The Bunkhouse

The Bunkhouse

This historic building that stands here is the last bunkhouse standing on the site. Throughout the years there were several bunkhouses, each home to 4-6 single men. At its most populated, 11 men lived in a bunkhouse. In this bunkhouse, the central living space is separated from the bedroom by short walls. The height of the walls allowed heat from the stove to radiate through the building. The only plumbing was a sink in the central room. Coldwater was piped in from the main mill pipeline and an outhouse stood outback. The bunkhouses were built in a way that they could be packed up and moved by locomotive if the camp needed to relocate.

North Bedroom:

The white stripe around the lightbulb allowed light to reflect and better illuminate the room. The sign on the door “No Caulk Boots Here” referred to the spike-soled boots that loggers wore to give them better traction, though they tore up the floor if worn indoors.

The Workers:

Each day after work, the men washed up before heading to the cookhouse. They shaved (most likely on Saturday night) with Fels Naptha bar soap. The same soap was rubbed on their clothing when preparing to scrub it on the washboard. A makeshift clothesline hung nearby. One also hung inside to dry their soaking wet Stanfields, socks, and other workwear on a rainy day. A calendar and “pin-up” pictures are usually hung on the walls. Smoking, poker, and crib games were popular pastimes for the men on site.

Restoration:

The bunkhouse was found in generally poor condition with failure on the building on the back (creek) side. The stabilization of the bunkhouse included; replacing rotten studs, rafters, and foundations, making temporary repairs to the floor, and adding a temporary metal roof. In 2003, restoration work allowed the beginning of furnishing the North Bedroom. Few details exist on the exact bunkhouse time periods, therefore the North Bedroom is intended to look like a typical bunkhouse from the 1950s.

PN 12871 - Courtesy of the Alberni Valley Museum