Timber Harvesting magazine Contributing Editor Jordan Anderson tells the story of Park Rapids, Minnesota’s Kimball family and their nearly 400-year tradition of logging and sawmill work. History tells us that it was 1607 when Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in what would become the United States of America, was established along the banks of the James River in the Colony of Virginia. Thirteen years later, the Pilgrims arrived aboard the Mayflower in modern day Cape Cod, Mass. and founded the Plymouth Colony. In 1634, 27 years after the Jamestown settlement and 14 years after the Pilgrims landed, Richard Kimball left his home in a small town north of London and sailed to Plymouth Harbor. There he began cutting down white oak trees to make wagon wheels and other parts, establishing himself as a “wainwright,” a term used for a trades person skilled in the making and repairing of wagons. During the next three centuries birth and death records for the Kimball family follow a track that leads north to Maine, west to Wisconsin and eventually into Minnesota.

Featured Story: “Kimball Family Maintains Tradition”
Written By: Jordan Anderson
Company: Kimball Sawmill & Logging Inc.
Location: Park Rapids, Minnesota
TH Issue: May/June 2018

Check out other featured articles in the May/June 2018 issue of Timber Harvesting magazine.
The May/June 2018 issue of Timber Harvesting magazine features Chiloquin, Oregon’s Paul & Robert Wampler Inc. and their 50-plus years of logging success. Also highlighted is the Collier State Park Logging Museum in Chiloquin, Oregon, which is heavily supported by the Wampler family. A column recaps the recent Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo, held April 11-12 in Atlanta, Georgia. A special report details the sustainability of the wood pellet industry and the role logging plays in it. The latest in the Forest Family series tells the story of Park Rapids, Minnesota’s Kimball family and their nearly 400-year tradition of logging and sawmill work. An article describes how John Deere’s Customer Advocate Groups help the manufacturer to develop and design their products. A column covers the American Loggers Council’s revitalization and new promotion of the Master Logger Certification program. The People Power column by Wendy Farrand discusses always being mindful of safety. Other articles cover the latest industry news, new technology and new machinery and products.