Log driving

Log driving was the main means of transport of logs in the early timber industry in North America. When the first sawmills were established, they usually were small and were established in the forest in temporary facilities, then moved to new areas as the timber was exhausted. Later, bigger mills were developed that were not portable, and these were usually established in the lower reaches of a river, with the logs brought to them by floating downriver by log drivers.

Log drivers were often in conflict with navigation, as logs would sometimes fill the entire river and make boat travel dangerous or impossible.

On small tributaries logs could only be driven on the spring flood, when thousands of logs were sent downriver. Each timber firm had its own mark which was placed on the logs. Obliterating or altering a timber mark was a crime.

Log driving was an exceedingly dangerous occupation, with the drivers standing on the moving logs and running from one to another. When one caught on an obstacle and formed a logjam , someone had to free the offending log. This required some understanding of physics, strong muscles, and extreme agility. Many log drivers lost their lives by falling and being crushed to pieces by the logs.

At the mill the logs were captured by a log boom, and the logs were sorted for ownership prior to being sawn.

Log driving became unnecessary with the advent of the railroad and good public roads for trucks.