Lumbering in the Pog Area
Lumbering in the lake Pogamasing area did not begin until the railway was built through the area and the timber limits were surveyed by the Department of Crown Lands, forerunner of the present Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests. However, a massive forest fire disrupted the departments orderly plans and they were forced to open the timber resources by the early 1890`s. Meanwhile the surveying continued and shortly afterwards timber limits were defined. See History of Pog in Ten Maps for the evolution of these surveys.
From the early 1900`s to 1940, the area was logged by three major companies, John Charlton, Cleveland and Sarnia and WB Plaunt, my grandfather. Towards the end of the Second World War KVP began cutting pulp in the area, first with a crew of POW`s and later with civilian crews.
One of their clerks was a young lad, Bill Blight from Espanola, who came to Camp 103, ten miles back of the Sheahan station and he told me stories – especially about these POWs which I have retold in my book. After he retired he became involved with the Friends of the Spanish River created several U-Tubes under the heading of Friends of the Spanish River. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFC064319CE41768C
To see how logging was done in that era see the video below on Lumbering in the 1930`s plus a brief bio on my grandfather, WB PLaunt.
