1914 Men attaching chains to logs in snow covered forest using the parbuckle method.
Vintage Logging

Vintage Logging – Parbuckle

Each Saturday morning I review 10 vintage logging, forestry and saw milling photos. This week’s review of vintage logging is about parbuckling. Parbuckle is defined as a method of moving long, cylindrical objects, like logs, employing loop of rope, cable or chain arranged like a sling, used for raising or lowering the objects along an inclined plane.

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1900 Loading logs using the parbuckling method.
Parbuckle method of log loading.

Photograph shows loading logs onto a logging wagon using the parbuckle method with a mule team. Plumas County, CA. Rights Information: Feb 28 2019 Special permission granted by the owning institution, California State University, Chico, CA, US, to WoodchuckCanuck.com, for use of this image for historical logging special collection review. Source: http://cdlib.org

1900 Log loading using the parbuckle method.
1900 Log loading using the parbuckle method.

Photograph shows log loading with Dolbeer donkey and oxen being used to pull the logs up and onto the wagon (parbuckle method), at Plumas County, California.

Rights Information: Feb 28 2019 Special permission granted by the owning institution, California State University, Chico, CA, US, to WoodchuckCanuck.com, for use of this image for historical logging special collection review. Source: http://www.cdlib.org/

1907-1910 Horse logging employing the parbuckle method.
1907-1910 Horse logging employing the parbuckle method.

Photograph shows men loading logs on to a wagon using draft horses using the parbuckle method. Written on photo: Loading logs Englebretsons – Wilson.

Rights Information: Feb 28 2019 Special permission granted by the owning institution, California State University, Chico, CA, US, to WoodchuckCanuck.com, for use of this image for historical logging special collection review. Source: https://cdlib.org

1914 Men attaching chains to logs in snow covered forest using the parbuckle method.
1914 Winter logging

1914 Men attaching chains to logs in snow covered forest using the parbuckle method to pile up logs.

1900 Log loading using the parbuckle method.
1900 Log loading using the parbuckle method.

Photograph shows log loading with Dolbeer donkey and oxen being used, at Plumas County, California.

Rights Information: Feb 28 2019 Special permission granted by the owning institution, California State University, Chico, CA, US, to WoodchuckCanuck.com, for use of this image for historical logging special collection review. http://www.cdlib.org/

1900 Parbuckling logs, Clipper Mills, CA.
1900 Parbuckling logs, Clipper Mills, CA.

Photograph shows loggers loading sugar pine logs on a wagon near Clipper Mills, Calif.

Rights Information: Feb 28 2019 Special permission granted by the owning institution, California State University, Chico, CA, US, to WoodchuckCanuck.com, for use of this image for historical logging special collection review. Source: http://www.cdlib.org/

1905 Siskiyou County Logging Railroads.
1905 Siskiyou County Logging Railroads.

To the right of center, you can see a log being rolled up the poles onto the flat bed railroad car. IN the far background the rear of two horses who are pulling the log up with cables using the parbuckle method.

Rights Information: Feb 28 2019 Special permission granted by the owning institution, California State University, Chico, CA, US, to WoodchuckCanuck.com, for use of this image for historical logging special collection review. Source https://cdlib.org

1910 Demaris Logging, Crook County, Oregon
1910 Demaris Logging, Crook County, Oregon using the parbuckle method.

Woodsmen using cables and horses to load large logs onto the wagons for transport.

Those were the last of the parbuckling photos, so here are two more to round out the 10 photo review.

U.S. Spruce Division Garford chain drive truck with concave wheels on pole road, Seaside Oregon; Warren Spruce Co.

4 unidentified men riding on chain drive truck; truck with concave wheels rolling on pole road crossing river; rocky beach and river in foreground bottom right; large tree at left; trees in distance.

View of a steam engine and wagon hauling a load of logs.
View of a steam engine and wagon hauling a load of logs on a pole road.

Note that the wheels are made to run along logs laid down as tracks, refered to as a pole road. Placer County, CA.

Rights Information: Feb 28 2019 Special permission granted by the owning institution, California State University, Chico, CA, US, to WoodchuckCanuck.com, for use of this image for historical logging special collection review. Source: http://cdlib.org

A Newfoundland born Canadian with a life long interest in woodworking, baking and anything else that peaks my curiosity.

One Comment

  • David M Hatt

    I used to use the same par buckle method back in 80’s an 90’s to load weir material on to a truck an pole trailer, the material was anywhere from 25’ to 65’ long mostly hard wood some popular an tamarack. We used nylon rope with a peavey dog on the ends an pull them on with a horse . My dad showed me this he used it a lot over the years, he lumber an farmed with horses all his life. Thanks.

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