Logging Camp Structure in Southern Appalachia
One of the unique aspects of the Southern Appalachian logging industries is the logging camp. Unlike coal mining camps and factory communities, logging camps were not permanent fixtures. As the forests were cleared, the camp had to be moved so that the workers were closer to the worksites. Many times, up to seventy-five workers would live in these camps, sometimes with large families. The camps usually included churches, schools, dining facilities, stores, and doctors' offices, as well as stables and equipment storage facilities.
The camps were moved from campsite to campsite by train. Each of the buildings were actually modified train cars that were not removed from the tracks. Temporary walkways and steps were placed outside of the buildings so that the people could get in and out of the cars and be able to move around the camp easily. The cars were built to hold several people, whether it was an entire family or a dormitory car for the workers who had no families on the campsite. Families of up to 10 members would have to stay in one of the cars, and many more workers could stay in a dormitory car.
When the area near the camp had been cleared of its loggable trees, the loggers, camp employees, and their families would secure the items in their living quarters, take up the walkways and steps, and pack up the equipment so that the camp could be moved a few miles up the railway. On average, the camps would move once a year, but sometimes they stayed as short as six months or as long as two years, depending on the amount of suitable timber. When the camp settled, they would reassemble the temporary structures, such as the walkways and stairs, and life would return to normal.
