entrance, climate control unit and sandbags for protection. ... Axe For other uses, see Axe (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Temperate rainforest on Northern Slopes of the Alborz mountain ranges, Iran A dense growth of softwoods (a conifer forest) in the Sierra Nevada Range of Northern California A deciduous broadleaf (Beech) forest in Slovenia. ... Scandinavia is a historical and geographical region centered on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe and includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. ... Official language(s) None (English de facto; French is also an administrative language) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 39th  - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 km²)  - Width 210 miles (338 km)  - Length 320 miles (515 km)  - % water 13. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... The Pacific Northwest from space This page is about the region that includes parts of Canada and the United States. ... Stewart Hall Holbrook (1893 - 1964) was a lumberjack, writer, and popular historian. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

The division of labor 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 as a signal to the yarder operator controlling the movement of logs and act as a safety lookout, and a good whistle punk had to be alert and think fast as the safety of the others 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 so it could be used as a spar 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 chokersetters 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. Chokersetters 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 hooktender. 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. Fallers and buckers were once two separate job titles but are now combined. A swing yarder is a mobile piece of heavy duty forestry equipment used for pulling logs from the woods to a logging road with cables (wire rope). ... A spar tree is the tree used as the highest anchor point in a high lead cable logging setup. ...

During the era before modern diesel or gasoline powered equipment, what machinery existed was steam-powered, and animal- or steam-powered skidders could be used to haul harvested logs to nearby railroads for shipment to sawmills. Another way for transporting logs to sawmills was to float them down a body of water, and the art of log rolling - 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. A slip tongue log skidder used in the 19th and early 20th centuries. ... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards. ... Logrolling is a colorful phrase used to describe trading of votes by legislative members to obtain passage of actions of interest to each legislative member. ...

The term "skid row", which today means a poor city neighborhood frequented by homeless people, originated in a way in which harvested logs were once transported. Logs could be "skidded" down hills or along a corduroy road, and one such street in Seattle 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. The term skid row or skid road is used to refer to a rundown or dilapidated urban area. ... A homeless man pushes a cart down the street. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... City nickname Emerald City City bird Great Blue Heron City flower Dahlia City mottos The City of Flowers The City of Goodwill City song Seattle, the Peerless City Mayor Greg Nickels County King County Area   - Total   - Land   - Water   - % water 369. ...

Lumberjacks, especially in the Pacific Northwest, incorporated many terms from the Chinook Jargon into their language including such terms as "skookum" (excellent or impressive), "muckeymuck" (executives or higher-ups), and "hooch" (liquor) which are still familiar today. Lumber camps were the sites of many militant labor disputes and strikes during unionization efforts in the early 20th century. Chinook Jargon was a trade language (or pidgin) of the Pacific Northwest, which spread quickly up the West Coast from Oregon, through Washington, British Columbia, and as far as Alaska. ... A Chinook jargon word that has come into general use in British Columbia, Yukon Territory, and the U.S. Pacific Northwest. ... Salting is the preparation of food with salt. ...

The modern logger

Main article: Logging

Modern technology has 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. Logging is the process in which trees are felled (cut down) usually as part of a timber harvest. ...

Chainsaws, harvesters, 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 can pull, carry, or shovel the logs. Cable systems 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 clearcutting or selective cutting. Concerns over ecology have led to controversy about modern logging practices. Harvester in the Black Forest Harvester, type of heavy vehicle employed in cut-to-length logging operations for felling, delimbing and bucking trees. ... A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors consisting of two or more rotor blades. ... The driver of this DAF tractor with an auto-transport semi-trailer truck prepares to offload Å koda Octavia cars in Cardiff, Wales For other articles with similar names, see Lorry (disambiguation) and truck (disambiguation). ... Clearfelling or clearcutting is the process where every tree is taken in a logging operation. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

A recent Wall Street Journal survey on the best jobs in the United States ended by listing being a logger as the "worst" job [1], citing "work instability, poor income and pure danger." A Bureau of Labor Statistics survey of America's most dangerous jobs put loggers at the top of the list for 2004. It has been suggested that Worker safety and health be merged into this article or section. ... The Bureau of Labor Statistics was founded in 1884 by President Chester A. Arthur. ...

Loggersports

Modern lumberjacks are found in the exciting world of loggersports. Originally started as a competition in the old lumber camps to see who was the best lumberjack, today these competitions are used to keep old forestry and logging traditions alive. This is reflected in the events at these competitions. Many colleges have woodsmen teams or forestry clubs, which compete regionally, nationally, and internationally, while there are also professional competitions in which anyone can enter, along with the highly selective STIHL Timbersports Series which airs on TV. Events may include old-time logging skills such as log rolling and high-climbing. There are also lumberjack shows which tour the United States, demonstrating these old time lumber practices to the general public. Loggers rodeos are also held in some towns which demonstrate these events to the public. The STIHL Timbersports Series was founded in 1985 and is a competiton for lumberjack athletes to compete in various disciplines such as springboard, chop and saw events. ... Logrolling is a colorful phrase used to describe trading of votes by legislative members to obtain passage of actions of interest to each legislative member. ...

In popular culture

Statue of a stereotypical lumberjack

In popular culture the cliché of a lumberjack is a strong, burly, usually bearded man who likes to brave the natural environment. He is depicted wearing suspenders, a long-sleeved plaid flannel shirt, and heavy boots. He is often depicted as being very hungry and eating a large stack of flapjacks or pancakes. He works by cutting down trees with either an axe or with the help of another lumberjack, a crosscut saw, as opposed to the modern chainsaw. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1248x999, 394 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Paul Bunyan Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1248x999, 394 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Paul Bunyan Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A man with a full beard A beard is the hair that grows on a mans chin, cheeks, neck, and the area above the upper lip (the opposite is a clean-shaven face). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Suspenders, braces and garters are clothing accessories. ... A young man wearing a tartan flannel shirt. ... Business shirt A shirt is a piece of clothing for the trunk of the body. ... Mexican cowboy boots custom made for Harry S. Truman. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Packaged flapjack For the seaweed commonly known as flapjack, see Carpophyllum maschalocarpum // In the UK, a flapjack is a tray bake (or bar cookie) made from rolled oats, fat (typically butter), brown sugar and usually Golden syrup or honey. ... Two pancakes with maple syrup. ...

The most famous depiction of a lumberjack in folklore is Paul Bunyan. Several towns claim to have been the home of Paul Bunyan and have statues of Bunyan and his ox "Babe" in the town. Folklore is the body of expressive culture, including tales, music, dance, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, customs, material culture, and so forth within a particular population comprising the traditions (including oral traditions) of that culture, subculture, or group. ... Paul and Babe in Bemidji, Minnesota Paul Bunyan is a mythical lumberjack in tall tales. ...

Music

In Monty Python, a popular skit is "The Lumberjack Song" known for its refrain "I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay / I sleep all night and I work all day". Monty Python, or The Pythons, is the collective name of the creators of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. ... Michael Palin performs The Lumberjack Song, with Connie Booth as his best Girl. ...

Johnny Cash recorded a song about lumberjacks titled "Lumberjack", which appeared on the Ride This Train album. Johnny Cash (born J. R. Cash, February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American, multi Grammy Award-winning influential American country and rock and roll singer and songwriter. ... Ride This Train is the eighth album by country singer Johnny Cash. ...

"The Lumberjack" is a song by Jackyl. Jackyl is an American rock and roll band formed in 1990. ...

Books and films

The 1964 novel and 1971 movie Sometimes a Great Notion are about a family of lumberjacks in Oregon. Sometimes a Great Notion is a 1964 novel by Ken Kesey. ...

Maddox's book The Alphabet of Manliness lists the lumberjack as one of 26 examples of the pinnacle of manliness. George Ouzounian,[1] better known by his pen name Maddox, is an American satirist of Armenian descent, who currently resides in Salt Lake City, Utah. ... The Alphabet of Manliness is a humor book written by Internet satirist and self-proclaimed pirate George Ouzounian, who is better known by his pseudonym Maddox. ...

The 1954 movie Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a classic film musical about seven lumberjack brothers who, in the spirit of the Roman story of the The Rape of the Sabine Women, decide to kidnap brides for themselves from the neighboring town. It contains one of the best dancing scenes in film history, the barn raising dance. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - Movie CD cover Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a musical film released in 1954. ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... Facsimile of the sculpture in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence. ... Bride kidnapping, also known as marriage by abduction or marriage by capture, is a form of forced marriage practiced in a few traditional cultures, in countries including Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, the Caucasus region, Ethiopia and Rwanda. ...

Canadian artist William Kurelek wrote and illustrated a book called Lumberjack (1974) [ISBN 0-88776-378-2] about his days working in a logging camp. William Kurelek (March 3, 1927 – November 3, 1977) was a Canadian artist and writer. ...

Professional Wrestling

In professional wrestling, a lumberjack match is a contest between two or more wrestlers where the outside of the ring area is surrounded by other grapplers. These performers are supposed to forcibly return to inside the ring wrestlers that leave the mat. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Many types of matches can be found in professional wrestling. ...

School mascots

The lumberjack is the mascot of many schools and universities including: Millie, once mascot of the City of Brampton, is now the Brampton Arts Councils representative. ...

A statue of a lumberjack tops the football field's scoreboard at Richwood High School in Richwood, West Virginia.

• Colleges and universities
  • Humboldt State University in Arcata, California
  • Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona
  • Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas

• High schools
  • Bemidji High School in Bemidji, Minnesota
  • Bogalusa High School in Bogalusa, Louisiana
  • Diboll High School in Diboll, Texas
  • Ladysmith High School in Ladysmith, Wisconsin
  • North Tonawanda High School in North Tonawanda, New York
  • Oakwood High School in Oakwood, Montgomery County, Ohio
  • Onalaska High School in Onalaska, Washington
  • Patterson High School in Patterson, Louisiana
  • R. A. Long High School in Longview, Washington
  • Richwood High School in Richwood, West Virginia
  • Springhill High School in Springhill, Louisiana
  • St. Maries High School in St. Maries, Idaho
  • Wausau East High School in Wausau, Wisconsin
  • Cloquet High School in Cloquet, Minnesota

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1304x1608, 562 KB)[edit] Summary Self-made photo of the scoreboard at Dean Memorial Field in Richwood, WV, the home of Richwood High Schools football (American code) team taken on September 24, 2006. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1304x1608, 562 KB)[edit] Summary Self-made photo of the scoreboard at Dean Memorial Field in Richwood, WV, the home of Richwood High Schools football (American code) team taken on September 24, 2006. ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... This article is about Humboldt State University in California. ... Map of California showing the location of Arcata Country United States State California County Humboldt Incorporated Government type Mayor-council  - Mayor  - City manager Time zone PST (UTC-8)  - Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7) ZIP codes Area code(s) 707 Arcata is a city, adjacent to Humboldt Bay, in Humboldt County... Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public university in Flagstaff, Arizona in the United States. ... Nickname: Location in Coconino County the state of Arizona Coordinates: Country United States State Arizona County Coconino County Government  - Mayor Joseph C. Donaldson Area  - City  98. ... Stephen F. Austin State University (known to students as SFA or Stephen F) is a higher education institution that was founded as a teachers college in 1921. ... Nacogdoches (pronounced ) is a city in Nacogdoches County, Texas, in the United States. ... Bemidji is a city located in Beltrami County, Minnesota. ... Bogalusa is a city in Washington Parish, Louisiana, United States. ... Diboll is a city located in Angelina County, Texas. ... Ladysmith is a city in Rusk County, Wisconsin, United States. ... North Tonawanda High School, or NTHS, as it is referred to by current and former students, is the city of North Tonawandas public school. ... Location within Niagara County. ... Oakwood High School is part of the Oakwood City School District, Montgomery County, Ohio. ... Oakwood is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. ... Onalaska is a small unincorporated community in Lewis County, Washington. ... Located in Patterson, California. ... Patterson is a small city located in St. ... R. A. Long High School is the oldest high school servicing the city of Longview, WA. It was erected in 1927, three years after the city of Longview was incorporated. ... Longview is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. ... Richwood High School is a high school located in Richwood, West Virginia, United States. ... Richwood is a city in Nicholas County, West Virginia, United States. ... Springhill is a small city in Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. ... St. ... St. ... Wausau East High School is a public high school in Wausau, Wisconsin. ... Wausau is a suburb of Merrill, WI and is the county seat of Marathon County, Wisconsin. ...

References

• Holbrook, Stewart H. Holy Old Mackinaw: A Natural History of the American Lumberjack, 1938.
• Lemonds, James. Deadfall: Generations of Logging in the Pacific Northwest. Missoula, Montana: Mountain Press, 2001.
• Roberge, Earl. Timber Country. Caldwell, Idaho: Caxton Printers, 1973.

See also

• Arborist
• Industrial Workers of the World
• Log boom
• Log driving
• Log flume
• The Log Driver's Waltz
• The Lumberjack
• Timber rafting
• Timber slide
• Wood chopping

This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or the Wobblies) is an international union currently headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. At its peak in 1923 the organization claimed some 100,000 members in good standing, and could marshal the support of perhaps 300,000 workers. ... A log boom was a barrier placed in a river, designed to collect and or contain floating logs timbered from nearby forests sometimes called a fence or bag. ... Log driving was the main means of transport of logs in the early timber industry in North America. ... A log flume ride A log flume is a horizontal structure that has a cavity for flowing water to carry lumber and logs and generally spans a long distance. ... The Log Drivers Waltz is a Canadian folk song, written by Wade Hemsworth. ... The Lumberjack is the student-run Newspaper out of Northern Arizona University. ... Timber rafting is arguably the second cheapest method of transportation of timber, next after log driving. ... A timber slide is a device for moving timber past rapids and waterfalls. ... Woodchop or wood chooping is a woodworking task that has become a traditional sport in several cultures. ...

External links

• United States Logrolling Association
• University of Washington Libraries: Digital Collections:
  • Darius Kinsey Photographs Images from 1890-1939, documenting the logging industry in Washington State. Includes images of loggers and logging camps, skid roads, donkey engines, loading operations, logging trucks and railroads.
  • Clark Kinsey Photographs Over 1000 images by commercial photographer Clark Kinsey documenting the logging and milling camps and other forest related activities in Washington State, ca. 1910-1945.
  • Industry and Occupations Photographs An ongoing and expanding collection devoted to the workers in the Pacific Northwest from 1880s-1940s. Many occupations and industries are represented including the logging and lumber industry.
  • Man to Machine: Peninsula Logging Online 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 1900s. Includes a video on the Hobi family logging history (late 1800s – early 1900s).