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Adirondack Mountain News, 21 Corporate Drive, Suite 203, Clifton Park, NY (2025)

06/30/2025

Last night’s sunset from Loj Road.
🎥 Fran Christian Armitage

06/30/2025

Good morning, !
📍 Loj Road
📷 Fran Christian Armitage

06/29/2025

Good morning, !
📍 Cascade
📷 Myles Bray //

06/27/2025

Good morning, !
📍 Milky Way Over Onchiota with Meteor
📷 Adirondack Reflections Photography

06/26/2025

River Pigs in Tupper Lake in 1906
Colorized by Adirondack Mountain News

Log driving, also known as river driving, played a pivotal role in the early logging industry, serving as the primary method for transporting logs from forests to downstream saw and pulp mills. This ingenious technique harnessed the natural force of rivers, making use of their currents to propel and guide the logs to their intended destinations. The Adirondacks, renowned for their vast and bountiful forests, were no exception to this practice.

In the heyday of log driving, the courageous individuals who undertook this perilous task were affectionately referred to as "River Pigs." These hardy and skilled log drivers braved the treacherous waterways, navigating rapids, cascades, and bends in their quest to move the valuable timber downstream. Their expertise in maneuvering the logs through narrow passages and avoiding obstacles was essential for the successful completion of their missions.

The Adirondacks, with their extensive network of rivers and streams, provided an ideal environment for log driving. The region's abundant forests yielded a constant supply of timber, necessitating an efficient means of transporting the logs to the mills. Log drivers would assemble the logs into large rafts, expertly securing them together, and then guide these floating assemblies downstream, allowing the force of the river to propel them forward.

While log driving was undoubtedly a challenging and hazardous occupation, it also fostered a unique camaraderie among the River Pigs. They formed tight-knit teams, relying on each other's skills and trust to safely navigate the waters. This profession demanded physical strength, agility, and an intimate understanding of the rivers' behavior, ensuring that the logs arrived at their intended destinations intact and ready for processing.

Over time, advancements in transportation and technology rendered log driving less prevalent, as railroads and trucks became more common for timber transportation. Nonetheless, the legacy of log driving in the Adirondacks and other regions where it once thrived endures, reminding us of the ingenuity and bravery of those who shaped the early logging industry.