Monday, June 13, 2011

Logging/ My World

Mural depicting sawmill on a main street building,  Midland, Ontario

For sure, logging played a big part in the early settlement of central and northern Ontario. And the residents there are fully aware of this as evidenced by the murals painted on the outside of buildings in many of the major towns.

Saw mill north of Bracebridge, Ontario

Today, lumber mills still dot the landscape.  The big contraption over the sawdust at the rear of the photo is a dust collector. (I didn't just know that, I had to ask.)

The above mill specializes in timber and lumber from white pine, red pine, hemlock, and spruce,  and also hard wood from hard maple, soft maple, red oak, cherry, ash, beech, white and yellow birch, basswood, and poplar.

FYI: Timber is lumber with a measurement of no fewer than 12.5 cm (5 inches).

Thick and long beam (timber): 8 1/2" x 12 1/2" x 16'

Some of the boards in the yard the day I took the above two photos were HUGE!  Beams come from the center of logs after boards are cut off the sides. This beam must have come from a fairly large tree. Apparently, timber is available here in any size with lengths up to 32 feet.

Mural near centre of town, Gravenhurst, Ontario

Central and northern Ontario boasts many river and lakes, perfect in olden days for moving logs to sawmills.

Mural at entrance to Parry Sound, Ontario's business section

Another old-fashioned way to move logs was on horse-drawn sleighs in winter. Today trucks and trains haul logs to mills.

Modern day lumber ready for milling, north of Bracebridge, Ontario

This view of the mill's yard has an almost timeless quality, but the photo was taken only a week ago.

I am linking to My World.

37 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

a lot of towns in Wisconsin (including the one i grew up in) were founded because of the logging being done and the railroads needed to carry the logs. nice murals.

Sylvia K said...

Interesting post and terrific captures! I love the murals! And you're right about the last shot having a timeless quality. Have a good week!

Sylvia

cieldequimper said...

Lovely murals. Though I love wood, would adore a wooden house, I still cringe when I see trees become lumber...

Penelope Notes said...

The mill yard truly does look as if it is from earlier days in your last photo. The trees don’t change styles and have a timeless look, cut or otherwise … even with the nearby machinery. And the murals are not only lovely but also informative.

Anonymous said...

What lovely shots! Definitely classics.

Fotokarusellen said...

A beautiful post and great images. Well done.

kayerj said...

I love the beautiful murals from your area. This series was very interesting interspersed with pictures of the actual logging industry.

Carver said...

Very interesting post. I liked the murals so much as well as the other photographs.

B i r g i t t a said...

Beautiful historical paintings. Everything is mechanical today and not so "charming" :)

Tania said...

Interesting post and I love wood.
Have a nice week!

Eve said...

I enjoy towns/cities with a good working history! Love those murals too! :D

RedPat said...

Nice collection of logging photos! Like the murals.

Unknown said...

I'm not too big on lumbering with its excesses of clear cutting etc. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

EG CameraGirl said...

Gary, I have never seen any clear cutting here in central Ontario. The forests are thinned here allowing for new growth.

Anonymous said...

what lovely murals. it's a nice way of honoring the tradition and the history of this place.

Kay L. Davies said...

Wonderful post, especially your reply to Gary's comment, saying they cut to thin the forest. We've seen too much clear-cutting in other parts of Canada, and it is awesomely awful.
Nevertheless, I always love the smell of a sawmill, and with the mixture of different woods they cut at this mill, the aroma must be delicious!
— K

Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

My name is Riet said...

How wonderful to have all these murals around. I think it makes a town pretty. Thank you for sharing

Pretty Life Online said...

wow!!! lots of wood.. cool one for myworld... Have a great weekdays ahead!!! Hoping you can visit @ my little corner.

Jenn Jilks said...

Wonderful collection of photos and murals. Well done.
I miss Muskoka.
Thank you for visiting my cottage country !

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

Very interesting. My father is a retired forest ranger so I've been in and around saw mills but don't really know much about them.

Lesley said...

You put a lot of planning into this post - and a lot of travelling! And I have learned a few things about lumber and timber etc.

Randy said...

Interesting post. I really like the murals.

stardust said...

Thank you for this interesting and fabulous series of photos with your explanation. Murals are telling important history beautifully.

Nara is a mountainous prefecture. In the past people rafted logs down the river, too.

Janie said...

I was impressed by the size of the log load the 2 horses were going to pull in the mural. Wow.
Interesting information about logging.

Michelle said...

Great murals

Tes said...

Lovely murals! Beautiful capture!

Tes said...

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Kathy said...

Love the murals. Logging is big business where I live too because of our pine forests. Presently a lot of land is being cleared and planted for reforestation. We have many logging trucks go by our house every day and our nearest neighbor is a timber broker.

Dawn said...

Love reading and learning about this part of the past. And I also LOVE passing sawmills when we take trips out to B.C. ...the smell is heavenly! (It reminds me of my dad who was a carpenter when I was little!:))

Indrani said...

Great subject for the post, well studied and presented.

snowwhite said...

What a delightful post it is!
Mural paintings tell us the interesting history of logging. It is a fun to learn a lot from them.
I remembered I have seen the similar scene in the ancient picture scroll, where people moved logs using rivers. I love a wooden house which fits Japanese weather the best.
Have a great week!

Gattina said...

Very interesting post ! I just saw yesterday a show where a couple had a whole wooden house imported from Canada, because of it's quality of wood ! It then was assembled in the UK.

Cezar and Léia said...

I love the mural and your pictures are great! I agree with Gattina, it's very interesting post!
Léia

Suburban Girl said...

Love the combo of the mural with real life of the same subject.

Lowell said...

Logging was very popular in Minnesota in my younger days - remember Paul Bunyan? (I imagine it still is to some extent)...but what a tough way to make a living! And it could be so very dangerous!

I really enjoyed this post; you combined the murals, your photos and the commentary so well. Tres interessant!

SandyCarlson said...

These murals are amazing. Wonderful. They remind me of the challenges of physical labor, which I seldom do--unless Windexing the bathroom mirror counts.

Rosie Gan said...

That last photo is amazing...I mistook it for a mural! Time stood still there.
Rosie

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East Gwillimbury is a rural town less than an hour north of Toronto, Canada's largest city. My family calls me CameraGirl because I take my camera with me wherever I go.