Logging started in 1956 at Camps 1 and 2. Men and horses were the major power sources. Felling was done by hand with power saws that had only recently become popular. A few of the first fallers used the arm-powered Swede saw. Horses skidded logs to the pile where they were bucked into 8-foot lengths and piled in long rows 4 feet high.

Most of the loggers lived in Company camps. Access roads were rough and there was virtually no accommodation in town. By the end of 1957, about 15 camps were in operation. In full production, there were up to 1000 men and about 400 horses working in the woods.

As roads improved and housing was built in Hinton and other communities, more and more loggers began to live in towns with their families and commute to work. The Company camps were gradually closed.

• History of Weldwood's Hinton Division Overview
• The Beginning- A discussion on the start up of operations in the Hinton area and the men who started it all.
• Some of the Pioneers- The forestry people were some of the first hired. This section talks about the early pioneers, and contains numerous photos.
• Early Forest Management- An explanation of forest management in the early years with some interesting photographs of early transportation methods including Volkswagen "Bugs" and Tote-Goats.
• Logging: Camps to Commuting- This section discusses the transition from men working out of logging camps to the time when housing and roads improved and loggers began to live in the community and commute to work.
• Logging: Horses to Horsepower- In 1967 the Company changed from primarily a horse logging operation to one using diesel engine powered skidders.
• Early Forest Renewal- A look at early forest renewal including the first forest industry greenhouse in 1965

Hinton Web Design would like to thank Aaron Jones at  Weldwood & Hinton Forest Resources for the use of this information
Please visit their Website for more information on this and other areas of Weldwood

Hinton Forest Resources