Widow-Makers & Rhododendrons: Loggers-The Unsung Heroes of Wwii

While “Rosie the Riveter” was hard at work in the factory, thousands of timber fallers, chokermen, and cat skinners were putting their lives on the line in the forests of Oregon and Washington in support of the war effort. While “Rosie” went on to become a household name, recognition for the contributions and sacrifices made by loggers of the Pacific Northwest remained painfully absent. Until now.

Widow-Makers and Rhododendrons is a tribute to the indomitable spirit of the men who cut, stacked, hauled, and processed the lumber used in cantonments, packaging, dunnage for ships, explosives, and paper vital for victory during WWII--and the women who cared for them. It is an intimate history of the lives, loves, and labor of the residents of Sutherlin, Oregon, a tiny logging town nestled in the heart of the Pacific Northwest.