Logging wheels were originally an integral part of the early lumber industry in Northern Arizona. Originally designed in 1870 by Silas Overpack, a Manistee, Michigan wheelwright, the wheels were used by a local farmer to help him clear his land. When logging operations began in the early 1880's, they became a vital part of the process. The wheels, originally pulled by horses, were used into the early 1900's and were even pulled by early steam tractors.
When lumberjacks felled the large trees and cut them into manageable lengths, the wheels were backed over the logs and the horses were disconnected. The tongue of the wheels was then lifted into the air and a chain was run under the logs and up to hooks on top of the axle. As the axle was pulled back down, it lifted the logs off the ground. A chain was then run around the front of the logs and the tongue to prevent the tongue from flipping back up. The horses were then re-harnessed to the wheels and the logs were pulled out of the woods to the railhead.
These wheels were one of two sets that used to sit on either side of Route 66, on the west end of town near the Arizona Lumber and Timber Company, as an entryway to Flagstaff. In the 1990's, these wheels were in a serious state of decay and were moved to the Arizona Historical Society-Pioneer Museum. In 2003, a restoration project was begun to restore them to their original condition. Few craftsmen remain that have the ability to work on wheels of this size. The wheels were disassembled and the hardware was sent to Hansen Wheel and Wagon Company of Letcher, South Dakota. The wood was irreparable. Hansen's craftsmen were able to use measurements and photos of the wheels to reconstruct this set, using the original iron parts.
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