In the 1950's I lived a small community west of Orofino, ID. Peck, ID was my home and each year we got to see the log drive down the Clearwater. I thank who ever posted this video, it was great to see the way it was done then.
My Uncle Tom Kiiskila was a bush pilot in Orofino and also ran the White Hotel. He worked on these log drives and was featured in some great photos by Ross Hall in his July 1951 National Geographic article Idaho Loggers Battle A River.
Nice video. I lived my first 10 yrs in Lewiston and my relatives were some of the first settlers in the valley owning and farming the land where the mill sits today. My grandpa and his dad were part of the crew leveling the site for the mill using horses with drag boxes dropping the dirt down through an overhead trestle into Model TT trucks parked underneath. My other grandpa was a log scaler in the woods, a few cousins and an uncle worked at the mill.
My grandfather swam from Saranda Albania to Corfu Greece to escape the Ottoman in 1905. He reached the states in 1907 and settled in Lewiston Main. Where my father was born. I'd like to visit the twin cities eventually.
So very cool! I grew up in Enumclaw, Washington in the 70’s and 80’s when it was a logging/dairy farm town. Kinda makes me sad seeing the end of that era.
I’m from DuPont back when it was a company town surrounded by forests. My grandparents lived in Buckley. Those days are gone my friend but we got to experience them and that’s amazing!
I'm a 69 and did construction all my life, mostly on the East coast. This is about the wildest job I've seen. I mean WILD. All those guys probably ate 6,000 calories a day to keep up. Didn't see any that were overweight. I MIGHT have been able to hang with those guys in my prime. Not sure, though. Cheers from South Carolina!
*- When the 18 year old's were at work on that last drive, I was on top of Mt. Washington using a propane torch to cutting H-Beams with flanges 3 inch thick to disassemble the Jet Engine Testing Laboratory at the end of WW2.* *- I suspect that I would have been on the river if I lived out there.*
There used to be a large book in the reception area at Potlatch in Lewiston that was a photo and prose telling of the last log drive. It was a fascinating record and made waiting for an appointment worthwhile. Growing up on the Columbia River almost underneath the Broughton Lumber Co. slough (see Disney’s Charlie the Lonesome Cougar) we would watch mile long log rafts being towed downriver almost hourly. Who knew in the 1960’s the timber would be gone by the 1980’s?
If any of you are a Disney movie fan, check up the movie "Charlie The Lonesome Cougar" you saw a lot of this used, including the jet boats, and wanigans, you even got to see one of the wreck in the film due to a rather hyperactive cougar that was a persons pet! that was back in 1967 if I can remember correctly.
You missed my point. I said most Americans, not all. The tradesmen you speak of can understand how hard and dangerous being a river diver was. If you put on some waders, in cold fast flowing current, and had to push jammed logs…almost no Americans can relate to this because they never had to work a job like that. Yet they are very comfortable living in the buildings that were built from these same logs.
@@markkirschling9340grew up in Orofino, knew Red MacAlister the drive foreman, went to school with his son Lee. They didn’t wear waders like they were fishing. The waders of those days may well have kept them dry until they fell in, filled up and drowned. That’s why wool under and over garments were worn. Even wet it would keep you warmer.
@@magicone9327 Thanks for the insight. Makes sense as I’ve always wore wool next to my skin when winter logging. Eventually after all the sweat and cold snow, you’re body tires out and you get cold so you’re day is done. Start up my Pickup truck and turn on the heater and head home. River driving looks more hazardous than chainsaw logging and cable skidding.
I have fished, hunted and floated this river. Wish I could have seen it before the damned dam. If you like this movie, go watch Disney's Charlie the Lonesome Cougar.
Great history in Clearwater County. I wish folks would do more research before bad mouthing critical industries. Most be don’t realize the areas these logs were harvested from are being harvested again through proper management. Before timber was harvested and in areas not harvested massive wildfires would make history and reset the lifecycle in the mountains. Next time you need a restroom or enjoy a nice warm nights rest in a timber framed house thank the hard working men and women in the timber industry.
It is not awful. It was "filmed" either with film or video tape, and I guess you missed the part that this ended in 1971. Some of this may have been filmed years before that. I have slides and other film from the 60's and '70's. Very few of them have survived with any quality at all
In the 1950's I lived a small community west of Orofino, ID. Peck, ID was my home and each year we got to see the log drive down the Clearwater. I thank who ever posted this video, it was great to see the way it was done then.
idahoan before the 70s is a true idahoan
i wish i couldve seen those forests back then
My dad Bill Purcell lived at Peck and graduated high school in Orofino in 1954.
My Uncle Tom Kiiskila was a bush pilot in Orofino and also ran the White Hotel. He worked on these log drives and was featured in some great photos by Ross Hall in his July 1951 National Geographic article Idaho Loggers Battle A River.
Nice video. I lived my first 10 yrs in Lewiston and my relatives were some of the first settlers in the valley owning and farming the land where the mill sits today. My grandpa and his dad were part of the crew leveling the site for the mill using horses with drag boxes dropping the dirt down through an overhead trestle into Model TT trucks parked underneath. My other grandpa was a log scaler in the woods, a few cousins and an uncle worked at the mill.
I live here today. Great place.
My grandfather swam from Saranda Albania to Corfu Greece to escape the Ottoman in 1905. He reached the states in 1907 and settled in Lewiston Main. Where my father was born. I'd like to visit the twin cities eventually.
Brings a tear to my eye...the best of times we'll never see again.
Grew up in Lewiston 1990’s, watched this in 4 or 5th grade. Perfect
So very cool! I grew up in Enumclaw, Washington in the 70’s and 80’s when it was a logging/dairy farm town. Kinda makes me sad seeing the end of that era.
I’m from DuPont back when it was a company town surrounded by forests. My grandparents lived in Buckley. Those days are gone my friend but we got to experience them and that’s amazing!
❤❤❤❤absolutely love this video..grew up in this country...nothing like it anywhere..too bad all them old giants are gone
Thanks for posting this great content.
I'm a 69 and did construction all my life, mostly on the East coast. This is about the wildest job I've seen. I mean WILD. All those guys probably ate 6,000 calories a day to keep up. Didn't see any that were overweight. I MIGHT have been able to hang with those guys in my prime. Not sure, though. Cheers from South Carolina!
I remember watching the log drives when I was a kid and grew up in a timber family!
Not many people can say that today.
Awesome. Simply Awesome. Thanks for the video!
*- When the 18 year old's were at work on that last drive, I was on top of Mt. Washington using a propane torch to cutting H-Beams with flanges 3 inch thick to disassemble the Jet Engine Testing Laboratory at the end of WW2.*
*- I suspect that I would have been on the river if I lived out there.*
There used to be a large book in the reception area at Potlatch in Lewiston that was a photo and prose telling of the last log drive. It was a fascinating record and made waiting for an appointment worthwhile. Growing up on the Columbia River almost underneath the Broughton Lumber Co. slough (see Disney’s Charlie the Lonesome Cougar) we would watch mile long log rafts being towed downriver almost hourly. Who knew in the 1960’s the timber would be gone by the 1980’s?
This should be required viewing in grade school: "This is what your granddads and great-grandads used to do for lumber. "
Such a great video!
Thanks for this view into history
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
Great video .
This is so interesting to me.
I suspect the loggers were NOT candy asses……..
Definitely not a union crew
If any of you are a Disney movie fan, check up the movie "Charlie The Lonesome Cougar" you saw a lot of this used, including the jet boats, and wanigans, you even got to see one of the wreck in the film due to a rather hyperactive cougar that was a persons pet! that was back in 1967 if I can remember correctly.
being in the valley next to the river the lewiston mill sits in. nothing like it in the world.
Was there a significance with the different colored Crusher hats???
cool history. i just subscribed.
Almost no Americans know what hard work means.
B.S. My corner of the country is populated by hard working tradesmen. Americans not illegal aliens by the way.
You missed my point. I said most Americans, not all. The tradesmen you speak of can understand how hard and dangerous being a river diver was. If you put on some waders, in cold fast flowing current, and had to push jammed logs…almost no Americans can relate to this because they never had to work a job like that. Yet they are very comfortable living in the buildings that were built from these same logs.
@@markkirschling9340grew up in Orofino, knew Red MacAlister the drive foreman, went to school with his son Lee. They didn’t wear waders like they were fishing. The waders of those days may well have kept them dry until they fell in, filled up and drowned. That’s why wool under and over garments were worn. Even wet it would keep you warmer.
@@magicone9327
Thanks for the insight. Makes sense as I’ve always wore wool next to my skin when winter logging. Eventually after all the sweat and cold snow, you’re body tires out and you get cold so you’re day is done. Start up my Pickup truck and turn on the heater and head home. River driving looks more hazardous than chainsaw logging and cable skidding.
@@markkirschling9340 SO true!
My grandpa owned the store at Ahsahka.
that's incredible
I have fished, hunted and floated this river. Wish I could have seen it before the damned dam.
If you like this movie, go watch Disney's Charlie the Lonesome Cougar.
Nobody today knows what a peavey is 🤔 remember using dads when we’d cut firewood
I bought one years ago. Came out of Canada. Gave a hundred dollars for it. Still have it. Raised around a sawmill.
I am 75. I know full well what a peavey or cant hook is
@@fourfortyroadrunner6701 You got 2 years on me and I've still got mine! Used both.
@@fourfortyroadrunner6701 Me, too. I have one.
Best
People don't realize how the US was de-forrested. In California alone, 95% of redwoods gone. The entire US landscape was transformed.
You’re factually wrong
Now everyone carries assault rifles and side arms whilst having face tattoos
They will never see the likes of this again, that's for sure they striped all the old growth out every corridor in the state.
I live here, and although they've cut a bunch, there is a lot out there. It's huge.
Great history in Clearwater County. I wish folks would do more research before bad mouthing critical industries. Most be don’t realize the areas these logs were harvested from are being harvested again through proper management. Before timber was harvested and in areas not harvested massive wildfires would make history and reset the lifecycle in the mountains. Next time you need a restroom or enjoy a nice warm nights rest in a timber framed house thank the hard working men and women in the timber industry.
You’ve never been to the PNW
Lorna drooney drover .
The video is awful
It's an awful-good look at history
Why do you say it is awful?
No I max in 1971
@@Richard-zc1cj... she's a hippy that lives in a tent!!😅😅
It is not awful. It was "filmed" either with film or video tape, and I guess you missed the part that this ended in 1971. Some of this may have been filmed years before that. I have slides and other film from the 60's and '70's. Very few of them have survived with any quality at all