The logging industry has played a significant role in Lewis County's economy since the late 1800s. The establishment of logging camps and saw mills brought in migrants from around the country, particularly from West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, and other eastern states. I hope to use this page to document known logging camps, saw mills, and other logging-related industries in Lewis Co., and provide links to resources where researchers can learn more. Unfortunately, I do not have much more information than what is presented here or elsewhere on the website. If you have information that may help others, please contact me.
Resources
- "The Chronicle" - the May, 1909 article has a detailed description of the logging and timber industry in Lewis County, as it existed in 1909.
- "Lewis County Declaration" - detailed description of the timber industry in Lewis County.
- "Logging Camps" - Dan Brown contributed this map drawn by Coy Brown in 1915, showing logging camps in western Lewis County and Pacific County.
- "Lumberjack Legends" - published in "Pacific Northwest Forum", these articles included a series of letters written by Lynn A. Hull, a Pe Ell native, describing life as a logger. [note: not all of the letters published in the journal were posted online] Part 1 (Fall 1976 issue), Part 2 (Winter 1977 issue), Part 4 (Fall 1977 issue), Part 6 (Winter 1978 issue), Part 8 (Fall 1978 issue)
- "Monthly Bulletin: Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumbermen", Vols. 1-2 (1918) [Digitized on Google Books]. This publication provides a fascinating look at the role of the logging industry, and the L. L. L. L. in supporting the United States efforts' during World War I.
- Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumbermen - more information on the history of the L. L. L. L., largely written by Tim Davenport.
- "Shop Safety Committee Campaign" report of 1913-1914 - a listing of lumber companies in Lewis County that had formed committees to support workplace safety.
- "South Bend Rail Line Once Had 29 Stops Over Run of 54 Miles" - brief history of the South Bend branch of the Northern Pacific Railway. Published in "The Daily Chronicle," 6 Jun 1953.
Listing of companies
| Location | Company |
| Adna | (operated by Harold J. Syverson. See his obituary for more information.) |
| Ainslie | (open from 1884-1893) |
| Bunker | (burned down in 1919; Rich Detering is researching the history of this company and has contributed a series of newspaper articles about the company.) |
| Carlson | |
| Centralia | (listed in "Shop Safety Committee Campaign" report of 1913-1914.) (see photo from 1909.) (listed in "Shop Safety Committee Campaign" report of 1913-1914. See also the biographies of D. F. Davies and F. B. Hubbard.) (saw mill operated by Charles R. Fowler and Martin L. Boyer; listed in 1901 business directory. (saw mill operated by Frank Gougar and George Atkinson; listed in 1901 business directory. (operated by H. H. Martin. See biographies of H. H. Martin and his son, F. A. Martin for more information. (operated by T. Thomas and Frank Lang. See T. Thomas's biography for more information. (organized by Frank D. Harm. See his biography for more information.) (saw mill, listed in 1901 business directory. |
| Ceres | (Mentioned in the "Monthly Bulletin: Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumbermen".) |
| Chehalis | (founded by Chauncey A. Doty and A. J. Davis. See A. J. Davis's and See biography of founder Chauncey A. Doty's. biographies for more information.) (established in 1905 by C. L. Brown, A. H. Brown and D. A. Clark. Operated by Carroll L. Brown. See his biography for more information.) (operated by Charles McGuire. See his obituary for more information.) (saw mill operated by Henry Allen; listed in 1901 business directory. (still in operation) (see note about purchase in 1905) |
| Curtis | (see 1923 article.) |
| Doty | (listed in the 1901 business directory as "Doty and Stoddard"; listed in "Shop Safety Committee Campaign" report of 1913-1914 as "Doty Shingle & Lumber Co.". See biography of founder Chauncey A. Doty.) |
| Dryad | (see photos at the University of Washington's Digital Collections.) (shingle mill; listed in the 1901 business directory. (shingle mill, closed in 1930; listed in the 1901 business directory. |
| Ethel | (saw mill; listed in the 1901 business directory. |
| Guerrier | (article) |
| Independence | (saw mill; listed in the 1901 business directory. |
| Klaber | (1922 article, 1923 article.) |
| Kosmos (formerly Fulton) |
(saw mill; listed in the 1901 business directory. (see photos on Jeff Steiner's website and the University of Washington's Digital Collections.) (saw mill; listed in the 1901 business directory. |
| Lacamas | |
| Lindberg (formerly Coal Canyon) |
(founded by Gustaf Lindberg in 1918) |
| Littell | (listed in "Shop Safety Committee Campaign" report of 1913-1914. See also biography of founder Chauncey A. Doty. Closed in 1917, and purchased by the Snow Lumber and Shingle Company.) |
| Mayfield | (saw mill; listed in the 1901 business directory. |
| Mays | (saw mill and logging camp; described in this 1914 article.) |
| McCormick | (listed in the 1901 business directory; see John Leigh biography for more information; photos available in the University of Washington's Digital Collections.) (listed in the 1901 business directory.) |
| Menefee | |
| Meskill | (reported destroyed in a fire in 1921) |
| Mineral | (Founded by John Donahue in 1905 on property he purchased from Fred Naslund, Mineral Lake pioneer. The mill burned down in 1922.) (see photos in the University of Washington's Digital Collections. Included the Ladd Logging Camp.). |
| Morton | (operated near Davis Lake from 1916 until 1919, when the sawmill burned down.) (founded by Fred Broadbent and George Francis in 1911). (originally begun by Henry Temple and family in the late 1880s; listed in "Shop Safety Committee Campaign" report of 1913-1914.) (founded in the 1940s; now TMI Forest Products, Inc.) |
| Napavine | (saw mill; listed in the 1901 business directory.) (listed in "Shop Safety Committee Campaign" report of 1913-1914. See also biographies of founders W. W. Emery and Chauncey A. Doty.) (shingle and saw mill; listed in the 1901 business directory.) (saw mill; listed in the 1901 business directory.) (listed in the 1901 business directory; see photo on University of Washington's Digital Collections site.) |
| Onalaska (formerly Carlisle) |
(founded by the Carlisle family, who also owned the Copalis Lumber Company in Carlisle, Grays Harbor Co., Washington. See William A. Carlisle's biography for more information.) |
| Packwood | (see History of Packwood for more information.) |
| Pe Ell | (shingle mill; listed in the 1901 business directory.) (saw mill; listed in the 1901 business directory.) (established in 1893 by Wallace C. Yeomans; listed in the 1901 business directory; listed in "Shop Safety Committee Campaign" report of 1913-1914.) |
| Reynolds | (listed in the 1901 business directory.) |
| Ruth | (opened approx. 1930; mentioned in the May 1930 issue of "The Milwaukee Magazine".) |
| Salkum | (saw mill; listed in the 1901 business directory.) |
| Toledo | (listed in the 1901 business directory.) (listed in the 1901 business directory.) |
| Vader (formerly Little Falls) |
|
| Walville | (operated from 1898 to 1930; listed in the 1901 business directory; see photo of logging crew from 1923 and other photos in the University of Washington's Digital Collections.) |
| Wildwood | (see 1930 newspaper article for more information) |
| Winlock | (organized by J. A. Veness and A. L. Prescott; listed as "Prescott, Veness & Co." in the 1901 business directory; see his biography for more information.) (in operation until 1929, when it was bought by the England family) |
| Winston |
