Logging Camp near Manistique.
There were logging camps in every part of the Upper Peninsula. They are the stuff of north country legends and lumberjacks were notorious for their drinking and brawling. Most of the lumbering towns have their tales of bullets and blood.
Sawmill that was located near Skanee.
Logging covered the entire U.P. and in a decade, much of the thick pine forests were cut leaving behind them an ocean of stumps. The dense forests we see today are a testament to the recovery power of the natural environment.
Logging with horses near Escanaba
Horses did much of the work as the logs were slid out across the frozen ground in winter. It was a brutal job in harsh conditions. Many died in the pursuit of the lumber that went to build so many cities and homes.
A tow of ships taking lumber to market in the cities of the south.
A large portion of the white pine lumber went to help rebuild the city of Chicago after the great fire in 1871 where over 17,500 buildings were destroyed.
Negaunee Saw mill and Crew.
For more information on logging in the U.P. check out the Tahquamenon Logging Museum in Newberry. https://www.michigan.org/property/tahquamenon-logging-museum
Hi Mr. Classen, glad to find so much information here on your site. I found it all very intriguing. I could not stop looking at your photos. Amazing that you have collected so many and from so many sites.
My name is Teresa Schanski. I am a member of the Hiawatha Sportsman’s Club near Engadine. Our club will be celebrating its 100th year anniversary in 2027. We are looking to put together an historical history of the lumbering which occurred on the 36,000 acres of private forest land which our club occupies. The lumbering camps were a huge piece of the history we embrace here. We know the names of most of the camps located here historically, but were very hopeful of finding names or lists of lumberman who worked our camps, more facts about each camp and what became of their operation, and of course specific pictures of some of these historical lumber camp operations.
I am part of a larger committee putting together these historical aspects of our club’s history. Any assistance you could give, as to the best publication resources you have authored, or other leads on resources we could research, assisting us in this project, would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for any help you might render us.
Sincerely, Teresa / On behalf of:
The 100th Year Anniversary Committee of the Hiawatha Sportsman’s Club.
Hi Teresa, Thank-you for your comment and spending some time on the site. There are quite a few books out there that talk about logging in general, but there is nothing that I can recommend for your location specifically. Books like Flaming Brands, Lumberjack, and When Pine Was King, all give histories of logging the region. Your project sounds like a worthwhile one and I wish I could help more. The only other thing I can suggest is your area historical society. They may have more. Mikel Classen