Century-old Film of Early Log Construction

By Jim Campbell, OBP Vice President, Duntroon.

Thanks goes to our awesome OBP Administrative Assistant Laura Brown for finding this 1923 silent short film which very nicely illustrates the process, tasks and tools of early log building even through it was created three-quarters of a century following the description described in our last blog, “Building a Log Barn in 1840’s Nottawasaga”.

If you only have up to 1 minute, rather than 6 minutes and 47 seconds, to spare, jump to 3:28, but I have to say the whole film is well worth watching and provides a great window into life a century ago in northern Ontario, and I challenge everyone to swing a broad axe the way that the one fellow demonstrates! Also, I’m wondering what happened to the other fellow who made a dive for safety when the log shot past its intended landing place.