Logging terms

Camp boss

Supervisor, but called on to serve as physician, storekeeper, diplomat, law enforcement officer and banker.

Wanigan

Company store or where the crew could make purchases against future wages, or supply wagon which followed drivers on the river.

Tote road

Another name for supply road

Flooding dams

Dams to hold back water to make sure of sufficient supply to carry logs down river to the mills in the spring.

Choppers

Men who in the earlier years used axes to fell trees.

Sawyers

Men who cut the fallen trees into logs of proper length and trimmed branches from the trunk.

Teamsters

Men who drove and cared for the work animals.

Scaler

Men who measured logs piled at landings to determine the feet of lumber the logs would produce.

Others

Some larger camps also had a carpenter, filer and a blacksmith and other personnel to keep equipment in good repair.

Extracted from the Eau Claire Leader Telegram
Special Publication, Our Story 'The Chippewa Valley and Beyond', published 1976
Used with permission.