18
september
community
2009
Englishman Travels to Vernonia to Meet The Axmen
By Scott Laird
Sweet Chestnut we use for wood-burning stoves and also to
Here in Vernonia we often hear about the world- make ranch style fencing-- what we call post and rail,” Fur-
wide popularity of the television series Axmen, seen on the nell explained. “There’s a traditional way of cutting called
television network History, which features local logging out- “coppicing,” where the stump has four or five different trees
fit, Mike Pihl Logging. But, in late July and early August, coming off of it. Once you’ve cut them off, the actual stump
Vernonians had a chance to see just how world-wide that will re-grow and we can harvest anything between ten and
popularity is for themselves.
twenty years old. And that produces a nice six- to eight-inch
Daniel Furnell, aged
round that is absolutely
thirty-two, from Kent, Eng-
brilliant for logging and
land, spent a two-week vaca-
fencing. It’s a bit of a
tion traveling to Vernonia and
quicker rotation than
visiting with Mike Pihl Log-
your forests out here.”
ging. Furnell spent time with
Furnell went on to ex-
Pihl crews in the field, and got
plain some additional
a chance to see and experience
differences
between
logging Northwest Oregon
English and Oregon
style, as well as some real Ver-
Logging.
“We don’t
nonia hospitality.
have the machinery that
Furnell is a “forester”
you guys have out here,
or a “woodsman,” as they are
like the yarder, mainly
called in England-- in other
because it’s a lot flatter.
words, he’s a logger. In an
We predominately use
interview during his visit,
tractors and trailers to
Furnell explained that he
bring the wood out.”
works with his father in a fam- Mike Pihl with his new friend from England, Daniel Furnell. It was Furnell’s interest
ily business that cuts and sells
in logging and the Ax-
firewood to private homes.
men show that brought
That’s what logging is like in England, mostly harvesting him to Vernonia.
firewood which is sold to their customers. “I’m slowly but “Series One of the Axmen was shown in the UK last year,”
surely taking over the business and trying to get it a little bit explained Furnell. “And because I work in the woods back
more modern and use a few more machines,” said Furnell, in home it was very interesting to me. So I got in contact with
his strong English accent. “But Dad’s still stuck in his way Mike Pihl Logging because I wanted to buy a pair of Brac-
and can’t quite let go yet. But he’s coming around to my way es-- what you call ‘suspenders.’ The lady I was speaking to
of thinking.”
didn’t know what I was on about, because I wanted to order
Furnell explained that the kinds of trees available a pair of braces. The language barrier was a bit of a problem.
in his part of the country, Silver Birch, Sweet Chestnut, We both spoke English very well-- but I wanted braces and
Beech, Ash, and Oak, lend themselves to a different type of they didn’t have braces for sale,” said Furnell, chuckling.
logging than we are used to in the Pacific Northwest. “The “And then I said I wanted them to keep my trousers...ah, my
pants up! When she realized what I was on about, she told
me they were suspenders, which in the UK are what ladies
use to hold up their stockings. But I bought them anyway,
and as you can see I’m wearing them now! So they’ve trav-
eled from the US to the UK and now they’ve come home
again-- but only for two weeks!”
While placing his order, Furnell expressed his inter-
est in actually coming over to see the guys logging for real.
“The TV gives you a sense of it, but it’s not the real thing.”
The Pihl family invited Furnell to come for a visit and so he
did.
He had a chance to go out in the woods with the
crews and even got to get his hands dirty a bit. “We re-
positioned the yarder and reset the lines at Gunners Lake,”
said Furnell. “It was perfect. I wish I could do it a little bit
more. I got to get out and do a little bit with Kelly, Leland,
and Tuttle and Keith. And Mike Pihl took me over to Camp
Olsen. I got to see some other guys do some work with their
machines. I didn’t get to have a go, which is understand-
able because of safety issues. So I watched and took lots of
photographs. It was very misty-- just fantastic! Absolutely
beautiful!”
Furnell visited Camp 18, and stayed around for the
Vernonia Friendship Jamboree, where he rode in the parade,
and the Logging Show, where he was rewarded as the person
who had traveled the furthest to be at the show-- and went
home with a Tony Hyde-carved log chair.
Mike Pihl said he enjoyed playing host to Furnell.
“Daniel is just an English gentleman, a super nice guy,” said
Pihl. “It was a pleasure to have him come out with us.”
Furnell was thrilled with his visit. “It was a chance
of a lifetime,” he said. “So I grabbed it with both hands.
I’ve got so many stories to tell back home and I’ve taken so
many photographs. This is a brilliant town. The people of
Vernonia are so friendly. The first night I walked into the
bar at the The Lyons Den, it was amazing. I was a complete
stranger, and I was welcomed right away. It’s such a friendly
atmosphere, very welcoming.”
Old-timers or Long-timers
By Charles Comstock
Some say that our lives are like a highway. times of growth and development as well as some diffi- ourselves as “long-timers” rather than “old-timers”. It
Others feel it is similar to a river. The common feature cult years, especially during the Great Depression. Fol- sounds more positive, too! Just one more thought to
is that they are going away to somewhere. Recently, lowing the years of hardest times, the re-opening of the ponder as we re-visit those memories from the past.
former residents of our community returned on that Oregon American Mill brought more prosperous times
highway or came upstream on the river to join those to the community. The familiar sounds of the mill op-
who had never ven-
eration, smoke from the haystack burn-
tured away for the Old-
er, the mill whistle sounding and the
timers Picnic. Hearing
daily interruption of traffic as log trains
about the planned rec-
crossed Bridge Street hauling timber
ognition of Bob New,
to the mill were a chorus of progress
who has given so much
welcomed by everyone. Gone were the
to those of us who re-
days when ten cents would buy a loaf
member the past, some
of bread, a quart of milk or a gallon of
related thoughts came
gasoline -- if only a dime was to be had.
to this aging mind.
This is the era that many ‘long-tim-
That popular
ers’ and those who followed will recall
event in Vernonia ev-
-- mostly the good times. Remember-
ery August is called
ing particular teachers and school func-
the Oldtimers Picnic,
tions, a bit of mischief or maybe a prank
an opportunity to re-
or two, early jobs, swimming at Dewey
new friendships and
Pool, boyfriends and girlfriends -- the
discuss the ol’ days
experiences shared. Other recollec-
Bob New, along with his wife Delores, was honored
and special memories.
tions may include movies at the Joy The-
with a plaque and flowers in a surprise ceremony for
In a way, it’s a misuse
ater, the water fountain on the corner by
his contributions to preserving Vernonia history.
of the word “old” as Faith Reynolds and Ralph Condit were hon- Miller Mercantile with constant flowing
Vernonia is really quite ored as the oldest Grads in attendance at the cold water,
a young town. Only
the
special
Old Grads Picnic in August.
125 years or so ago,
Christmas
early settlers were finding their way to the valley to decorations each year in
homestead in a primitive wilderness. Meanwhile, the front window at Or-
other developments across the country were more es- egon Gas and Electric and
tablished, specialized agricultural commodities sup- the worn-out model A Ford
ported their economies, a transcontinental railroad Truck that was the town’s
was a near reality and much more. If still living, those only defense to combat lo-
people could consider themselves real ‘old-timers’. cal fires. The way things
Glancing around the community now, there are were then as they are re-
some ‘long-timers’ who can remember when Bridge membered now provides the
Street was unpaved - dusty in the summer and muddy conversation at the annual
ruts during the winter. Many sidewalks - if they existed Oldtimers Picnic. That’s
at all - were locally manufactured wood planks and not the way it has always been.
concrete. Wood was the product of choice - logically -
But are these peo-
for building things. Representing some change was the ple who share interests and
new Washington School, built in the early 1930s with its memories from the past re-
red brick facade, a proud addition to Vernonia then and ally “old-timers”? By put-
symbolic of quality education for young people since. ting emphasis on longevity
Along the way, Vernonia has experienced great rather than age, let’s think of
834 Bridge St, Vernonia 503-429-6364
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