Lumberjack
Lumberjack is a mostly North American term for workers in the logging industry who perform the initial harvesting and transport of trees. 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, confrontation with danger, and resistance to modernization.[1]
Term
The term lumberjack is of Canadian derivation. The first attested use of the term combining its two components comes from an 1831 letter to the
The term lumberjack is primarily historical, and of colloquial contemporary usage; logger is commonly used by workers in the 21st century.
A logger employed in driving logs down a river was known locally in northern North America as a river pig, river hog, river rat, or catty-man. The term lumberjill has been used for a woman lumberjack; for example, in Britain during World War II.[12]
History
Lifestyle
Lumberjacks worked in
Division of labour
Despite the common perception that all loggers cut trees, the actual felling and bucking of trees were specialized job positions done by fallers and buckers. Faller and bucker were once two separate job titles, but they are now combined.[16]
The natural division of labour in lumber camps led to other specialized jobs on logging crews, such as whistle punk, high climber, and chaser.[17] The whistle punk's job was to sound a whistle (usually at the Steam donkey) as a signal to the yarder 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) established a spar tree so logs could be skidded into the landing. Using tree climbing gaffs and rope to ascend a tall tree in the landing area of the logging site, he would chop off limbs as he climbed, chop off the top of the tree, then attach pulleys and rigging to the tree for the yarder. High climbers and whistle punks began to be phased out in the 1960s to early 1970s when portable steel towers began to replace spar trees and radio equipment supplemented 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, and still do today. The chasers remove the chokers once the logs are at the landing. Choker setters and chasers are often entry-level positions on logging crews, with more experienced loggers seeking to move up to more skill-intensive positions such as yarder operator or supervisory positions such as hook tender.
Machinery
Before the era of modern diesel or gasoline powered equipment, the existing machinery was steam powered. Animal or steam-powered
The term "
Among the
- BC Forest Discovery Centre, Duncan
- Camp Five Museum, Laona, Wisconsin
- The Lumberjack Steam Train, a passenger excursion train, operates as part of the museum.
- Central New Brunswick Woodsmen's Museum, Boiestown, New Brunswick
- Coos County Logging Museum, Myrtle Point, Oregon
- Cradle of Forestry in America historic site, near Asheville, North Carolina
- Forest History Center, Grand Rapids, Minnesota
- Hartwick Pines Logging Museum, near Grayling, Michigan
- Lumberman's Monument, near Oscoda, Michigan
- Maine Forest & Logging Museum, Bradley, Maine
- Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, near Galeton, Pennsylvania
- Algonquin Logging Museum[18] in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario
Culture
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, 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.[19]
Evolution
Tie hacking
A specialty form of logging involving the felling of trees for the production of
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,
A Wall Street Journal survey on the best jobs in the United States ended by listing being a logger as the "worst"
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[clarification needed] consists of eye protection, head protection, ear protection, 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.[citation needed] Additionally, logs and trees often plummet down a mountainside with no regard for what is in the way. In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has resources dedicated for logging safety,[24] and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has identified logging as a priority area of safety research under the National Occupational Research Agenda.[25]
Loggersports
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 and logging and to keep traditions alive.
STIHL Timbersports Series - Worldwide
The
Squamish Days Loggers Sports - Canada
In Canada, Squamish Days Loggers Sports in Squamish, British Columbia, attracts the finest competitors to its weekend festival in August each year. The event has entertainers such as Johnny Cash, who, in 1991, performed at the 5,000-seat Loggers Sports grounds during his Roadshow tour.[27]
The Woodsmen's Days - New York, United States
The Woodsmen's Days events at
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 fashion
In 2014, the term "lumbersexual" emerged in online culture due to an observation that outdoor gear was used because of its aesthetics, not function.[30] Whereas similar terms such as "the Urban Woodsman" existed since 2012,[31] the term "lumbersexual" became popular in fashion magazines and online outlets during 2015 and 2016.[32]
The term "lumbersexual" is a near
Media reports show lumbersexuals adorned by neck and sleeve tattoos. Whereas commentators discussed whether the lumbersexual is an attempt to "reclaim masculinity",[35][36][37][38] researchers show that the term is a media representation that very few people actually use for self identification.[32]
Popular culture
In
Folklore
The most famous depiction of a lumberjack in folklore is Paul Bunyan. Several towns claim to have been Paul Bunyan's home and have constructed statues of Bunyan and his blue ox "Babe".[42]
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
Literature, film, and television
Books
- Blackwater Ben, 2003, by William Durbin, about a boy who gets to live with his father as a cook in a lumberjack camp
- Sometimes a Great Notion, 1964, by Ken Kesey (1964), about an Oregon family of gyppo loggers
- Lumberjack, 1974, by William Kurelek, about his days working in a logging camp.[47]
- The Alphabet of Manliness, 2006, by Maddox, lists the lumberjack as one of 26 examples (each corresponding to a letter of the alphabet) of the pinnacle of manliness
Films
- Come and Get It, 1936 film directed by Howard Hawks and William Wyler
- The Howards of Virginia, 1940 film directed by Frank Lloyd
- Wild Geese Calling, 1941 film directed by John Brahm
- The Enchanted Forest, a 1945 film directed by Lew Landers
- The Strange Woman, a 1946 film directed by Edgar G. Ulmer
- The Big Trees, 1952 film directed by Felix E. Feist
- Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, 1954 film directed by Stanley Donen
- North to Alaska, a 1960 film directed by Henry Hathaway
- Sometimes a Great Notion, 1970 film adaptation of the novel of the same name, directed by Paul Newman
- Ferngully: The Last Rainforest, 1992 animated film directed by Bill Kroyer
- Joel Coen
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine, 2009 film directed by Gavin Hood
Television
The lives of loggers have been featured on the following American television series:
- American Loggers on the Discovery Channel
- History
- Here Come the Brides
- Pink Campaign
- Wacky Races
- Gravity Falls
- Dexter
Music
Songs
- Lumberjacks rapidly developed their own distinctive musical culture of work songs. 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.[48]
- Big Joe Mufferaw, a song recorded and performed by Stompin' Tom Connors, one of Canada's most prolific and well-known country and folk singer-songwriters, about legendary folk hero Joseph Montferrand, 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, a 1956 song by Wade Hemsworth on his album Folk Songs of the Canadian North Woods[49]
- Lumberjack, a 1960 song by Johnny Cash on his album Ride This Train
- The Lumberjack, a song by Hal Willis
- The Lumberjack, a song featuring a chainsaw solo, by the American rock band Jackyl
- The Lumberjack Song, a song by Monty Python, known for its refrain: "I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay / I sleep all night and I work all day. ..."
See also
References
- JSTOR 2085640.
- ^ ISBN 1-112-55989-2.
- ^ World Film News and Television Progress, vol. 3, no. 6, London Cinema Contact Ldt., October, 1938.
- ISBN 0393319172.
- ISBN 9781258435714.
- ^ "Occupational Image: Lumberjacks". Tyler Rudd Putman. 2012-06-05. Archived from the original on 2014-03-08. Retrieved 2013-05-12.
- ^ "Logging Industry Workers". Vault. Archived from the original on 2020-11-29. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
- ^ Benjamin C. Mukkala (1997). "The Shanty Boys" (PDF). Forest History Today. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-06-21. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- ^ "Govt works towards timber cutter compo". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 2005-05-17. Archived from the original on 2023-04-10. Retrieved 2010-09-12.
- ^ "Our house: histories of Australian homes - Koongalba, The timber getter's residence". Environment.gov.au. 2008-08-07. Archived from the original on 2010-12-06. Retrieved 2010-09-12.
- ^ [1] Archived July 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "WW2 People's War - The Lumberjills of Scotland". BBC History. 2005-08-03. Archived from the original on 2013-09-23. Retrieved 2010-09-12.
- ^ Rohe, 1986
- ^ "Michigan Axe Pattern, Uses and Origin". clutchaxes.com. Archived from the original on 2021-02-01. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
- ^ Smith (1972)
- ^ Sorden and Vallier, 1986
- ^ Radford (1987)
- ^ "Algonquin Logging Museum". Algonquin Provincial Park. The Friends of Algonquin Park. Archived from the original on 2018-06-18. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- ^ Adam Tomczik, "'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
- ISBN 0-87004-283-1.
- ^ Jones, Keith. History of Jelm, Wyoming. Vol. 1. p. 17. Archived from the original on 2023-04-10. Retrieved 2019-08-16.
- ^ "Career & Job News, Work, Employment & Salary Trends - Wall Street Journal - WSJ.com". Careerjournal.com. Archived from the original on 2008-01-20. Retrieved 2010-09-12.
- ^ Clanton, Nancy; Journal-Constitution, The Atlanta. "These are the most dangerous jobs in America". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on 2020-11-17. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
- ^ "Logging - Overview | Occupational Safety and Health Administration". www.osha.gov. Archived from the original on 2020-11-23. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
- Center for Disease Control. 2019-02-11. Archivedfrom the original on 2020-10-24. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
- ^ "STIHL TIMBERSPORTS | Lumberjack Competition Series". Stihl USA. Archived from the original on 2016-07-08. Retrieved 2016-07-08.
- ^ Sylvie Paillard (2010-07-25). "The spectacle on the world stage". Squamishchief.com. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
- ^ Murphy McGinnis Interactive. "Hayward, Wisconsin". Lumberjack World Championships. Archived from the original on 2010-10-24. Retrieved 2010-09-12.
- ^ "Lumberjack World Championships | Hayward, WI". www.lumberjackworldchampionships.com. Archived from the original on 2019-12-21. Retrieved 2020-01-15.
- ^ Puzak, Tom (2014-10-30). "The Rise of the 'Lumbersexual'". GearJunkie. Archived from the original on 2022-11-29. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ^ "Consider The Urban Woodsman". The Awl. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ^ from the original on 2022-11-29. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ^ Simpson, Mark (2002-07-22). "Meet the metrosexual". Salon. Archived from the original on 2022-11-29. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ^ Baxter, Holly (14 November 2014). "Out of the woods, here he comes: the lumbersexual". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2015-01-28. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
- ^ Nicks, Denver. "Confessions of a Lumbersexual". Time. Archived from the original on 2015-02-08. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
- ^ Mychaskiw, Marianne (September 24, 2015). "Leonardo DiCaprio Chops Off His Man Bun". InStyle. Archived from the original on January 25, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
- ^ Tang, Dennis (Jun 25, 2015). "Why 'Athleisure' Replaced the Urban Lumberjack". Esquire. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
- ^ Lumbersexuality and Its Discontents Archived 2017-03-03 at the Wayback Machine by Willa Brown (December 10, 2014), The Atlantic
- Boys' Life, vol. 43, no. 10, pp. 26–27,
Lumberjacks and flapjacks go together.
- ^ Haynes, John E. (2002). "Revolt of the "Timber Beasts": IWW lumber strike in Minnesota". In Aby, Anne J. (ed.). The North Star State, a Minnesota History. Minnesota Historical Society Press.
The brawny lumberjack who tells tales, fells giant trees, wears checkered shirts and loves flapjacks is familiar in American folklore.
- ^ Samuel, R.; Thompson, P. R. (1990). The Myths We Live By. London: Taylor & Francis. pp. 132–136.
- ^ Dorson, R. M. (1977) [1961]. American folklore: with revised bibliographical notes (2nd ed.). University of Chicago Press. p. 216.
- ISBN 978-952-5856-65-1
- ^ Monahan, Robert. "Jigger Johnson", New Hampshire Profiles magazine, Northeast Publications, Concord, New Hampshire, April, 1957.
- ^ Colombo, J. R. (1984). Canadian literary landmarks. Dundurn Press. p. 158.
- ^ Appalachia Appalachian Mountain Club, 1964.
- ISBN 0-88776-378-2.
- ^ Mood, T. A. (2004). American Regional Folklore: A Sourcebook and Research Guide. ABC-CLIO. pp. 220–222.
- ^ Levy, Joel (December 8, 2016). "The History of The Log Driver's Waltz". The Toronto Guardian. Archived from the original on 2016-12-11. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
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. 217–225 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.
- Rohe, Randall E. (1986). The Evolution of the Great Lakes Logging Camp, 1830-1930. Vol. 30. pp. 17–28.
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ignored (help) - 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:
- Clark Kinsey Photographs 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 Photographs An 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 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 20th century. Includes a video on the Hobi family logging history (late 19th century – early 20th century).
- OSHA.gov An overview of logging operations along with safety standards and other important safety links.