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Industry History
A Brief History of California's Forest Industry
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What happened at Sutter's Mill in 1848 did more than trigger a mad rush to find a certain yellow metal. California's Gold Rush caused tiny towns to mushroom into cities almost overnight. Building the new cities required extensive amounts of timber. Fortunately, in California's vast redwood, fir and pine forests, pioneer builders had plenty of material.
To prospectors and fortune seekers, the virgin forest seemed inexhaustible. They set to work logging areas closest to developments and transportation systems.
Early logging consisted of non-motorized tools. Trees were felled with two-man crosscut saws, and "skidded" to landings using horses, mules and oxen. Later, rail lines were constructed deep into accessible forests, which ushered in the colorful era of railroad logging (1870-1930).
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Most early sawmills were small and located right in the forest. Logging and sawmill crews worked for months on end at remote locations.
By 1950, the chainsaw and log truck had replaced the "misery whip" (crosscut saw) and steam locomotive. With advances in transportation, sawmills became more efficient and centralized.
The 20th century also brought the rise of the conservation movement and the era of sustainable forest management. Mileposts along this path included the creation of the national forest system in 1905 and California's passage of the Z'Berg Nedjedly Forest Practice Act in 1973.
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Modern forest management, tightly regulated with extensive reforestation requirements, bears little resemblance to the early logging days. Still, California ranks third of all US states in lumber production--after 150 years of continuous forest harvest and utilization.
That's what a growing industry can do.