Pnw Logger Tapestries
Description: The forestry industry has been central to Washington State’s economy for nearly two centuries. In the early days, the virgin forests that covered the state helped fuel Western expansion and turned small logging camps into flourishing communities. Washington has over 22 million acres of forestland and is the second-largest producer of softwood lumber in the United States. Private logging companies like Frontier based in the town of Forks play an essential role in harvesting timber and getting it to the mills across the state.
Description: Initial logging enterprises in mid-1800s Washington State existed to supply timber to California’s Gold Rush and the population growth it precipitated. But when the Northern Pacific railroad opened a direct rail link over the Cascades to Tacoma in 1887, and with Wisconsin and Minnesota already grossly depleted by deforestation, Washington and the Pacific Northwest quickly assumed the role of primary timber supplier to the nation, ensuring the region’s rapid development as it entered the 20th century and 'Washington's toothpicks' became an increasingly common sight as loggers hauled them down the highways and byways.
Description: Oney Camberg opened Oney's Roadhouse in 1938 along U.S. Highway 26 in Elise, Oregon, after procuring a former schoolhouse from a logging camp and relocating it to his roadside property. Marked by an iconic Paul Bunyan sign standing next to the highway, Oney's provided billiards, beer, and good hot meals to loggers, sportsmen, and locals alike for 70 years before tragically burning down in 2008. Luckily, the sign stood a good 100 feet from the building and was safe from the far, remaining as a local landmark for many years until the property was redeveloped.
