New England sawmillers in Scotland – Teamsters and their horses
The images are courtesy of Rene Knott and Kyle of Sutherland Historical Society. However the writer is uncertain of how the photographs known as the Culeve (Location in Strathcarron) collection were formed and who initially collected them. A similar collection is in the care of the Jenks Library in Acton Massachusetts gifted by Webster Blanchard who was the foreman of New England Mill No 3 team. It is assumed that one of the Americans or more had cameras, took a selection of photographs which were passed to various team members. A local Scottish photographer or press reporter should perhaps not be ruled out as there would have been a ready market for photographs among the New England teams. Any further information on the photographs would be very welcome.
A lovely image of the horses and their teamsters plus others who may be stable hands and blacksmith with foreman in cap and coat looking on. The horses are likely to have been kept in stables over the winter anyway and that may be one shown on the right background. The wood horses worked in pairs pulling sledges on which the timber cut to sawmill length was piled. It seems several horses worked as singles on light wagons taking produce and material away from the mill to be stacked at a location convenient for loading the transport lorries. This number of horses was about the complement for one sawmill location.
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Groups: American sawmillers in Scotland 1917, Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, Groups of people, Horses at work in Forests, Sawmills, pulp mills, chipboard mills