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The Newly Constructed "Central Camp" of Rogers Lake
November, 1965
Near Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada


Credits:
Bathurst Heritage Museum
Bathurst Woodlands Album

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Using the forest for raw material was essential in supplying both sawmills and pulp mills of the Bathurst area. The pine trees, used for masts in the shipbuilding industry, were widely sought after in the 19th Century. By the turn of the 20th Century, long logs were major raw material for sawmills. These were driven down the major rivers of the area. Logging camps were located these major rivers. At the end of the sawmill era, the wood was cut in 4 foot length and smaller streams were driven, using flushing dams to move the pulpwood. Horses were used to move the wood to the river and stream banks. The work was done by 'jobbers' and the workforce was mainly farmers who went to the woods to log in wintertime. Supply depots were set up to supply the different 'jobber' camps. By 1965, the river drive was abandoned and the 'jobber' camps were replaced by modern central Company camps or commuter camps. The logging industry was modernized and the horse disappeared from the woods.