Sawmills, Logging Big Part of Town`s Colorful History, 1981

Sawmills, Logging Big Part Of Town's Colorful History

By MacDonald Standard Staff Writer

Sawmills and logging operations have long been an important facet in the history of Blind River.

According to Carl Kauffman's "Logging Days in Blind River", Blind River became focal point of logging and sawmilling in the area because of its strategic location.

To appreciate the reason for the establishment of a logging and sawmill industry in Blind River and the continued success of the operations, the reader must have an understanding ot the strategic location of the settlement," Kauffman reported in his book.

IMMENSE

"Draining immense, heavily timbered watersheds, the Blind River and Mississagi River flow into the North Channel of Lake Huron. At their outlets these rivers are a mere three miles apart.

"The town of Blind River is situated astride the banks of the river from which the municipality derives its name."

He goes on: "The important and vast timber wealth which existed on the Mississagi and Blind River watersheds was the principle reason for the emergence of Blind River as a major lumbering centre on the North Channel.

TRANSPORTATION

"Too, the availability of river, channel and lake transportation facilities for delivery of logs to the mill and sawn lumber to market were prime factors in the "establishment of the industry."

Blind River actually got its name from the fact the eastern and western outlets of the river were not visible from the lake to voyageurs en route to Sault Ste. Marie.

The natives of the region had called the river "Penewobecong" and was so named in some of the earlier maps of the area.

The first known sawmill in collapsed when there were the area was one built by a Major Rains in 1835 on St. Joseph's Island. His venture collapsed when there were no markets to be had.

FINANCIAL

In 1853, the Montreal Mining Company offered financial assistance to Joseph Salvail to move to the area. He selected Blind River for his operations, which rarely exceeded 10,000 feet board measure a day.

That operation lasted until 1867, when, due to poor management and a lack of funds, Salvail closed the mill down.

A company known as Williams and Murray took over the mill site in 1869 and built the industry, and the town with it, up. Ownership of the mill went through a number of hands until J.J. McFadden and John Malloy purchased it in 1919.

Malloy died shortly after, and McFadden ran the mill for several years before selling it to the Carpenter-Hixon Company in 1926.

OPERATION

Carpenter-Hixon built the first modern sawmill operation in Blind River and enjoyed several years of prosperity before the depression hit.

McFadden re-entered the picture in 1936, with help from the provincial government. Because the Second World War opened up new markets, MacFadden Company produced 7,500,000 feet board measured in October, 1940.

In 1946, the mill was sold again, this time to Huron Forest Products Limited. The mill changed hands several times over the next few years before Domtar purchased the company in 1962.

They operated the mill until 1969, when, due to declining supply, they closed the mill, for good.

The industry did make a revival of sorts in 1972, when Champlain Forest Products opened the Blind River Veneer Mill.

Photo Caption: (Top Photo)

This group graded and shipped one billion, one hundred and fourteen million board feet during the period 1937 to 1968.

Left to right - Vic Scanlon, Ivan St. Pierre, Sam Rice, Roland Somers, Austin Nichols, Homer Auger, Elzear Ross, Albert Somers, Carl Kauffmann, Joseph Desjardins and Norman Solomon.

Photo Caption: (Bottom) Evidence of Blind River's past as a logging town is shown here with logs in the Mississauga River in the 1940's.