Lumber Rafting

Lumber Rafting. . , [Header] , The location of this kiosk was once an island flanked by the Allegheny River on the south side and a Mill Race on the north. The island was home to sawmills, a sash and blind factory, and barrel works., After you enjoy the beauty of our waterways, we invite you to journey a block or two north of here and visit the many shops and restaurants located in our downtown area., Lumber Rafting , By the 1830's, the national market for lumber exploded. Small-scale family-owned sawmills to large industrial mill operations began to spring up along the streams and rivers. As a result, dimension lumber production skyrocketed. Towns such as Lock Haven and Warren grew in response to industrial lumbering. Early sawmills in Warren County were on creeks, streams, and rivers so that the water power could be used to power the saw inside the mill. Rivers became the primary means of transporting logs, sawn lumber and other products, such as bundles of wooden shingles, downstream to market in Pittsburgh and other cities along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Allegheny River Lumber Rafts were made of 60 platforms joined together, each platform measuring approximately 17" X 17" square. These rafts were 340 feet long and 51 feet wide. Rafts were launched in the spring when the water was high because of the melting snow. Most raft pilots ran during the day, as it was too dangerous and difficult to navigate in the dark, Tying up a raft for the night was called "snubbing". Snubbing was a dangerous job that required the work of a few men on a boat tying cables around both the lumber raft and nearby, strong trees. Crews were professional raftsmen who made multiple trips in a span of years. Men working on the rafts would usually find their way home to Warren by walking and sometimes by boat or horseback., [Captions, top to bottom] , The land and Mill Race, ca 1875 , The mill race was later filled in and is this location today. , Mill Race Log Pond , Assembling a sawn lumber "raft panel.", "Allegheny Rafts being assembled and readied along the river bank downstream of the Hickory Street "Suspension" Bridge., Allegheny River Lumber Raft (2/3 standard width) coming in for a landing just above the suspension bridge. , Lumber and square-timber rafts waiting for a ride in river level, circa 1890, Photos provided by: The Warren Public Library and The Warren County Historical Society