Skidder and Crew With Log Pile

Steam log skidder and crew, November 1907. The steam skidder was used to drag logs out of the logging areas for loading onto the logging railroad. A rider on horseback would transport tongs from the skidder to the logging area and attach them to logs ready to be transported to the mill. After attaching the tongs, the rider would signal back to the skidder operator, usually through a unique vocal call, that it was safe to drag the log. The skidder was very damaging to the environment, particularly to the young trees and undergrowth, and was a dangerous job often resulting in injury or death.
This photo was originally numbered out of sequence and was attached to the reverse side of photo 304 in the original album.