This album is dedicated to Mr. Ray O'Keefe, born in Northport, WA, in May of 1918. Soon the O'Keefe family moved to Colville where his parents, Clyde and Jessie, raised their eight children and worked in the huge timber stands of northern Stevens County. When they weren't bringing logs out of the mountains by wagon, sled or down river, they were building their new log homes. The following photographs depict the life of a logging pioneer family.

Mr. Ray O'Keefe still lives in Spokane, Washinton. He will celebrate his 90th birthday this May 2008. One of the first quetions I asked was, "How were they able to keep those wagons from getting away on them on steep grades?" His answer, "They attached blocks to the rear wheels which prevented the wheels from turning."

Ray's folks, Jessie and Clyde, hired help to make flooring, window, door jambs and doors for their new log cabin in the wilderness north of Deep Lake.

Mr. O'Keefe and his hired man whip sawing ( Rip) lumber.

The O'Keefe's log home nearing completion.

The Pole Cat.

This was Clyde's Ford truck. The very first one in the area.

It's apparent this truck was purchased long after the initial logging era.

This crew, armed with their peevees ready for action on the Little Pend Orielle River near Orin, WA, southeast of Colville.

Huge log Booms backed way up river.

This dam was built to back water up stream to enable the river crew to float the huge log booms down stream to the Winslow Lumber Mill at Orlin.

Back to the early days of settlers, the O'Keefe family proving up the homestead. Jessie is standing guard with a rifle across her lap.

The first few years of homesteading were the most crucial. The homesteaders had to clear the area for the farm buildings, a house, barn, outhouse, root cellar, chicken coop, hog pen, and garden.

Just another day at the office.

Jessie supplying a nice string of fish for supper.

Ray thinks his Dad was pointing a finger at Jessie and saying, "OK, Honey, you shot it, you clean it."

TOM SHEALOCK. No story on this man to date.

At long last, a day of rest and relaxation. What's a picnic without fried chicken, fresh biscuits, dill pickles, potato salad, a pot of coffee brewed over an open fire, and perhaps a spot of white lightning.

Close to a twenty horse combine. This almost looks like a day off compared to life working in the woods.

This episode with the revenuers might put a crimp in parties.

Hauling a load of logs out of the hills must have been challanging, whether wagon or sled.

Hunters, Washington, is a small community. Not very steep, the old logging road pretty much followed the ridges, dropped right down to the Columbia River.

Dr. McCrea.

1927 Wapato Mission

Now you're loggin