The Labor of Logging, Part 1: In an Upper Michigan Lumber Camp

In this first of two parts episodes in honor of Labor Day, we learn about the work that was done in the woods through the memories of John J. Heilala, who was a sixteen year-old boy who went to work in an Upper Peninsula logging camp, Ferguson's Camp 33, in 1904. John Heilala shared these memories 48 years later in an article of the same title in the March 1952 issue of Michigan History magazine. We hear of some of the work that was done through this first person account. John Heilala went on to a career as a mining engineer and surveyor in the Upper Peninsula. He wrote this account when in his sixties. I discovered this article about twenty years ago and used it as a teaching tool at the Hartwick Pines Logging Museum for many years. When working with schoolchildren, it was great to find something with experiences from someone close to their own age. If you would like to support the podcast, please visit this link and choose your support level.https://northcountryhistorywithrobburg.buzzsprout.com/2422296/supporters/newEpisode Resources:Heilala, John J. In an Upper Michigan Lumber Camp, Michigan History Magazine, Vol. 36, No. 1, March 1952. To leave a comment, send me a text here.Support the show