Logging in Grays Harbor (Images of America)

Grays Harbor reigned supreme as the “Logging Capital of the World” for 150 years. Homesteaders became loggers and hired local Indians, who had logged the area’s massive trees since ancient times. Sailors, too, were hired to rig spar trees. They fearlessly plied lumber schooners across destructive waters and carried timber products to the East Coast, South America, and other foreign ports. Over time, power saws replaced crosscut saws, and logging methods evolved. Today, loggers in Grays Harbor have begun a new phase of producing timber products that is built on a heritage of strong families, good citizens, and hard work.