The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

To The Eagle:

Working on the new logging book recently published by the Appelo Archives Center gave me a deeper appreciation for our local timber industry and what it's meant to the area for over a century. Since I was not raised here, I had to learn and like others who may not know about our local history, it's been a joy to learn. Many look to the Gold Rush in the Yukon for great history, but I challenge folks to look at the Timber Rush in Deep River and imagine the worth of those huge trees if valued with today's money.

We determined that Jerry DeBriae Logging should be the last chapter in reflecting on 100 years of timber history because DeBriae Logging is the longest lasting gyppo logging company left in the area. Over the years, DeBriae has employed hundreds of people and currently employs 93. For our local area, that's a big payroll. Jerry was very helpful and gave a lot of time to the writer, Jim LeMonds, who met with Jerry several times and found him to have a deep understanding of the current market and where timber is headed. Jerry also remembers well how the industry was when he started out. Along with all the others who were supportive, generous and gave of their time, it was great having Jerry's help and perspective. Others who sponsored include Wahkiakum West Telephone, the Sorenson family, Cummins NW, McPaul Cat and Crane, Cowlitz River Rigging, Senator Sid Snyder, Bill Wuorinen, and Peter Brix, among many others. We are grateful to them all.

Timber is a huge factor in our current county economy. It's also our heritage along with fishing and farms. Understanding that 80 percent of our area is timber and realizing that most who live here are on the lower, water side helps us realize that we see only a portion of the Willapa Hills. More than trees are behind those gates; there is also a significant heritage. Gates may stop us from driving into the hills, but we can park our cars and walk in. If you want, call Hancock at their office and ask about where you can go. Talk to Dan Cothren who knows every road and hill. Check out Brookfield. But no fires and no garbage ever, please. If you take your family for a walk into the woods, take time to hear the sounds, look up, down and around. Imagine the cross cut saws, the train whistles and the springboards. The Yukon's gold miners were tough but I suspect our old time loggers were more. They were tough but valued the land, so they stayed and invested their lives where they worked. They made homes and raised generations of families here.

Value the old timers still with us. Ask them to talk about their memories and those who worked up there years ago. Life was different, harder. Many from the Crown era, the Weyerhaeuser years and the days of train whistles in the valleys are still with us. I urge you to talk to them to learn more about our timber history. And honor those who work in the industry today. It's different, but still the same vista of hills, still trees. We have much to be proud of. Let's learn from the old loggers before we lose their stories and let's say thanks for all they did to give us what we have here today. And thanks to all those who still keep folks working in the hills today.

Karen Bertroch

Grays River