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.
- "Shop Safety Committee Campaign" report of 1913-1914 - a listing of lumber companies in Lewis County that had formed committees to support workplace safety.
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) |
| 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 | (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. |
| Independence | (saw mill; listed in the 1901 business directory. |
| Kosmos (formerly Fulton) |
(saw mill; listed in the 1901 business directory. (see photos on Jeff Steiner's website.) (saw mill; listed in the 1901 business directory. |
| Lindberg (formerly Coal Canyon) |
|
| 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. |
| McCormick | (listed in the 1901 business directory; see John Leigh biography for more information.) (listed in the 1901 business directory.) |
| Menefee | |
| Meskill | |
| Morton | (originally begun by Henry Temple and family in the late 1880s; listed in "Shop Safety Committee Campaign" report of 1913-1914.) |
| 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.) |
| 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.) |
| 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 |
