Tools of the Trade

Tools of the Trade. . , White pine, cedar, and hardwood logging led to early development of the region. The Upper Peninsula logging industry of the late 1800's and early 1900's has been romanticized in lore and story, in written and oral histories. Men like Wellington Burt, Russell Alger, and George Sullivan left their names on the landscape - - then moved on. Place names and a few tools of the trade remain to remind us of the colorful lifestyles and culture of the era. , Lumberjack vernacular of the day was colorful and descriptive. , Push: camp foreman , Stovelids: pancakes , Ground plane: pick axe or grub hoe , Sand: sugar , Katydid: set of 10' to 14' high logging wheels , Hack: bark mark or stamp on a log , Logging berries: prunes , Corncrib: thin horse showing ribs , Captions: , Cant hook - used for rolling logs , Wellington Burt built a large sawmill in Grand Marais in 1879 and later built a narrow gauge railroad east of town. Burt Township was named for him. , Russell A. Alger was governor of Michigan, and later served as Secretary of War under President William McKinley. Alger County was named for him in 1885. , Big wheels were invented in downstate Michigan to extend the logging season year-round, though most logging in the Upper Peninsula was accomplished in winter. Large sleighs filled with water iced the logging tote roads at night.