Logging ...has always played an important role in the growth of Springfield. The plush forests with abuntant trees, drew the pioneers to Oregon and the Willamatte Valley. The first sawmill, built by Elias Briggs in 1852, was powed by water wheels. Powerful work horses would skid the logs over the rough terrain.

Splash Dams were created by using logs to block small steams creating ponds. These ponds then became a holding area for the logs that would soon be floated down the stream to the nearest mill. By controling the amount of water flow the loggers were asured that logs would make it to the mill. Sometimes floods would interfere. Logs would break through the dams and flow down stream past the sawmills.

Logging was extremely difficult work. Tools were invented to make the work easier. Donkey engines, using a steam or gas engine replaced horses. Using long cables, this machine would winch the logs from one place to another. The picture to the right shows a man bucking (cutting up into sections) a large log.

In 1910, nearly 1,000 people in Springfield worked for the Booth-Kelly Sawmill. The mill produced over 14.3 million board feet of lumber.