Lumberjack: Inside an Era in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan : 50th Anniversary Edition [Paperback]

William S. Crowe (Author), Lynn McGlothlin Emerick (Author, Editor), Ann McGlothlin Weller (Author, Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2002

Lumberjack - Inside an Era in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan was awarded First Place as the Best Biography/Memoir of 2002 at the Midwest Book Awards of the Midwest Independent Publishers Association, St. Paul MN -- May 14, 2003.

A firsthand account of the lumbering era during the white pine boom years of the late 1800s - early 1900s in the northern U.S. Millions of board feet of logs were cut in deep woods camps, driven down the rivers to the sawmills and shipped by schooner and barge to build a nation.

This 50th Anniverary Edition of the original book has been redesigned and expanded, with 78 historic photographs and illustrations, glossary, editors' notes, author bio, map.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A book I wish I had written...crammed full of early historical logging related photos...a reproduction beautifully edited. -- Woods N Water News November 2002

Besides true stories of everyday life...sets the record straight on logging camps and lumberjacks ...historical photos and important glossary. -- Michigan Out-of-Doors December 2002

The book is a treasury of primary source material as well as a thick slice-of-life of another time. -- Grand Rapids Press October 13, 2002

This firsthand account has been reprinted in celebration of fiftieth anniversary...classic account will be enjoyed by future generations. -- Michigan History Magazine September/October 2002

From the Publisher

As publishers and editors of the 50th Anniversary Edition of Lumberjack, we have honored William Crowe's story as he lived it and wrote it. William Crowe "lived in interesting times" and his life story highlights the building of lumbering towns at the turn of the last century, as well as the remarkable experiences of many young men and women of his era. As a 17 year old time boy for one of the largest lumbering companies in the northwoods, then as head bookkeeper and finally as owner of the company, Crowe was in a unique position to observe the entire lumbering operation in the white pine boom years of the late 1800s - early 1900s --- from the logging camps of winter, to the river drives of spring, into the sawmills and onto the lumber schooners for transport on the Great Lakes. North Country Publishing has been privileged to have access to Crowe's papers, correspondence, photographs and earlier editions of Lumberjack.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: North County Pub; 3 edition (August 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965057739
• ISBN-13: 978-0965057738
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,470,784 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic Upper Peninsula logging memoir, now amply illustrated, December 13, 2005

By 

Mary Hoffmann Hunt (Hancock, Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lumberjack: Inside an Era in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan : 50th Anniversary Edition (Paperback)

First-hand accounts of the dramatic "big cut" by participant-observers are always illuminating. William S. Crowe's reminiscence of his years in the woods and the early days of Manistique, at the north end of Lake Michigan in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, was a classic in the 1950s. His granddaughters Lynn McGlothin Emerick and Ann McGlothin Weller have done a real service by republishing his book with ample photos and notes. Their book led to a WNMU public TV special and DVD on Upper Peninsula logging. Its success inspired and helped fund subsequent public TV productions on other aspects of U.P. history. These specials help preserve and disseminate stories of that distinctive corner of American landscape and culture.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Lumberjack" - A Hard Book to Put Down, February 19, 2003

By 

Wade Lawrence (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lumberjack: Inside an Era in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan : 50th Anniversary Edition (Paperback)

I found "Lumberjack" by Wm. Crowe so interesting that I read it in one evening. I have vacationed for many years in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan but never really understood lumbering. The first hand account of Mr. Crowe working for a large lumber company during the early 1900's puts everything in perspective from the standpoint of the owners, managers, clerical workers, foremen, and lumberjacks. We follow the path of the trees, in proper season, from cutting, floating down the rivers, sorting, into the saw mills, and final loading on boats to ship to market. His commentary about what life was like in the forest, on the rivers, and in the mill towns was facinating. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to those who want to learn more about Michigan's early lumber industry.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lumberjack: Inside an Era in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan : 50th Anniversary Edition, July 27, 2005

By 

Don - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lumberjack: Inside an Era in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan : 50th Anniversary Edition (Paperback)

I have lived in Michigan all my 69 years, and I've observed the remains of the 19th century logging era in both the lower part of the state and in the Upper Peninsula where logging is still a major part of the economy. Of the books I have read Lumberjack: Inside an Era... provides a fresh view inside life in the logging communities in the late 1800's. It is the only book I know of written by an author who knew the workings of the logging industry by having worked from an office boy to owning the company. Crowe did not himself ride the logs down the rivers, but he certainly was well informed on every aspect of the logging business. He also gives us a taste of what day to day life was like in Manistique, Michigan. For example, some of the bicycle adventures described would be a challenge on a new 21 speed mountain bike, let alone a 19th century vintage one-speed. We often read of how rowdy the lumberjacks were, but Crowe describes Manistique as a very civilized community. Although the men that worked in the woods were a tough and hardy bunch, who did enjoy a good time, they had little time to party while working dawn to dusk in the lumber camps, and when in Manistique they behaved as law-abiding citizens. Lumberjack: Inside an Era is an important addition to the history of logging in the Great Lakes region, and I would strongly recommend it to anyone interested in the history of that period.