Downtown Chemainus had been rejuvenated in 1982 with five beautiful historic murals. Then in 1983, the town’s biggest employer, the lumber mill, closed after 120 years. Almost 700 people became unemployed in a community of just under 4,000.
But instead of giving up, this Cowichan Valley town surged ahead with a new dream of attracting tourists with murals. The Festival of Murals Society was established that year. That year Chemainus also won the New York Downtown Revitalization Award for redevelopment of the downtown core. Seven more historic-themed murals were added to the town’s collection in 1983. One of my favorites depicts logging with oxen.
“Logging With Oxen”
Around 1898 oxen were the main form of power in logging.
(painted by Harold Lyon, Fountain Hills, Arizona)
The mural tour page (linked above) fills us in about logging with oxen:
Around 1898, oxen were the main form of power in logging, where good timber was available. Large, well-equipped outfits used twenty to twenty-four oxen. These were divided into two teams; one drawing the logs from the bush to the road, while the other and stronger team was employed in skidding the logs to the water. Crude roads were made and small logs embedded skillfully athwart them at 8-foot intervals. These were the skid-roads over which the oxen draw the logs to the sea.: (R. I. Dougan, from Cowichan, My Valley).
Since the ox's hoof has a thin shell, the oxen were carefully shod with thin, half-moon shaped iron shoes. The job of shoeing the oxen was done on Sundays or after hours by the "teamsters", with assistance from a young helper, the "greaser".
I'm thinking - what a different world! And that was just over 100 years ago.
See more 1983 Chemainus murals here.
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