This Big Saw

This Big Saw. . This nine foot band saw is among the largest log saws ever used in the sawmill industry. It weighs over 38,000 pounds and has a blade that stre[t]ches over fifty-six feet in length. This saw was used to cut Douglass Fir logs up to ten feet in diameter and fifty-six feet in length. The lumber from just one of these giant logs would be enough to build two houses of about 1500 square feet each. , The machine was manufactured by the Allis-Chalmers company in 1910 and put into service by the Jones Lumber Company located on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. For fifty-two years, it was used to cut Douglas Fir lumber that was loaded on seagoing barges and shipped into the growing California market. The iron giant was finally retired in 1962 when the mill was dismantled and sold at auction. Despite the age of the machine, it is in sound working condition. With a little grease, it could go back to work anytime, but our intention is to keep it on display here as a monument to the pioneers of the lumber industry.