George Singleton shares memories of old-timey community wood cutting

Loggers with old crosscut saw.

(For decades, local historian and paranormal investigator George “Buster” Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere in Time.” The column below, which was titled “Memories of a country wood cutting” was originally published in the Dec. 17, 1998 edition of The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)

As the chilly days of winter gathers on the horizon many memories come to mind about growing up in a rural farm community. As the last of the crops were brought out of the fields, there were other things that had to be looked at also. One of these was the gathering and cutting of fire wood for the coming winter months. During this time when living in the country, one didn’t just go over and turn up the thermostat and within a few minutes the whole house was comfortable and warm. Getting the house warm was an ongoing affair, the fires had to be built in the large stone fireplace and periodically fresh wood had to be added to the glowing coals to keep the temperature up, there in the room where the fireplace was located. If there should be a second fireplace in the house, keeping a fire in it was much less important than the large one located in the big room.

Cutting and splitting the wood for the coming cold weather was most times a community affair. The men and boys of the farm community would get together and “swap time” with the wood cutting. Six or eight men and boys could cut a considerable amount of firewood in a day’s time if they put their mind to it. And, it was good community relationship to have a country wood cutting, and was also quite helpful for the elderly in the area and the less fortunate.

The wood cutting period would last about 10 or 12 days there in the local farm community. The trees that were to be cut for wood had been selected some time before. These were selected because of their straightness and belief that they would split easy. Oak and pine were the choice for most of the wood, although some hickory would be cut that would be used in making fires for special occasions, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas night when a glowing fire would be needed there in the fireplace for a long period of time.

The day for cutting wood would start quite early in the morning. Axes and cross cut saws would be brought to the location in the early hours. Before any cutting was done, my father, who was one of the best saw and axe sharpeners in the country would inspect all the tools for the wood cutting. After he decided that the cross cut saws were sharp enough, the work would begin.

Always, once the tree has been cut down, contests of various sorts would take place. There were those who were better than others with an axe. These would do the splitting while the others would do the cutting with the cross cut saw. Always, there would be a contest as to who could last the longest on the handle of the cross cut. And, as each took their turn and they were relieved on the saw, the glowing bed of coals nearby would always be the next stop for that tin cup of strong hot coffee that sizzled in the large tin coffee pot nestled on the glowing hot coals. And always, from out of nowhere would appear a couple of flat tin pans of thin baked crackling bread. It seemed that my darling mother had baked the delicious crackling bread the night before the wood cutting. All that had to be done was to place the pan on the hot bed of coals for just a few minutes and the delicious crackling bread was ready to be tasted.

Most times, if all was going well, the wood cutting would be discontinued for the lunch hour. Most everyone would hasten home for the noon meal except my father, who would quickly file the saw and sharpen the axes for the afternoon sawing and wood splitting. His lunch would be sent down from the house in a homemade basket. Most times, this small boy would choose to stay with his father and share the wonderful meal that my darling mother had prepared for the two of us. Always, there would be three or four delicious tea cakes or apple tarts to finish the meal on. And, usually another pan of the wonderful crackling bread would accompany the lunch basket sent from the house.

After lunch, the serious work would really get under way. All knew that as much as could be done had to be finished before sundown. Usually, two or three large oaks would be sawed up and split before the day was finished. Freshly cut oak wood would be piled neatly around the area where the large oak trees had once stood. All that was needed now was for the fresh cut fire wood to be hauled to the house; this could be done almost any time.

As the wood cutting began to wind down, wood was added to the fire nearby. Fresh coffee had began to brew and someone had come from the house with a basket full of freshly made tea cakes along with several pieces of peanut candy. The tin cups were passed around and each selected whatever goodies they wanted with their coffee. Each would select a piece of wood to sit on and they would gather around the fire for an hour or so of tale telling and catching up on the latest news.

As the sun slowly began to settle behind the timber line, plans had already been made as to where the next wood cutting would be and the day on which it would take place. Any left overs of the crackling bread or the tea cakes was offered to any that could eat them. Finally, the fire was put out and the wood cutting was over. Goodbyes were said and a tired group of men and boys went their separate ways for an evening by the fireplace and some time with the family. And, a tired and worn out young boy followed behind eating what was left of the tea cakes and peanut candy and looking forward to another day of cutting wood and swapping work.

Where many were
But few remain
Of old familiar things,
But seeing them
To mind again
The lost and absent brings.

(Singleton, the author of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the age of 79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime resident of Monroeville, he was born to Vincent William Singleton and Frances Cornelia Faile Singleton, during a late-night thunderstorm, on Dec. 14, 1927 in Marengo County, graduated from Sweet Water High School in 1946, served as a U.S. Marine paratrooper in the Korean War, worked as a riverboat deckhand, lived for a time among Apache Indians, moved to Monroe County on June 28, 1964 and served as the administrator of the Monroeville National Guard unit from June 28, 1964 to Dec. 14, 1987. He was promoted from the enlisted ranks to warrant officer in May 1972. For years, Singleton’s columns, titled “Monroe County history – Did you know?” and “Somewhere in Time” appeared in The Monroe Journal, and he wrote a lengthy series of articles about Monroe County that appeared in Alabama Life magazine. It’s believed that his first column appeared in the March 25, 1971 edition of The Monroe Journal. He also helped organize the Monroe County Museum and Historical Society and was also a past president of that organization. He is buried in Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville. The column above and all of Singleton’s other columns are available to the public through the microfilm records at the Monroe County Public Library in Monroeville. Singleton’s columns are presented here each week for research and scholarship purposes and as part of an effort to keep his work and memory alive.)