Logging Was Big Business In Harlan County Before King

In the early 1880's, Harlan County cherry and walnut timber sold at a premium in markets everywhere. Little was known of the rich coal deposits here because there was no railroad to take the coal out even if it were mined. Seventy-five years ago Harlan County was beginning a great "logging industry." The hills that later brought prosperity to Harlan County kept the early population prisoners for many years. The people were confined more to their locality and become deeply rooted as the trees. Life was centered around marriages, births and deaths of its citizens. Harlan County was sparsely settled. The first official census in 1900 showed only 9,838 persons living here. There was such a demand for walnut that the buyers often came back and "grubbed up the stumps and sold them. When I was a little boy I used to watch them 'snake' the logs down the mountain to the river," an old timer recalled the other day. A "splash dam" was build at the head of Clover Fork in 1891. The water was stored up when the creek was low and turned loose when the logs were ready to float down the river. There were other "splash dams" over the county; one was at the head of Yokum's Creek and was built by the Kentucky Lumber Company of Williamsburg. Thomas Jefferson Asher, grandfather of Mrs. Clark Bailey, Sr., and Mrs. J. Ray rice, was one of the best "best known pioneer timbermen in the county. The career of T. J. Asher is like a 'Horati' Alger story. An editorial comment at the time of his death paid tribute to a man who, without money, carved out an empire for himself in timber and coalfields of Southeastern Kentucky.

Saw Opportunity As Boy

As a boy he saw opportunities of the pine topped mountains and minerals in them. timber was his first venture. T.J. Asher, though fair dealing and honest worked became the largest land owner in Southeastern Kentucky and perhaps Kentucky. He put up a sawmill on a small tract at Wasiota, near Pineville, and cut timber, sawed and sold it and cut more timber, sawed and sold it. He bought the timber in Harlan County and floated it down the river. His logs were marked with T.J.A. and one white spot.

On Many Logs

"I've seen T.J.A. marked on many a log," said a pioneer who remembered. Other lumber companies had different brands. At his sawmill in Wasiota, he built a"boom" the "boom" was made by chaining logs together across the river with an opening in the center. Men with spear poles stood at the opening and caught the logs marked T.J.A. and pushed them into the eddy water while the other logs floated on down the river to their owner. Sometimes in the winter hook poles had to be used to break up drifts. The first circular saw known to be used in this section of Kentucky was at the Asher sawmill. He established business connections with Col. Cobbett and Sons in London, England, to whom he shipped millions of feet of lumber as fine as ever was ripped open by a saw. It was mostly yellow poplar.

Waited For Tide

In the summer when the river was low, the logs lay on the banks waiting for the tide. Back on Pine Mountain stood valusble timber but the big problem was to get the logs up one hill and down the other to the river. Asher built an incline on the mountain near Rosspoint to get his logs to the river. The logs had to be rounded off at the end so that they would move down the hill faster. Asher took advantage of every opportunity. It is said his education opportunities were limited but he had a marvelous memory and "carried his business in his head; what fills vaults of details he kept straight in his mind."

"Word Was His Bond"

Many an old timer would not hesitate to say that his word was his bond. His success was probley attributed to that. Among other big timberr men were George Stewart and son, Wilson Stewart and grandson Henry Turner, Verda. Many loggers came from Owsley County, W.Z. Gilbert and Bill Maupin came here in the 80's and married Harlan girls and remained here. Gilbert was the husband of "Aunt" Louise Jones and Maupin married Emily Sargent, who is now Mrs. Byrd Bledsoe. Yes, logging was "big business" in Harlan County before King Coal stepped in.

Sunday,September 14, 1952

Volume 51 Number 217

Pages 1 & 3

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