California Redwoods

The importance of logging companies and logging towns was a huge contextual factor that I noticed on our trip. With the Pacific Lumber Company, an entire town was built around the mill. There were cookie cutter houses just on the other side of the fence from the mill which were most likely used for mill employees when the mill was first in use. In class, we had talked about the importance of lumber mills to surrounding communities but driving in a town that was likely the result of the mill being built was very interesting. We could tell that the houses were close to the mill and built quickly for incoming employees. The layout of the town followed the property and fence line of the mill which was interesting to see. While in our class we did focus on the environmentalist side of things, it was also very obvious in the town by Pacific Lumber Co. that lumber companies are just as important as preserving wilderness. Lumber companies can create entire towns and help the economy stay regulated which is an important aspect of human life. While lumber companies are frowned upon by environmentalists, they are trying to do their best for their families and their towns. While the original building of the Pacific Lumber Co. looked like it was no longer in use, a newer building had been built to keep the town going. While the lumber company was the main start to this town, it brought in more people who then created banks, schools, gas stations, and other necessary things for a town, the lumber mill however, was clearly the backbone to this town. There have been many towns that turned into ghost towns quickly after a lumber mill had been shut down. Even with other businesses and buildings in a lumber town, if the mill is shut down, there is not enough left to support a whole town. Many people attempt to stay as long as they can but a grocery store will not support the entire town for jobs and income so inevitably, the town is deserted.Read more