From almost the very beginning, men at work in the woods used animals to help move logs and equipment.

Often, the first animals used were oxen.  Many farmers, who worked in the woods in the winters,  were accustomed to working with, and owned, teams of oxen.  Oxen were sure-footed and strong but slow.  Mules and horses were also used.

Nearly all of the large logging operations used horses.  Some loggers, like J.E. Henry, were very concerned about the way the horses were cared for, and made sure they weren't abused.  Good logging horses were expensive.  In each of  the Henry logging camps, a poster with company rules and regulations, was displayed.  Of the 47 rules, over half applied to the care and treatment of horses.  (The full list is reproduced on page 100 of Bill Gove's "J.E. Henry's Logging Railroads".)

Perhaps other animals were also used?  One of the photos in the photo gallery shows a dog team pulling a sled load of logs.

The photo below, from the files of the Forest Service, shows a mule team in full harness.

Photos used in this Photo Gallery are from the collection of the U.P.H.S.; others are from the Forest Service, the Fran Belcher collections and other sources.

Photos of Men and Animals at Work in the Woods