What comes about in her tale is an aspect of the American lumber saga that really appeals to me, identity and community. These men, these women, these children, and these families lived in mill towns. The milling defined their employment, but this communal occupation seemed to create a very unique culture and identity of the community. Well, I think. I will admit I haven't done any systematic research, but there are plenty of books on lumberjack culture and lumberjack this. This hides the nuisances of a lumberjack camp. There are a few tales of river pilot culture. These were transient communities in multiple senses. I love the sawmill community and identity because it was often a rooted community.
Last week, a guest recommended Ken Kesey's book, Sometimes a Great Notion. I can't wait to read this book and see about life in a Pacific Northwest lumber camp. All of these stories and all of my research lately seems to be revolving around community, unionization, and identity. It's amazing how lumber creates a truly unique identity, or at least an identity that you can identify as being uniquely lumber. The book is also a movie, Never Give a Inch, featuring Paul Newman and Henry Fonda.
Sawmills and lumber camps also appear in Faulkner books and other literary canons.
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