This path was created by Alex Merrill.
Technology
The chainsaw not widely used until 1929 when Stihl patented the gas powered chainsaw called the tree-felling machine, which required two men to operate but was much faster than a crosscut saw. There is also a major safety hazard with the chainsaw and many people are hurt by it every year since its invention.
Two man crosscut saws were the way to cut down trees, and had been the way for about 400 years since they were lightweight and only required two men. The downside was that it was slow and hard work, that also required no small amount of skill. The ax was also an indispensable tool that was used in making a face cut on a tree or notching it for the steam donkey.
Transporting logs was either by water, oxen and mule transport or by railroad. In the PNW during the guilded age, it was mostly by river, with some being hauled by oxen or horses. It was not until about 1927 that trucks were utilized out in the PNW.
Steam donkey introduced in early 1900, was not very efficient but did revolutionize logging and became the basis for what is logging today. The steam donkey required three men to operate, one was splitting wood and feeding it to the fire. Another was pulling a cable out to the logs in order to pull the logs toward the steam donkey. The last man was operating a lever that would pull in the cable or allow it to be pulled out.
