In Days Gone By: Wages varied greatly in early logging operations

In an article from Aug. 23, 2024, which you can read here, we explored what life was like in Pacific Northwest logging camps in the late 1800s. This article will examine various jobs within logging operations, in and out of camp, detailing what each job entailed and what the average monthly compensation was for those jobs in the late 1880s.

Jobs in the woods

Swampers: A swamper was a worker who performed various physical tasks, including clearing debris, brush, and undergrowth to create safe paths and work sites for other loggers. They often were the first to go into an area where they cleaned out the underbrush, building an initial pathway to a camp site or a logging area. They were also responsible for burning limbs and debris after the trees had fallen and their limbs removed. Other jobs included carrying tools, fuel, and oil, preparing logging sites, and generally acting as a helper to more skilled workers. Sawyers on average earned $30 to $40 per month.

Skidders: In the late 1880s the job term skidder referred to a person who was responsible for cutting down smaller trees and building and maintaining a skid road by which heavy logs could be dragged out of the woods to waiting areas where they could be further cut and transported to mills for processing. Skidders were often the second crew to go into a logging area. Once swampers had cleared out the underbrush and created the initial path into the area, skidders would follow and build skid roads to transport the larger logs over. Skidders’ monthly pay ranged from $40 to $50 per month.

Sawyers: In the late 1880s, a sawyer was a skilled worker who used axes, and a variety of saws to cut down massive trees, possibly delimb them and cut them into specific lengths for wagons to haul away or to be dragged over skid roads.

Author’s note: In some logging operations the crew members who cut down the trees were called fallers instead of sawyers. The men who then cut off the branches, possibly removed the bark from the tree and cut the logs into shorter lengths were referred to as sawyers or buckers.

The two-person “crosscut saw” was the most common tool for falling large timber. This long, heavy saw had a handle on each end and was operated by two sawyers or fallers.
“Felling saws” were also used for cutting down standing trees. They featured a narrower, more flexible blade with a concave back, which allowed wedges to be inserted easily to prevent the saw from binding.

“Bucking saws” were then used for cutting felled trees into smaller sections (logs or bolts). They had a wider, stiffer blade than felling saws and were durable enough for the heavy-duty work of log processing.

Wages varied greatly depending upon the logging operators and the size of the trees that were being harvested. In some cases, a lead sawyer or faller was paid as much as $6/day. In camps where sawyers were primarily responsible for delimbing and cutting the logs into sections pay varied from $40 to $60 per month.

Hooktenders or choke setters: The job of choke setters was an extremely dangerous one. It often entailed climbing up over rugged terrain and attaching a cable with a hook around a log so that it could be dragged out by a team of horses or oxen. Oftentimes the massive logs would get caught up and/or the cable would come lose or snap. The cables then would have to be reattached so that the log could be salvaged. A broken or lose cable would potentially whip around killing or badly maiming anyone in its path. Due to the danger inherent in the job, choke setters were often paid as much as $80 per month.

Teamsters: Teamsters were responsible for hauling or dragging logs, while controlling teams of oxen or horses. The teamster owned the animals and were contracted by the logging operations to move the logs. Teamsters were responsible for feeding, watering and providing necessary care for their animals. A teamster’s compensation typically included provisions for their animals’ care.

Due to the nature of their work, a teamster’s monthly pay was $125 or more, dependent upon the number of their animals who were employed in the logging operation. Some oxen teams consisted of as many as 18 oxen, which were required to drag the massive logs out of the dense woods.

Oilers or Grease Monkeys: As referenced earlier, skid roads consisted of small logs, or “skids,” laid across a trail to form a rudimentary track. Teams of oxen or horses would drag logs over this track. To reduce friction and ease the load on the animals, oilers would grease the skids with a readily available lubricant, most often animal fat or bacon grease.

The “oiler” was tasked with this physically demanding and repetitive job. With a bucket of grease, they would walk ahead of the logging team, keeping the skids slick to make the work quicker and more efficient.

Because the work was deemed as a low-skill job, oilers often received only $30/month in compensation.

Jobs in the logging camps

Cooks and cook’s assistants: A good cook was held in high regard by the loggers. In many of the smaller camps (10 to 20 men) the head cook also assumed the role of camp boss and was responsible for keeping operations running smoothly.

The quality of the food prepared by the cook(s) was often a key factor in the camp’s success. The saying “good cook – good camp” was generally true. If the food was not up to par with other camps, loggers would often leave and move to a camp where the food was better.

It was also not uncommon for a “poor” cook to be “run out of camp” and replaced by a better cook if one was available.

The cook’s assistants were largely responsible for food preparation and serving three meals a day. They also cleared tables, washed dishes and stoked the wood-burning stoves.

In some camps, vermin and wildlife were also an issue, attracted by the smell of food and discarded food scraps. Controlling the vermin and wildlife often fell to the assistant cooks and the camp’s stable boys if there were any in camp.

A highly prized cook could earn top money, earning as much or more than any logger, The larger the number of loggers in a camp, the more the cook could demand in wages.

Reportedly some cooks made $125 to $150 per month. Assistants also were paid well, earning $50 to $60 a month.

Blacksmith, farrier and stable personnel: As noted, oxen and horses were critical in dragging or hauling logs out of the forest. The health and well-being of the animals was essential to the success of the operation. Some teamsters served as their own farriers, changing their animals’ shoes but most teamsters relied on the camp’s farrier(s) and blacksmith(s) paying them out of their own pockets.

If the camp had horses or oxen that were owned by the landowner or logging company, stable boys were employed to take care of the animals and the camp’s farrier, and blacksmith was paid a monthly stipend by the company.

Depending upon how many animals were in camp, who owned them and how compensation had been agreed upon, a blacksmith and a farrier earned between $40 and $60 a month in most camps. Stable boys earned $20 to $30 per month.

Repair personnel: Loggers’ saws and axes had to be sharpened almost every day to maximize efficiency. Choke chains, cables and other equipment had to be checked for safety purposes. A larger camp with 30 to 40 loggers would employ several men both in the woods and in camp to keep all the equipment in good repair.

Safety was a constant issue, as a snapped chain or a saw in disrepair often led to serious injury or death. Numerous loggers lost a body part or were killed due to equipment failures. Repair personnel were on average paid $30 to $40 per month.

Chore boys: In larger camps, individuals were hired to chop and supply wood to the kitchens and bunkhouses. They also helped the cook and his assistants in keeping the facilities clean, hauling water etc. Although it was hard work, chore boys earned only $20 to $25 per month in most camps.

The harsh reality: Logging personnel received only a portion of their earnings

In the late 1800s, loggers typically did not pay for food directly in their camps; instead, the cost of their room and board was deducted from their wages. This was standard practice not only for loggers but other industrial workers who lived in company-provided housing.

How much did a logger pay for room and board? While information is not available regarding specific Northwest logging camps, the amount that loggers paid for room and board was significant.

Food was a major expense. In the 1890s, the average family budget for food was around 40%, much higher percentage than the family’s budget today. While most loggers were single men living in camp, their wages could have been literally cut in half. The more remote their camp was, the more it cost to get adequate food to the camp and prepared.

Author’s note: The food served in logging camps was crucial for sustaining the workers given their intense workload. Loggers ate as much as 8,000 -10,000 calories a day to maintain their weight and strength. To keep the loggers healthy and happy, camps needed to provide three large calorie-loaded meals, nothing fancy, but geared to fuel the loggers for their strenuous work.

How did Northwest loggers spend their “take home pay” in the late 1800s?

Loggers worked six days a week and typically only had Saturday evening and Sunday off. If loggers chose to go into town, they had to decide where and how they were going to spend their hard-earned money.

Author’s note: Most of the loggers were single young men, a long way from their family and friends, and in some cases were only able to get into town once a month. Saloons, cardrooms and other establishments offering “entertainment” were positioned to take a large share of their money. Sadly, loggers lost or spent most of their earnings in these establishments.

But basic items such as work clothes and boots were also needed and depending upon their quality, they often needed to be replaced regularly. Work shirts ranged from $1 to $2. Work pants similarly varied from $2 to $5. Work boots — especially if caulks were included –ranged from a cheaply made pair at $10 to high-quality boots that could cost as much as $50. (i.e. two months’ take home pay in some cases). Multiple pairs of socks were needed, and a pair could cost as much as $1. Rain gear was also needed during the fall and winter months.

Author’s notes: There are accounts that state that some loggers had only one pair of work clothes. They were sweat soaked, and dirty and taken off at night to let hang in the bunkhouse to dry above or around the wood-burning stove. They typically were only washed before being worn into town.

While in town, a simple breakfast consisting of three eggs, boiled/fried potatoes and a cup of coffee cost 25 cents. If a logger wanted to add meat, the price in some cases doubled. Dinners ranged from 50 cents to $1.

A beer in the saloon was between 5 and 10 cents. A shot of whiskey ranged from 10 to 25 cents.

Loggers also often incurred the cost of doctors, dentists and other medical-related items. It was not uncommon for loggers to experience significant injuries requiring immediate medical attention. Logging companies did not provide insurance for work-related injuries. Loggers were on their own. Logging camps normally had only minimum bandages, and loggers either had to tend to their own injuries or make it to town to see a doctor.

Specific data is not available to estimate average costs, but if seriously injured and unable to work, a logger’s savings (if any) would have been quickly depleted.

In the end, most loggers had little to show monetarily for their years of hard work. Only a small percentage were able to save enough money to escape the dangerous back-breaking work of the woods. Many, due to a lack of education or other training, were destined for hard physical labor throughout their lives.

Thanks go the Edmonds Historical Museum, Wikimedia Commons, University of Minnesota-Duluth, Wikipedia, University of Washington – Digital Collections, Skagit County Historical Society, Lynnwood-Alderwood Manor Heritage Museum – Archives.