Spruce Division Photos
Pacific County Historical Society and Museum
Last modified on January 31st, 2004 / Contact the Museum / Web editing done by Brian Davis at bridavis@gte.net. 
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Spruce Army Program Set for Naselle Meeting on February 8th, 2004
     World War I and the US Army soldiers who came to Pacific County to log spruce for airplanes is the subject of the next Pacific County Historical Society meeting, Sunday, February 8th, at 1:30 PM in the Naselle High School.  The program is free and open to the public.  The program follows the annual American Legion Smorgusbord luncheon, which starts at 11:30 AM.
     Logging historian Rod Crossley will report on research he his conducting in to the US Army Signal Corps, Spruce Division in preparation for a book to be published in 2005.
     Production of airplanes, the high-tech weapon of World War I, depended on the availability of quality spruce Lumber from old growth trees growing in the Pacific Northwest Coastal Region.  In fact the Northwest provided wood for airplane building to Britain, France, and Germany before declaration of war by the United States.  When the commercial logging industry was not able to meet quotas this vital strategic material in 1917 the federal government initiated a unique project to boost production and stamp out labor unrest through the use of soldier-loggers.
     Controversial, but innovative, the Spruce Division suceeded in making wood available for the war effort, only to be halted suddenly in November, 1918 by the unexpected truce that ended the War.  Like many WWI projects, the Spruce Division left a legacy to the country and the logging industry that is still debated today.  While most agree that the federally mandated 8 hour day was progress, repression of radical labor unions like the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) left some to wonder if the errosion of civil liberties was too high a price to pay for winning the war "Over There".
     While labor policies have received attention from historians for many years, relatively little attention has been paid to other aspects of the Spruce Division effort.  In fact no truely comprehensive study of the Spruce Division has yet been published.  Mr. Crossley has uncovered significant documentation in National Archives records for pioneering efforts in worker health care, management organization and reorganization, as well as innovative logging technology, such as the use of trucks for logging isolated timber stands which are taken for granted today.

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#8682.  Loading rived spruce Camp I; Raymond WA  5-1-1918. PCHS#1999.46.
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# 18364.  Federal auto truck on trestle across gulch illustrating manner of building plank roads into hemlock timber, among which the big spruce is found near Raymond; averaging less than 12 trees to acre.  PCHS#1999.46.
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#18365.  Soldier loggers on Signal Corps truck No.141 returning to camp at end of shift.  PCHS#1999.46.
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#18697.  Detail view of riving of 4,056-ft. spruce log, showing use of Gilchrist jack, wedges and fiber cutting iron; brush and timber back.  9-24-1918.  PCHS#1999.46.
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#18699.  4,056-ft spruce log rived in halves, but with tenacious fibers still adhering at bottom; jacks in place and other tools.  Man at base of log for comparison of size.  9-24-1918.  PCHS#1999.46.
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#18708.  Big spruce cant on Std. 3½-ton truck at South Bend dump.  9-25-1918.  PCHS#1999.46.
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