Lumber Camp Buildings

Michigan’s lumber industry didn’t run on machinery — it ran on men. Thousands of lumberjacks spent their winters deep in the woods, living in rough bunkhouses, eating hearty meals in communal cookshacks, and felling trees from dawn to dusk. The Lumber Camp Buildings give you a genuine feel for that life.

These former bunkhouses, dating to around 1900, came from the Peterson Lumber Camp — the same operation that donated the Village’s working sawmill. Their weathered timbers and simple interiors are the real thing, moved piece by piece to Historic White Pine Village and reassembled to create an immersive look at Michigan’s most transformative industry.

Inside, exhibits detail the lumberman’s daily routine: food, hierarchy, camaraderie, and danger. It’s history at ground level — the story of the men, not just the industry.

Adopted By

Tom & Helga Orva