Michigan’s Logging Era.
It's Tidbit Tuesday here at Stitches Thru Time and Michele Morris is here to share some tidbits about Michigan's logging era.
Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, the logging
industry in Michigan and other mid-west states began to explode with activity.
The Civil War had ended and the United States entered into a time of growth and
prosperity.
With growth comes the need for building materials and the
Michigan white pine was a perfect fit for the that need. The trees grow tall, straight,
and close together, therefore are basically branch-less until close to the top.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZkoKw3rMp1KRjMF1F1xsIRyDUlqShyh1KbggyQOZGBf-OWStqv8sSH_p4BcLa5NG89f-xBI57y_K1F_V4fubKxGCj5l4CuzIUZTUaewXwvdFq_Rfr31pFyRgzhOGf2c-sRga7UcotXg/s1600/20140715_140903.jpg)
Vinegar Pie: (Recipe from Hartwick Pines State Park in
Grayling Michigan)
One pie shell
½ cup of white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup flour
Dash of nutmeg to taste
¼ cup butter
2 eggs
3 Tbsp of vinegar *
1 cup of water **
In a large bowl, blend white, brown sugar, flour, and nutmeg,
with fingers until no lumps remain. Stir in vinegar, eggs, butter, and water
until well mixed. Pour into pie shell and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
*Try different variety of vinegars. Distilled white may give
a pecan pie flavor. Apple cider may give an apple flavor. Both would be
historical adaptations.
** Original recipe calls for 1 cup of water, but Hartwick
Pines State Park has found that the pie comes out a little soupy. We have
adjusted the amount to ½ cup of water and the pie seems to be much better.
Shanty boys, river hogs, and fellers, as the loggers, river
workers, and tree cutters named themselves, put their lives on the line every
day. By most accounts, loggers had a bond with each other, a brotherhood. They
counted on their co-workers to do their job correctly to keep one another other
safe. The crew worked as one to get the logs cut, hauled, stacked, and finally
in the spring floated down the river.
It only took less than a half of century to clear-cut most
of the white pine in the lower peninsula of Michigan. The resulting devastation
on the land and wildlife can still be felt, almost two hundred years later.
Very few stands of white pines are left. Hartwick Pines State park in Graying, Michigan has one of the oldest.
Do you know how to tell the difference between a white pine
and other pines?
(The above pictures are from Hartwick Pines State Park in Grayling, Michigan. They have a beautiful historic museum and information center. If you're ever in the area stop in, the tour guides are a wealth of information.)
I do love the smell of pine, but I doubt I could tell the different types apart. Very interesting thank you.
ReplyDeleteI love pine smells too! It's just such a cozy, Christmas aroma. :) Thank you for the comment.
DeleteI took a botany class in college. Thought it would be an easy elective - NOT! But I can actually identify many different trees including the various pines. Thanks for your post. Very interesting!
ReplyDeleteYou're so welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it! Oooo, walking through the woods is one thing, but a college botany class? Doesn't sound as fun as the walk. Thanks for commenting!
DeleteVinegar pie? That sounds like it would be awful, but sometimes I'm amazed at the ingredients of the best tasting dishes. Have you tried it?
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, Mary. I love the pine smell, but I could never look at a slab of wood and tell you what type it was.
Amber Schamel
I'm surprised, Amber. Most people I've met can at least tell if something is made of cedar. :) I think I love that smell more than pine. :)
DeleteMichele, I'd also love to know if you've tried the recipe you provided. :)
I agree! Vinegar pie doesn't sound very appealing. But the guide who shared the recipe said it tastes similar to Jeff Davis pie, and I love that! I plan on giving it a try someday! :) I'll let you know how it goes!
DeleteThank you for sharing this history, Michele, as well as the recipe. I'm not sure about vinegar pie either, Amber, but we won't really know until we try it! :) I hope to visit the beautiful state of Michigan one day. I will certainly add Hartwick Pines State Park to my must visit list when I do.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the comment! Michigan is one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited.
DeleteWow! What an interesting post, Michele! Thanks for sharing. I've never had vinegar pie but it doesn't sound too awful. :)
ReplyDeleteAs for pine, I can tell the difference between the short-needle pine trees in the north and the long-needle ones in the south. There's lodge-pole pines too. I love me some trees. :)
Thanks again for this tidbit. :)
I'm so glad you enjoyed the post! Thanks, Crystal!
DeleteHi Michele, I live in Michigan but I didn't know very much about the loggers or about vinegar pie. Hartwick Pines is a pretty area. We always pass it on our way further north. Thanks for the interesting info and photos!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how we can devastate the environment. Thanks for the historical tidbits.
ReplyDeleteI love the logging stories from my home state of Michigan. Can't get enough of them, it seems. One of my faves is Serena Miller's THE MEASURE OF KATIE CALLOWAY - wow was it touching. Jody Hedlund from our ACFW GREAT LAKES CHAPTER has also written a story about the logging industry - Historical Romance as well. GOOD STUFF in each of those books - Our state is RICH in state preserved woodlands and the scenery is amazing . Thanks so much for bringing this great historical part of Michigan to STT, Michele! Hugs,
ReplyDeleteI imagine vinegar pie is a lot like buttermilk pie and it's good! We used to have a sawmill here in Mississippi and I can tell the difference between hardwoods...not so much pine as we didn't cut pine.
ReplyDelete