Southern Oregon didn't have as much gold as California, but it did have timber, a more reliable resource for striking it rich.
In the 1850’s and 60’s, Oregon had so much wood the cheapest way to build roads was to lay down thick planks. Although the boards wore out quickly with heavy use, there was always more wood where they came from.
Old-time logging wasn't without its hazards. Three Pines Timber Company in Josephine County transported wood to its mill by a long wooden flume between Merlin and Hugo. The flume, more than 148 feet high in places, was fast, but prone to jams that undermined the flume's supporting trestle, creating monumental collapses that were expensive and time consuming to fix.
Other logging hazards included free ranging cattle owned by local ranchers. The cows loved tree lichen and learned to show up at the sound of a saw. Loggers chasing them away often got chased themselves.
The ranchers created a hazard by setting fire to timberland to create better grass for their cattle. They were almost as belligerent as the cattle, but their anger was usually met with a shotgun.
Source: Clark, Dr. Donald H. "First There were Skidroads." The Oldtimer 1.1 [Roseburg, Ore.]: 1962: 3-4. Print.
