Tie Hack Memorial
Shoshone National Forest
808 Meadow Lane Avenue
Cody, Wyoming 82414
Phone: 307-527-6241
The Wind River area has long been connected with the timber industry. Beginning in 1914, the Wyoming Tie and Timber Company ran tie-cutting operations near Dubois, supplying ties to support the CB&Q railroad. With the combined efforts of the Wyoming Recreation Commission, the Wyoming Highway Department, and the U.S. Forest Service, a memorial dedicated to the hardy tie hacks was built.
The Tie Hack Memorial was erected and dedicated in 1948 to commemorate the close of a colorful phase of the railroad tie industry in Wyoming, and, in fact, in the United States.
The "tie hacks" were a rough and ready group of men, mostly Scandinavians, who were very proud of their skill in hewing ties with a broad axe, and also very jealous of their independence. All work was done on a piece basis and rivalry was keen for the position of the top "Tie Hacker."
The first ties were hand hewn in the area in 1914 on the rugged slopes of the old Washakie National Forest, now the Wind River District of the Shoshone National Forest.
One of the most colorful phases of this work was the annual "tie drive" of the Wind River. The hand hewn ties were hauled or flumed to the banks of the Wind River during the summer, fall, and winter months. During the high spring run-off, the ties, by the thousands, were dumped into the river and floated a distance of nearly 100 miles to the railhead at Riverton, Wyoming. In 1927, the peak year, 700,000 ties, all hand hewn, were floated down the river. In all, during the 33 years the Wyoming Tie and Timber Company operated in this area, over 400 million board feet of timber, in the form of 10 million hand hewn and sawed cross ties, were harvested under the supervision of the U.S. Forest Service. All of those ties were contracted by the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad.
| Area: | N/A | ||
| Elevation: | 7,763 | ||
| Fees: | None | ||
| Hours: | N/A | ||
| Visitor Center: | None | ||
| Facilities: | None | ||
| Directions: | Located 18 miles northwest of Dubois along Highway 26/287.
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| Coordinates: | Map Coordinates (NAD83): 43 38.798N; 109 55.575W | ||
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Camping
There is no camping at this location.
Hiking
There are no established hiking trails at this location.
