Wisconsin Forest Tales

by Julia Pferdehirt

Book by

152 pages, Hardcover

About the author

Julia Pferdehirt is an author, educator, and professional storyteller. A resident of Middleton, Wisconsin, Pferdehirt is also the author of They Came to Wisconsin, Caroline Quarlls and the Underground Railroad, and Blue Jenkins, all published for young audiences by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press.

Reviews

[John Riselvato]

I had found the tale while researching logging vocabulary. Some how Wisconsin made its way in the list and here I found a small story about a 14 year old novice who was beaming to prove himself among the hardest men. This story taught me more about the slang, items and experience as a jack than anything else. Julia is a treasure for writing this and in the end I hope this help make my own story more authentic.

If anyone else is interesting in my notes here's the bullet list:

- Jobs:
- foreman - leader
- greenhorn - new lumberjack
- teamsters - loggers who loaded and drove sleighs
- teamsters *hiked* out from camp
- sky loader - man loading logs on top of a sleigh
- River pigs - log riders who guided logs down the river during the spring
- Items:
- burlap sack
- mackinaw - heavy red and black coat
- crosscut saws
- iron pot of tea
- tin plates
- long johns
- fine fur hat
- cant hooks
- Trees:
- Hemlock, oak, whitepine, maple
- White pine trees more than a hundred feet tall stood like giants in the forest. Some were so big that three men couldn’t reach around them.
- with crosscut saws, they cut two, maybe more, in just a morning
- food:
- thick brown bread
- hot bean stew
- tea
- "scooped"
- sinkers (donuts)
- pork and cornbread
- apple pie
- coffee
- Phrases:
- "fell and load" a tree
- "Timber"
- "roll up a blanket" - to get fired
- swapping stories
- “She’s going to cannon!” - tree falling
- other:
- pinery - forest edge or maybe the forest where they worked
- logging shanty - camp
- someone can smell of pine sap
- bunkhouse - sleeping arrangements
- deacon’s bench - a half log at the end of the bunkhouse


Edit: After more research, it seems I read a 43 page sneak peak of a much larger collection. I found a PDF on the dnr.wi.gov website which only has the tale of Roll out or Roll up.

[Rachael Gosda]

This would be great for a school group. Although the stories are fictional, they are well written and based on historical truth of our state. Enjoyed the photographs and after chapter tid-bits of info too. Northern WI approved!

[Lisa]

This is an excellent book and in my opinion would be great for Wisconsin school Students in fourth or fifth grade.