Grafton horse logging in the Mountain State

Editor’s Note: Dr. Ed Grafton has contributed another interesting artcle of time gone by for our readers’ enjoyment. This series details the Grafton family horse logging business in West Virginia. We appreciate Ed sharing this amazing piece of history through our newspapers.
Grafton Horse Logging Terminology: Terminology often changes from one area to another. Most changes tend to be minor. I will define or discuss terms, phrases or actions relative to Grafton Horse logging operations in the 1940’s and 1950’s.
Felling timber. Cutting logs and cutting coal mine props there were tools necessary to properly equip a tow man crew. We used a 6-foot 2 man crosscut saw when felling saw log trees. When felling poles for coal mine props we used axes and sometimes a 5-foot crosscut saw. The props were cut to length at the landing. When we moved into the chainsaw era our saw had a 28-inch blade.
We used a double bit axe. One bit was kept “razor sharp” for chopping where there was little danger of hitting rocks or making ground contact.
We carried two felling wedges. Wedges were needed when felling a tree against its natural lean. These wedges were also used to pound into the saw kerf to keep it open when cutting the tree into logs. A small sledge hammer, 4 to 6 pounds, was used to drive the wedges into the saw kerf as needed.
A small straight 8 foot pole about 1 ½ inches in diameter on the large end was used to measure log length. The measuring pole had a small notched ring encircling the pole in two foot increments. Sawmills bought logs that were 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 feet in length. A 3 to 4 inch increment was added to the log length as a trim allowance. All logs were cut to length where the tree fell. Poles cut for mine props were cut to the exact length specified by the buyer at the landing.
After watching Dad’s timber cutters in action and listening to our personal tutors, Dad and my brothers James and my brother Bill and I set off with Dad to fell trees for logs and coal mine props. That first day was tense as we were closely watched by Dad.
We arrived at our first tree and checked it for “widow makers”. The most common are dead limbs lodged in the tree.
Then an “escape route” must be located that permits a person to get about 20 feet from the base of the tree before the tree reaches the ground. The route should be angular to the direction of felling.
Trees are notched for directional felling to minimize problems for skidding poles or logs to the landing site. The notch is made with an undercut perpendicular to the sole of the tree. The angle created by chopping or sawing downward should be about 45 degrees or larger. We later learned the undercut should be parallel to the slope in the felling direction. Once the tree was on the ground the most common danger was “barber chair stomps” or “spring poles” “Barber chair stumps” were most common when felling tough fibered species such as oaks and hickories, in the direction of their natural lean. When sawing the back out instead of the uncut wood snapping off at the stump the trunk splits upward. When the trunk finally snaps off the remaining wood makes a convenient back rest when you sit on the stump.
“Spring poles” are small treed (saplings) about four to eight inches in diameter bent over by branches on the felled tree forming a rainbow shape. These small trees must be removed by cutting them underneath the rainbow arch.
Now trees are ready for delimbing – sawing or chopping branches of the tree trunk. The next step is to take branches off the tree trunk. The next step is to take the measuring poll and mark the log length including the trim allowance. Logs were cut to be straight as possible and to maximize volume. The Doyle log rub was used. The logs had to be a minimum of 12 inches in diameter on the small end.
Skidding Timber: Once sawed (bucked) into logs: the teamster would arrive with a team of horses or a single horse sometimes for small logs. Poles for coal mine props were usually skidded with a single horse.
Logs were nosed for easier skidding; an axe and peavey are needed for this chore. The axe was used to make an angular cut on the outer edge of the formed end of the log. A peavey may be needed to roll the log into a safe position for chopping. The angular cut acts as a small sled runner to minimize digging into the ground.
With experience the logger nosing the logs would readily recognize the running side of the log and would nose only the portion of the log making ground contact. Long logs 14 feet and longer were nosed on the large end of the log. Logs 12 feet and shorter were nosed on the small end of the log. Poles were always skidded with the big and forward.
Sometimes, mostly in the spring and early summer, the bark was removed with an axe on the running side of logs.
We used steel trailer grabs for horse skidding. A grab hook was on each end, and a swivel in the middle. Two or more chain links connected the swivel and grab hooks on each end. Depending on log size, condition of the skid trail and steepness of the terrain, two or more logs could often be hooked together for skidding to the landing.
The hook end of the grab would be pounded into the log with a four to six pound sledgehammer. A grab skipper was always available as it was carried on the hame of the horse harness. One end of the grab skipper was always available as it was carried on the hame of the horse harness. One end of the grab skipper had of pounding head to drive the grab into the log. The other end had a 5-6 inch point used to remove the grabs from logs at the landing.
The timber felling crew was responsible for clearing the skid trails, all saplings and brush had to be cut at ground level to prevent a log from jamming behind the remaining stump.
Landings were located beside a truck haul road. Usually a skidway was constructed using cull logs and poles eight inches and larger. The skidway at the roadside was the same height as the truck bed. The logs were manually rolled with peavles onto the truck bed. The teamster placed the logs on the skidway in the order would be loaded.
Two skid boards (skids) three inches thick, 10 to 12 inches wide and 12 to 14 feet long were used to roll smaller logs onto the initial layer of logs on the truck bed.
When log roads were needed Dad always called on James Kessler, a logger friend at Hico. James owned a bulldozer with a blade in front and a winch in behind. Dad would blaze the road location with an axe and usually walk the proposed road with James before construction. The actual construction was usually one or two days on most jobs.
If there were many large logs or upslope of movement of logs, Dad often hired Mr, Kessler to drag large logs to the landing and smaller logs to a location where horses could skid them to the landing.
Logging in Kenney’s creek: The Kenney’s creek site was downstream from Wynona, WV.
Dad was working for a sawmill on this job as a foreman in charge of the logging operation. The company provided the loggings tools and equipment including a team of horses.
My Uncle Perry Nutter had been discharged from the U.S. Army following the end of World War II and was working on this job. He and his wife Mabel lived near the site. He fed and watered the horses on weekends. I spent a week with Uncle Perry and Aunt Mabel that summer.
While I was there most of the log skidding was with a bulldozer. I was really impressed with the mobility and power of the bull dozer. Another first for me was watching a 2 man chainsaw used to fell trees and cut logs. My thoughts at the time what a saw for cutting firewood!
Later Dad brought his chainsaw crew to the farm to cut firewood blocks from a recently uprooted hickory tree. In about three hours they blocked up the entire tree. With our 2 man cross plus saw it would have taken many hours or hard labor. We were hopeful a chainsaw was in dad’s future for the farm.
When the job was completed Uncle Berry moved his family to Grassy Creek near leifasy.
There he went to work in a coal mine. Dad returned to work as an independent logging contractor.
Logging on the Nuttall Estate / Logging North of John Eddy Farm: Dad bought the timber on six Natta tracts. Within walking distance of the farm while I was in grade school and high school. The first one I remember was the summer after third grade. Dad offered me a deal I could not refuse. He said, “Son you can skid poles for coal mine props with one of the horses this summer. I will pay you for your work.” I was now a wage earner. As such I would have to buy my clothes, shoes, and rubber boots for school. I loved this deal as it could reduce the time for farm work, corn field, hay field and other chores.
I was not very big or strong at that time. If a pole was flush to the ground I would often have to use a stick and dig a hole underneath to hook a chain for the horse to skid up the pole to the landing. At the Landing the pole would be cut into the exact length ordered by the customer.
Dad and James would have to harness the horse especially Prince the one I usually used to skid poles. I was just too short to throw the harness over the horses back or reach high enough to snap the collar in place. Prince was the worst and laziest horse we owned in my grade school and high school days. If you managed to get the harness on him he would try to squeeze you against the stall side panel. While hooking the belly strap he might kick at you. The worst was hooking the crupper underneath and around his tail. You were always in danger of being kicked. Dad always told me stand close around his rear quarters. If he did kick it would be a less painful pushing force.
Once you got Prince in the woods and hitched to skida pole, he proved again he was extremely lazy. One day I had him skidding a rather large pole to the landing. The see skid trail intersected the main skid trail almost at a 90 degree angle. As normal I was holding the reins and walking a few feet behind prince.
I slipped and fell, and Prince pulled the pole over me. I was pinned to the ground. I yelled “whoa! “Prince being very lazy immediately stopped. I struggled to free myself without success. I was too far from the landing or anyone to hear my screams for help. Prince loved the situation and just patiently waited.
Finally, I managed to reach a small stick and began digging and squirming. Eventually I freed myself began digging and squirming. Eventually I freed myself. It seemed like an eternity but it was not a delay long enough to cause concern at the landing. When we reached the landing the crew was waiting for another pole to saw into mine props.
I persevered that summer and dad paid me as promised. When school started I proudly showed my fourth grade teacher Mrs. Sevy my pay check.
After I paid for my school clothes, shoes, and rubber boots there was little change left over. Dad made quite a deal. I found it interesting that this deal was never offered again to me or any of my siblings.
Tract South of the Grafton and Boley Farms: I was probably in the 6th grade or 7th grade when we were logging nuttall land adjacent to the south and of our farm there was a well-worn skid trail crossing Glade Creed from the Skidway near the road entrance to the Hudnall Farm. The slope after crossing the creek was steep and the skid trail was deep where logs were being dragged. I was alone driving the horses for several trips.
Depending on log size usually three of four were hooked together with trailer grabs. I exceeded to ride down the hill by standing on the last long.
I placed the reins on the harness hames of one horse, boarded the last log, and off we went down the skid trail. All went well until the log on which I was standing for my free ride to the bottom hit a rock in the skid trail and jerked sideways. Off I went landing in wet sticky mud along the skid trail.
I was a muddy mess when the horses reached Glade Creek we stopped. I proceeded upstream to a small pool and waded in even though the water was a bit cold on that autumn day. I then scrubbed most of the mud off my clothed and shoes. When the work day ended my clothes were still quite damp but reasonably clean, No one but me knew about this event until years later.
This tract had some veneer quality yellow poplar trees; dad sold a few truckloads of veneer logs to J. P. Hamner of wood of Mosaic Company in Kenova not far from Huntington. The trip, one-way, to Kenova was about 120 miles. It was a long day diving there with a truck load of logs and returning to the farm. However the much higher the log price made the trip profitable.
Twice dad let me ride to Kenova with his truck driver Mr. Hudnley. Delivering veneer logs. Both trips his truck driver Mr. Hundley stopped in the Charleston area on our return he treated us to an ice-cream cone. This was a welcome and unexpected treat, after our brown bag lunch in Kenova.