Logging in Oregon in the 1850s

When the pioneers reached Oregon, they found abundant old-growth forests with timber that had never been cut. But logging has always been a part of Oregon’s history. In 1805, Lewis and Clark built their winter shelter, Fort Clatsop, out of logs they cut. Hudson Bay Company built a water-powered sawmill […]

Continue reading

Book Review: Barkskins, by Annie Proulx

I’ve seen several reviews of Barkskins, by Annie Proulx, that compare her book to James Michener’s epics. The comparison is apt, and I felt the similarities myself. But her saga of the development of forestry in North America was more like Michener’s later works, not his earlier, stronger novels. It […]

Continue reading