Higgins Loggers Cabin

Pre-restoration view of the Higgins Loggers Cabin—a small, single-story structure in a grassy, wooded area. The main cabin is green with intact siding, a porch, and wooden steps. A worn red addition on the left shows missing panels and exposed insulation. Construction debris is scattered in front, and a road runs behind the cabin.

Higgins Cabin before restoration.

Welcome to Higgins Cabin, built in 1948 by loggers Charles “Bert” Higgins and Charlie MacNeill. This small, simple cabin was Bert's home while he worked in logging, and we've furnished it to reflect how Bert might have lived—much like the loggers of the time who built cabins like these from the land they cleared.

Restored Higgins Cabin as of 2000. A small, green-painted, single-story cabin with horizontal wood paneling, elevated on concrete blocks. It features two front windows, a white door marked with the number '4,' and wooden steps with a handrail. The cabin sits in a grassy area with ferns, surrounded by tall trees. A white post with a Bowen Island Heritage Trail sign stands nearby.

Higgins Cabin after restoration in 2000. Bowen Island Heritage Trail plaque visible in front of cabin.

Without the comforts of modern electricity, both the stove and refrigerator are kerosene-powered; common in homes without electricity at the time.

Higgins Cabin is dedicated to Eric Lawson for his commitment to restoring and preserving the cabin.

History of Logging on Bowen Island

Black and white photo of five men seated on a large tree stump in the forest at Grafton Bay. Two axes lie across the stump with blades facing each other. The men, dressed in work clothes with suspenders, caps, and boots, appear to be resting. Identified left to right: Hans Lehr, Cameron Smith, Bobby Greenwell, George Dorman, and Fred Billington.

A logging team atop a large Douglas fir stump at Grafton Bay. Left to right: James, Cameron Smith, Bobby Greenwell, George Dorman, and G.A. Billington. Circa 1910.

Logging was one of the earliest major industries on Bowen Island, beginning in the 19th century. Early settlers used local timber to build
their homes, and large-scale logging began in the 1880s. Companies like Royal City Planning Mills acquired land to harvest timber, drawn by the island’s gentle slopes, which made logging and transport easier than on the steeper mainland. Bowen’s proximity to Vancouver also made it an attractive source of lumber, and before long, much of the island’s forest was being logged.

Harbour scene at Snug cove, Bowen Island with multiple log rafts floating in the water. The S.S. Baramba is docked at a wharf on the far left. A person stands near the water’s edge observing the logs. Forested mountains rise on both sides of the harbour, and a smaller vessel is visible in the distance.

Log rafts in Snug Cove, circa 1910. The S.S. Baramba at left by the wharf, near the present day B.C. Ferries dock.

“Bowen Island was an attractive source of timber since it was close by, and its slopes were not as steep as those on Howe Sound and the Sechelt Peninsula.”

Many early settlers worked in the logging camps, earning wages — $1.75 to $2.00 a day for roles like Swamper, Barker, or Cook, and $2.50 for more skilled jobs like Skid Road Boss and Faller.

However, the job most loggers dreaded was the “Greaser”— someone who applied fish oil to the log trails. The job was dirty and smelly, so greasers were often forced to live in a separate cabin.

Black and white photo from circa 1912 showing two men chopping down a large tree in a forest. They stand on either side of the trunk using axes, with a springboard and a visible undercut notch at the base. The man on the left rests his axe; the man on the right points his toward the tree. Both wear work clothes, surrounded by dense ferns and forest undergrowth.

Two men creating an undercut in the trunk of a Douglas fir tree in a hand logging operation using springboard. Circa 1912.

Circa 1910 photo of four loggers cutting a massive tree trunk lying horizontally on the forest floor. Two men operate a large crosscut saw from opposite sides, while a third stands behind the trunk holding a peavey or cant hook. A fourth man stands to the left, observing with an axe in hand. All wear work clothes, including overalls, caps, and boots. The forested site is scattered with woody debris. Text on the image reads 'Cutting wood Bowen Island' and 'Freshwater Photo.'

Loggers cutting cedar into sections (bolts) which would then be split into shingles. Circa 1910.

Photo of the Galbraith family cabin circa 1906, a log structure with a pitched roof and visible chinking between horizontal logs. Two windows flank a central door. Three women in dresses sit on the porch edge, one beside a child. A man stands to the left near a support beam. The cabin sits in a grassy, dry area with sparse trees in the background, some without foliage.

Galbraith family cabin in Galbraith Bay. Built in log-cabin style using chinking to fill the spaces between logs. Chinking is made from a mixture of clay and cement to protect the cabin from the weather.

The Tools of the Trade

Loggers relied on a variety of hand tools, many of which are on display inside Higgins Cabin.

Saws

Saw blade teeth vary in shape depending on their purpose. Larger teeth cut faster but rougher, while smaller teeth make finer, slower cuts.

Some of the saw blades are available onsite as touchable replicas, allowing you to feel the difference between the various saw blades.

The cross-cut saw was one of the most important tools for cutting logs, going against the grain of the wood. Some would measure up to 5.18 metres or 17 feet long.

A drawing of three different versions of a cross-cut saw.

The bow saw featured a narrow blade stretched between two arms with a twisted cord, allowing it to cut both straight and curved lines, ideal for shaping wood.

The buck saw was heavier with a fixed blade and long handle, used primarily for “bucking” logs, or sawing them into shorter, more manageable lengths.

Hooks and Hauling Chains

The American Peavey was a vital tool for loggers, designed to roll, pry, and position logs with ease. It combined the gripping hook of a cant hook with the spike of the jam pike, making it especially precise and controlled.

A pen and ink drawing of three American Peaveys, used to roll, pry and position logs.

An image of a variety of chains and yokes used to help secure the logs for transporting.

For transporting logs, horses and oxen were often used, with chains and yokes helping to secure the logs. Log chains are used for different purposes—some for pulling, others for securing or braking.

Axes and Chisels

The broad axe was a handmade, reversible tool, allowing both right- and left-handed loggers to flatten and shape logs with precision. To speed up drying, a chisel, also called a "slick" or "barking spud", was used to strip bark from freshly cut wood.

A pen and ink drawing of a chisel, which was used to strip bark from freshly cut wood.

Once the logs were ready, loggers identified their logs using a marking axe, or marking hammer, which had raised letters or numbers that left a stamped impression when struck against the log’s end.

A pen and ink drawing of a marking axe, or marking hammer, which had raised letters or numbers that left a stamped impression when struck against the log’s end.

From sawing and shaping to hauling and marking, each tool used by early loggers had a specific role. Tools like saws, axes, and chains helped loggers work with skill and strength to build homes and communities from the forest. These tools show how much effort and care went into working with the land before a time of modern machinery.

Log Transportation

Before the days of modern machinery, transporting logs was a monumental task. Loggers used horses and oxen to pull logs along wooden paths or "skid roads." These roads were greased with fish oil, the Greasers were responsible for applying it making it easier for the animals to haul the logs. There were also wooden chutes that helped direct the logs down steep slopes, sometimes requiring a team of men to manage.

1911 logging scene at Grafton Bay showing four horses harnessed side by side in the foreground, standing on uneven ground with logs and debris. Behind them, five men in work clothes pose; two seated on a large cut log, three standing. One holds a shovel, another an axe over his shoulder. The background is densely forested. Text at the bottom reads, 'Horse Logging Grafton Bay 1911.'

Using horses to haul logs out of the woods near Grafton Bay. Cameron Smith, Fred Billington Sr., George Dorman, J. Horne, and D. Greenwood, circa 1910.

“I remember seeing oxen used to haul logs down to Grafton Bay. Maybe as many as fourteen or sixteen; seven or eight yoke.”

~ Mrs. M. W. McIntosh (nee Bessie Galbraith)
whose family came to Bowen in 1898

Logging truck near Killarney Lake, dated between 1930 and 1950, transporting large logs on a dirt road. The truck faces right, featuring a prominent front grill with horizontal slats, round headlights, large treaded tires, and a flatbed. Trees and a gentle slope form the background.

Transporting logs in the 1930s.

Protest and Preservation

Logging on Bowen Island peaked in the early 20th century, but by the 1970s, many residents began to protest against further deforestation. A notable anti-logging protest in 1976 aimed to stop the destruction of land for a large-scale project that included a proposed ski chalet and golf course. This movement laid the groundwork for the preservation of Bowen’s natural environment.

By the end of the 20th century, most of the trees you see on the island are second-growth, a result of the massive logging of earlier years.

The cabin, the tools, and the history are all reminders of Bowen’s past. The island’s shift in values towards conservation and preservation, highlights efforts to protect Bowen’s unique ecological landscape.

“Meadows, coastal bluffs, and riparian areas are all disturbed from old growth logging.”