Tillamook Oregon Soldiers Rangers Big Spruce Logging Real Photo Postcard

Tillamook County, Oregon, was a major center for the timber industry during the early 20th century, renowned for its vast old-growth forests of Douglas fir and spruce. This postcard captures the immense scale of these trees, depicting two men in what appears to be a springboard notch, a common technique used by early loggers to work above the flared bases of giant conifers. The tools visible, including a crosscut saw and an axe, are indicative of the manual felling methods employed during the 1910s and 1920s.

The logging of such colossal trees was a cornerstone of the Pacific Northwest's economy, attracting thousands of workers to the region. These operations supplied timber for construction, railroad ties, and various industries across the United States. The intensive logging practices of this era, while crucial for economic development, dramatically altered the region's landscape, leading to the eventual decline of accessible old-growth stands and fostering the development of forest management and conservation efforts in later decades.