August 2007

When Timber Was King

The best place to learn about logging in the Pacific Northwest during its heyday from 1850 to 1950 is at Camp 18 in Oregon, where you will find a huge collection of logging equipment and a gigantic log cabin that houses a family-owned restaurant and gift shop.

Located near Elsie, 22 miles east of Seaside, Camp 18 is a convenient place to poke around on your way to the Oregon Coast. And since it’s situated along pretty little Humbug Creek, it’s also a great spot for a picnic or a nature stroll—songbirds are common and chinook salmon spawn here in the fall.

Although logging methods have changed over the years, the old days buzz to life at Camp 18 through its collection of Paul Bunyan-sized equipment: a high-speed, double-cut band saw with an immense blade over 60 feet long and 16 inches across; a hydroelectric water wheel; a steam yarder dating back to 1872; a timber flume from 1923, and an extensive assortment of steam shovels, tractors, cranes, and railroad cars. Signs are posted here and there, so you can get a feel for how the 20-foot handsaws and steam donkeys were used and imagine what a physically demanding job logging must have been during that bygone era. While admiring the antiques, also peek inside one of the old railroad cars—it serves as a unique rest room!

After investigating the old-time logging equipment outside (all of it has been purchased, loaned or donated to Camp 18 and is still being actively collected), wander inside the largest log cabin restaurant you’ve probably ever seen. On the way in, pose with Big Foot for a picture!

Gordon Smith, a “gyppo” or independent logger, built the mammoth cabin and he cut the red cedar and Douglas fir timber himself. The 85-foot-long beam that runs along the inside of the peak of the roof weighs 25 tons! There is also a pair of stone fireplaces, chain-saw art décor, and lots of old logging photos and tools on the walls. Axes serve as handles for the massive hand-carved doors. Everywhere you look, Smith’s craftsmanship and attention to detail is evident throughout all 14,000 square feet. If you’re hungry, the American-style lumberjack meals are pretty good, especially the Marionberry cobbler! A gift shop on the other side of the spacious cabin is worth a look, too.

Camp 18 (old logging camps were always numbered, never named) is a fun peek into the past. It’s a fascinating open-air logging museum as well as a tribute to a dangerous, backbreaking, and vital profession that helped build the Pacific Northwest. And here’s a clever trick—even if you can’t recall the name of the town Camp 18 is near (Elsie), you can still easily remember Camp 18’s location—the name itself reminds you—18 miles from the Oregon Coast on Highway 26! (For information on Camp 18, call (800) 874-1810 or (503) 755-1818.)

Denise Seith, who lives in Dallas, Oregon, is a travel writer and also assists businesses with graphic design, copywriting, and marketing. She can be reached through www.DeniseSeithCo.com or (503) 623-2062.