Schroeder Lumber Company Bunkhouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Schroeder Lumber Company Bunkhouse
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The Schroeder Lumber Company Bunkhouse, now used for storage at Lamb's Resort
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Schroeder, Minnesota |
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1900 |
| Built by | Schroeder Lumber Co. |
| NRHP reference No. | 86002120 |
| Added to NRHP | July 31, 1986 |
The Schroeder Lumber Company Bunkhouse is a special building in Schroeder, Minnesota. It's the very last building left from an old logging camp. This camp was located on the North Shore of Lake Superior.
In 1895, the Schroeder Lumber Company from Milwaukee, Wisconsin set up this camp. It was right by the Cross River. Loggers, also called lumberjacks, cut down many trees here. They focused on white pine, balsam fir, and spruce trees.
Contents
How Loggers Moved Trees
To help move the cut logs, the loggers used clever methods. They even used dynamite to blast off the top 20 feet of the Cross River waterfall. This made the river wider for the logs.
Building Dams for Log Transport
The loggers also built several dams along the river. These dams held back water, creating a reserve. When they needed to move logs, they would release the water. This rush of water helped push the logs down the river.
Logs Reach Lake Superior
Once the logs reached Lake Superior, they were gathered. A special "holding boom" kept them from floating away. This system allowed the company to transport huge amounts of wood. The logging camp worked until 1905. After that, the crews moved to the Apostle Islands to cut more trees.
Life at the Logging Camp
This logging camp was known for being a good place to work. The company offered fair wages and tasty food. This was important because lumberjacks ate a lot! If the food wasn't good, they would simply leave and find work with another company.
Sleeping in the Bunkhouse
The bunkhouse was where the loggers slept. It had simple wooden bunk beds. These beds had mattresses filled with straw, hay, or even evergreen branches. Pillows were stuffed with grain and straw. It was a very basic way to live.
Smells of the Bunkhouse
Author Cathy Wurzer imagined the bunkhouse had a strong smell. This was likely true, with wet wool clothes drying and many sweaty workers living close together. It was a tough life, but the camp tried to make it comfortable.
The Schroeder Lumber Company
For a while, the Schroeder Lumber Company was one of the biggest lumber sellers in the United States. They managed every step of the lumber business. This included cutting down trees, shipping the logs, and turning them into wood products.
John Schroeder's Business
The owner, John Schroeder, had logging operations in many places. These included Lake County and Cook County in Minnesota. He also had operations in northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
End of the Company
John Schroeder passed away in 1905. His sons continued to run the company for many years. However, the company eventually closed down in 1939. The Milwaukee lumberyard, where they sold wood, was also shut down.
