Oconto
County WIGenWeb Project
Collected
and posted by BILL
This
site is exclusively for the free access of individual researchers.
*
No profit may be made by any person, business or organization through
publication,
reproduction, presentation or links to this site.
OCONTO COUNTY
Wisconsin
Mountain Memories
Pages 26 - 27
To
Page 28 - 29
Back
to the Oconto County Home Page
Many other landings
were created along the lines of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway
as it stretched its lines deep into the heart of these woodlands, and •spurs'
of rail lines ran off the main line at various points throughout the area.
Logging operations such as Holt Lumber Company/ Oconto Company, Ansen Eldred
and Post & Gilkey were to be accommodated by these 'spurs' running
into their camps that had previously been built along the Oconto River.
The use of the railroad changed
the means of transporting the great wealth of the forest, but the work
of cutting, piling, and preparing the wood for the sawmill remained much
the same. The logging operations of Henry Kingston, Sever Anderson, and
Martin Olson employed many of the Mountain area settlers in the early 1900s.
But before we continue, let us
recall the days when rivers and streams were the mainstay in the logging
industry. Dams were built at points along the Oconto River to impound the
use of the flowing waters for the spring drive. One was located just north
of Mountain called Farm Dam and another further north was called Tar Dam.
The logging camps were built in close proximity to these dams, the Eldred
Farm growing up out of the wilderness provided the lumberjacks with food
and shelter during the long winters.
These dams were still in use even
though the railroad extended lines deep into the forests enabling the logging
companies to set up camps further inland from the main waterways. A spur
was built to circle around the west side of Mountain from a point about
one half mile south of the townsite reaching the Oconto River's north branch
just below Thomas McAllen's farm. Here a structure called a 'hoist was
built upon a sunken pier and platform. The floating pine logs were removed
from the river and loaded onto flat cars. Thomas McAllen also had a sawmill
at this site. The logs which had continued their journey to the south in
earlier days, were now to become the lumber for a growing area, or shipped
south by rail.
I recall the landing area in Mountain
being filled with summer activity when I was a lad. I especially enjoyed
watching the skill of the axe men as they made
the ties for the railroad company.
The short logs were first scored on two opposite sides with a double bit
axe. The 'tie maker1 would wield his heavy broad-axe and hew the timber
to the lines. The short slabs then fell away, leaving the two sides as
if they had been planed, with only a faint line of the initial scores to
be seen on the smooth surface of the tie. I also remember watching the
men peel the 40 to 50 foot long poles for the telegraph and telephone poles
for which they were to be used. There they worked upon a thick, springy
bed of cedar all around the peeling area.
The coming of the railway brought
new employment opportunities into the Mountain area. Year-round employment
could now be found by those who were in the logging industry, for summers
were filled with activity and wages to be earned, at the landing. Also
the Town od Armstrong hired many local settlers to make up road crews which
continued to improve area road systems.
During the years 1900 to 1910,
there was a rapid influx of Swedish settlers to these lands, and the family
of John Sandberg arrived during that period, immigrating from Hillsland,
Sweden. A.P. Olson, who was of Norwegian ancestry, had come to this area
south of Mountain in the year 1893, with his wife Anna and their daughters,
Tillie and Annie. Anna, who was born in Hillsland, Sweden immigrated to
America with her husband, Andrew and daughters in 1890, settling in Mosling
before moving here to Mountain. The John Sandberg family was to join them
here upon their arrival in America in 1901. Gustave and Nels, the eldest
sons of the Sandberg family, had come the previous year and purchased land
near the home of P. A. Olson for their family's use when they arrived.
Thus the origin of our fondly termed 'Swede Town", a farming region along
the North Branch Road, was created. John and his wife, Anna, with their
six daughters and two sons settled upon these cutover lands on the southeast
side of Mountain. Here the men would find employment in the logging camps
and their dreams of owning land and building a home for their families
was a vision to be realized in the coming years.
A family tree of the John and Anna
Sandberg family
Many other landings were created
along the lines of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway as it stretched
its lines deep into the heart of these woodlands, and 'spurs' of rail lines
ran off the main line at various points throughout the area. Logging operations
such as Holt Lumber Company/ Oconto Company, Ansen Eldred and Post &
Gilkey were to be accommodated by these 'spurs' running into their camps
that had previously been built along the Oconto River.
The use of the railroad changed
the means of transporting the great wealth of the forest, but the work
of cutting, piling/ and preparing the wood for the sawmill remained much
the same. The logging operations of Henry Kingston/ Sever Anderson, and
Martin Olson employed many of the Mountain area settlers in the early 1900s.
But before we continue, let us
recall the days when rivers and streams were the mainstay in the logging
industry. Dams were built at points along the Oconto River to impound the
use of the flowing waters for the spring drive. One was located just north
of Mountain called Farm Dam and another further north was called Tar Dam.
The logging camps were built in close proximity to these dams, the Eldred
Farm growing up out of the wilderness provided the lumberjacks with food
and shelter during the long winters.
These dams were still in use even
though the railroad extended lines deep into the forests enabling the logging
companies to set up camps further inland from the main waterways. A spur
was built to circle -around the west side of Mountain from a point
about ' one half mile south of the townsite reaching the Oconto River's
north branch just below Thomas McAllen's farm. Here a structure called
a 'hoist was built upon a sunken pier and platform. The floating pine logs
were removed from the river and loaded onto flat cars. Thomas McAllen also
had a sawmill at this site. The logs which had continued their journey
to the south in earlier days, were now to become the lumber for a growing
area, or shipped south by rail.
I recall the landing area in Mountain
being filled with summer activity when I was a lad. I especially enjoyed
watching the skill of the axe men as they made
26
the ties for the railroad company.
The short logs were first scored on two opposite sides with a double bit
axe. The 'tie maker' would wield his heavy broad-axe and hew the timber
to the lines. The short slabs then fell away, leaving the two sides as
if they had been planed, with only a faint line of the initial scores to
be seen on the smooth surface of the tie. I also remember watching the
men peel the 40 to 50 foot long poles for the telegraph and telephone poles
for which they were to be used. There they worked upon a thick, springy
bed of cedar all around the peeling area.
The coming of the railway brought
new employment opportunities into the Mountain area. Year-round employment
could now be found by those who were in the logging industry, for summers
were filled with activity and wages to be earned, at the landing. Also
the Town od Armstrong hired many local settlers to make up road crews which
continued to improve area road systems. During the years 1900 to 1910,
there was a rapid influx of Swedish settlers to these lands, and the family
of John Sandberg arrived during that period/ immigrating from Hillsland,
Sweden. A.P. Olson, who was of Norwegian ancestry, had come to this area
south of Mountain in the year 1893, with his wife Anna and their daughters,
Tillie and Annie. Anna/ who was born in Hillsland, Sweden immigrated to
America with her husband, Andrew and daughters in 1890/ settling in Mosling
before moving here to Mountain. The John Sandberg family was to join them
here upon their arrival in America in 1901. Gustave and Nels, the eldest
sons of the Sandberg family, had come the previous year and purchased land
near the home of P. A. Olson for their family's use when they arrived.
Thus the origin of our fondly termed 'Swede Town', a farming region along
the North Branch Road, was created. John and his wife, Anna, with their
six daughters and two sons settled upon these cutover lands on the southeast
side of Mountain. Here the men would find employment in the logging camps
and their dreams of owning land and building a home for their families
was a vision to be realized in the coming years.
A family tree of the John and Anna
Sandberg family