Adin R. McKeown, interviewed by Edward D. "Sandy" Ives

Series

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

This collection consists of twenty interviews totaling approximately thirty-two hours conducted by Edward D. “Sandy” Ives in 1986 with men who worked in the woods and on the river-drives along the Machias River.

Dates

Creation: Majority of material found within 1986

Creator

From the Collection: Ives, Edward D. (Interviewer, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

For digitized items free from access restrictions, we are working to upload this material (pdfs, mp3s, jpgs) for public access, but it is an ongoing project. If you don’t find what you are looking for here, contact Special Collections (um.library.spc@maine.edu).

Extent

From the Collection: 20 items

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Additional Description

Abstract

1913 Adin R. McKeown, interviewed by Edward D. “Sandy” Ives, March 13 – May 24, 1986, Crawford, Maine. McKeown discusses his experiences working in the woods and on drives along the Machias River; founding of Sullivan’s lumber business; salvaging burnt timber; shared drives between Sullivan’s and Machias Lumber Company; towing log booms on lakes; playing baseball when wind was unfavorable; importance of dams and water levels; pay in the late 1910s; tasks of a road monkey; description of a camp on Love Lake; direction to fell trees; sizes of trees desired; using logs for transportation; sleeping accommodations; cork boots; learning to walk on logs; two-log cats as harder to work on than single logs; how to dynamite a logjam; Wilbur Day; capson [capstan?] rafts; not giving unsolicited advice to elders; brands of saws; early chain saws; scaler as unpopular figure; how he scaled logs; halfway houses en route to camps; responsibilities of rear crews; recreation and life in woods camps; how jams formed; and stations in trouble spots. Plus a drawing. Text: 89 pp. transcript. Recording: C 0239 – C 0240, C 0247 – C 0248 3 ½ hours.