Chandler Township Lumbering
Charlevoix County MI
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Lumbering in Chandler Township Charlevoix County Michigan centered around the Village of Springvale which materialized from the spur of the Cobbs & Mitchell Railroad, running specifically to that location to haul out the logs, and wood products. The entire lumbering era did not last very many years. The lumbering operations, in both Chandler Township and nearby Hudson Township, became so efficient, with its laborers, railroad hauling, and nearby wood mills, and chemical plants, that the lumbering industry quickly eliminated its product... of trees, and entire forests. The national Bureau of the Census on 9 May 1911 stated that Michigan ranked tenth of the states in the production of lumber which amounted to 1,889,724,000 feet manufactured by 1,323 mills. Michigan led in the lumber production of yellow pine, maple, beech, elm, hemlock, cedar, and ash. Michigan's production of veneer was a large part of the lumbering industry by 1911. While Cobbs & Mitchell railroad was hauling its timber to Cadillac to various wood mills, like the flooring company, the Boyne City, Gaylord, and Alpena [BCG&A] was hauling timber from its spurs out of nearby Hudson Township. An even bigger part of the lumbering industry in Charlevoix County revolved around the distillation of hardwood. The Boyne City Chemical Plant transformed the leftover bungwood, the scraps from the cutting of the big logs, into charcoal with a by-product of crude alcohol for fuel. The crude alcohol proved even more valuable than the original timber saw logs had been. In the early years of the 1900s, the Howard brothers, Noah, Albert, Steve, and Martin were working in the lumbering industry, gathering bungwood, in Chandler Township's neighboring Hudson Township out of what was called the Howard Camp. Later, Noah worked for Boyne City's White Brothers, by cutting the big logs. Eventually, as the lumbering era did die down, Noah, Albert and Martin all purchased land in Chandler Township and farmed. Steve stayed in Hudson Township by purchasing a farm on Thumb Lake Road where he farmed for several years before moving to Midland MI. The cut-over lands from lumbering, left fields for farming... "Fields of Dreams". ~ Karla Howard Buckmaster
Noah Howard who later settled in Chandler Township to farm worked for the White Brothers cutting the big logs out of Hudson Township. Noah stood on the very top of the huge load of logs in the photo above. Forest fires were always a possibility in the north woods, as mentioned in the article below which tells of fire being close to the Boyne City Chemical Company which was where the bungwood was hauled when the Howard Brothers were working in the Howard Camp off Camp 10 Road in Hudson Township.
Three Postcard Photos Below: As mentioned above, Noah Howard worked for the big log lumbering scene out of Hudson Township, Charlevoix County, which was connected to the White Brothers of Boyne City MI. Their cargo ship "Three Brothers" as in the top two postcards shows the "dock wallopers" (at the right edge of the postcard) loading the lumber on to the ship, and next, the FULL loaded "Three Brothers", ready to ply the waters to the Great Lakes and beyond. Dean and Marna Wheaton have given me permission to post the photos only on this "Chandler Township Michigan Memories" website. ~ Karla Howard Buckmaster
Although the camps were no longer running in 1938,
the turn-of-the-century logging camps marked on the 1938 map above were located in:
Section 1 ~ C&M Camp #48
Section 14 ~ Camp No. 50
Section 17 ~ Camp No. 23
Sections 24 & 25 ~ Camp "49"
the turn-of-the-century logging camps marked on the 1938 map above were located in:
Section 1 ~ C&M Camp #48
Section 14 ~ Camp No. 50
Section 17 ~ Camp No. 23
Sections 24 & 25 ~ Camp "49"
During the lumbering industry years, forest fires, often leading to building fires, were prevalent. I, however, have come across no news articles, nor records of devastating forest fires in Chandler Township. The Mackie Fire Tower was established in later years by the Civilian Conservation Corps to help curtail possible fires in the township. The article at the left described an 1891 fire destroying houses, barns, and valuable timber in nearby Hudson Township which includes Boyne Falls MI.
~ Karla Howard Buckmaster
Dean Wheaton wrote in his book The Wheatons of Northern Michigan about lumbering and the often ensuing fires:
"Fires were a great and frequent danger in the vast cut-over areas. One of the worst fires in Michigan occurred in the thumb area in 1881 assisted by a hot dry summer. On September 5th there was unprecedented darkeness at midday. Soon a roaring wall of light appeared as flames soared 50-100 feet in the air. In Huron County alone, 280 people were killed, 3,400 buildings were destroyed, and 15,000 people were without shelter."
The news article below (4 sections) tells of this same 1881 horrific fire in the thumb area of Michigan of which Dean Wheaton wrote above.
~ Karla Howard Buckmaster
Dean Wheaton wrote in his book The Wheatons of Northern Michigan about lumbering and the often ensuing fires:
"Fires were a great and frequent danger in the vast cut-over areas. One of the worst fires in Michigan occurred in the thumb area in 1881 assisted by a hot dry summer. On September 5th there was unprecedented darkeness at midday. Soon a roaring wall of light appeared as flames soared 50-100 feet in the air. In Huron County alone, 280 people were killed, 3,400 buildings were destroyed, and 15,000 people were without shelter."
The news article below (4 sections) tells of this same 1881 horrific fire in the thumb area of Michigan of which Dean Wheaton wrote above.
John Bush was enumerated on the 1910 Chandler Township Census Records as John Louder. John was the son of Roland "Thomas" and Minnie Kidd Bush from Greenup County Kentucky. In 1910 John was living with his mother and stepfather Louis and Minnie Louder.
Photo Below: ~ Submitted by Shawn Beeler from the Collection of the Eastwood Family was not labeled. The logging scene was very likely in Chandler Township because that was where the Eastwood Family resided. This logging scene obviously included a railroad car, so perhaps was close to the Village of Springvale where the Cobbs & Mitchell railroad ran.
The postcard photo above had the following written on the back of the card: Postmarked Vanderbilt Feb 19?? to "Mr. John Eastwood Boyne Falls RFD No 1 Mich from Lew Deneen (Lewis Deneen was married to John Eastwood's sister Cora) its me Jan 29 1911 Dear brother we did not look fore you to come over when I was so nastie but come next sunday if you can and bring me a 10 of a bushel of potatoes" So, it is not know IF this logging/lumbering operation was going on in Chandler Township, or where.
Photo below: ~ Submitted by Wendy Butka from the Collection of Lila Magee was labeled, unlike the photo below it on the right. The horses in both of the photos look to be the same four horses. The "big wheel" appears to be the same one in both photos. The people were labeled L>R: L-R: Bun (or is this Burr?), don't know, Bill Nizer/Niger/Nijer, Harry Guy (standing next to the wheel) and Willie Carroll behind the team on the right.
The postcard was sent to Mrs. Wm Rice, Spring Vale Mich and postmarked 26 Oct 1910, sent from Boyne City the writing is small and is somewhat difficult to read but here is what it appears to have written:
"Headquarter Camp Oct 20, '10
Hello Eveline how are ye John received Will card today about the dance quite a wase away to go to a dance at Spring Vale old stockins we are not at camp six anymore john as headquarters now I like it here just fine to we are 4 miles from Alba not far from our old stomping ground (looks like Deward/Denard) not a very good card I am sending but the only one I had ortwo rather you will see Will and Bun on here guess is the only ones you know John Brother Bill is thair to Well now try would ye hair and your wits wid ye and mite (Tutie/Tutis)"
POSSIBLE CONNECTION: If Mrs. Wm Rice was Mrs. Wilburt Rice, then her first name was Eveline Green. The Charlevoix County Marriage Records show that a William E. Carroll [Willie Carroll in photo below?] married a Jennie M. Green, possibly related to Eveline Green?
If anyone has any additional information about these men in the photos below, or their location, please contact Karla Howard Buckmaster.
The man named "Bun" (or could this be Burr?) in the photo below appears to be in the photo on the Railroad page under Camp 32.
It was imperative to use the "big wheel" while logging in the warmer seasons, with no snow or ice to slide out the logs.
A Michigan man named Silas Overpack engineered the "big wheel" which cradled the weight of the huge logs,
suspended by a chain from the axle of the big wheels being pulled by a team of horses.
A Michigan man named Silas Overpack engineered the "big wheel" which cradled the weight of the huge logs,
suspended by a chain from the axle of the big wheels being pulled by a team of horses.
The photos in the slide show below are from the collection of Charlie Conn, a railroad memorabilia historian,
showing the workings, and workers,
of Cobbs & Mitchell Inc. in the Chandler Township area.
showing the workings, and workers,
of Cobbs & Mitchell Inc. in the Chandler Township area.
See photos of how the Cobbs & Mitchell Railroad enabled the transportation to happen
for the logging operation in Chandler Township Charlevoix County.
for the logging operation in Chandler Township Charlevoix County.
Did the prediction below come true?
Carl Bajema submitted the photo newspaper item above left from the Charlevoix County Press January 6 - January 12th 1993 page 3 in the "Remembrances" section. The text labeled the engine as being of the Shay style. The Shay engines were often necessary for pulling loads over hilly terrain. The photo shows the steam log loader, a hoisting machine, another large lumbering tool used in the movement of the big logs. The description of the above photo was interesting by telling of the Cobbs & Mitchell Railroad tracks as "made of wood, and that the tracks could be easily moved when the logging was done in one place to another". Stories have been told that when the C & M RR pulled out of Springvale, and rolled down the tracks for the last time, the tracks were pulled up behind the train.
Click through the historical photos of the Clyde Iron Works of Duluth MN which include several photos of the factory where the McGiffert Self-Propelling Log Loader above was produced. A description from one of the photos stated the extra information below:
"FEBRUARY 19, 1902. PATENT FOR MCGIFFERT LOG LOADER IS APPROVED. With over 1,000 manufactured, McGiffert Loaders were commonplace on the logging railroads, loading 350,000 board feet of lumber daily. A restored McGiffert is on display at the St. Louis County Historical Museum in Duluth, MN." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This photo above was reprinted in Michael Koch's 1979 book Steam & Thunder In The Timber (Right photo of book cover) which is a "hard to get" book, filled with information about the railroads and the lumbering industry. |
The timber in all of Northern Michigan was being harvested around the turn of the century, about 1900, in Charlevoix County, and surrounding counties like Otsego County. Different companies, like Cobbs & Mitchell Inc. were lumbering, and people moved around and worked at the different locations. The following article in the 2007 July 14 Page c-10 Otsego County Herald Times talks about Kneeland-Bigelow, but also references the camp near Springvale.
Even in later years, the wood lots of Chandler Township were a source of revenue. On July 7, 1950 Marion Mackie Wood wrote to her daughter Isabelle Wood Oldham in Chicago IL:
"Bud’s [Gallop's] second load of basswood went past- His first he said measured 900 & some board feet & brought 60.00. He & Connie have been cutting them & Junior Howard [Roscoe] takes them in for 10.00 a thousand. I’m considering selling ours if we can get some one to cut the logs.- I think I’ve already told you this. The mill pays $70.00 a thousand delivered, use’em for veneer and excelsior. I wish I could go thru the woods & really size up what we have."
"Bud’s [Gallop's] second load of basswood went past- His first he said measured 900 & some board feet & brought 60.00. He & Connie have been cutting them & Junior Howard [Roscoe] takes them in for 10.00 a thousand. I’m considering selling ours if we can get some one to cut the logs.- I think I’ve already told you this. The mill pays $70.00 a thousand delivered, use’em for veneer and excelsior. I wish I could go thru the woods & really size up what we have."
Marion Mackie Wood's fear written above about "sizing up what we wood we have" is aptly expressed in the book titled Selling Woodlot Products on Michigan Farms published in Lansing Michigan in 1916: "One of the essentials of successful farming is to know how, when and where to market crops. Farmers are all deeply interested in this; yet when it comes to selling wood products, most of them are at such a a disadvantage through ignorance of markets and methods of estimating and selling, that they lose sometimes two-thirds the value of their timber. Many Michigan woodlots still contain timber which represents the growth of a century. No farmer should let this valuable possession pass from him 'for a song.'" The book follows up with advice in getting the most for the timber on the property.
State TreeIn 1955, the towering WHITE PINE (Pinus strobus) was designated the state tree.
It was chosen as a symbol of one of Michigan’s greatest industries.
From 1870 to the early 1900s, Michigan led the nation in lumber production... like in Chandler Township
It was chosen as a symbol of one of Michigan’s greatest industries.
From 1870 to the early 1900s, Michigan led the nation in lumber production... like in Chandler Township
Click HERE to access other State Facts and Symbols for Michigan.
~ Lumbering Activity 2014 ~
Just entering Chandler Township Charlevoix County from Springvale Township Emmet County
(On Cobb Road)
Just entering Chandler Township Charlevoix County from Springvale Township Emmet County
(On Cobb Road)