The story of the Van Aernam family, as it pertains to logging, goes back quite a ways, and intertwines with the development of mechanized logging in the latter half of the 20th century. Four generations of Van Aernam men (and women) have worked and continue to work in and around the woods business, in one capacity or another. DK Knight, co-publisher of Southern Loggin’ Times and its sister title, Timber Harvesting, produced an article on Gene Van Aernam in the pages of this title about 40 years ago. Gene was among the first to trade in crawler tractors for rubber-tired Pettibone skidders and to try out shear head cutting machines. He recalls a local mechanic who had ideas about felling timber with a hydraulic cylinder mechanism long before I.B. White—who lived not so far away in Blountstown along the Apalachicola River, where he also built flat-bottom plywood boats—developed directional shears.

Featured Story: “Ain’t No Gravy Train”

Written By: David Abbott
Company: Van Aernam Timber
Location: Cross City, Florida
SLT Issue: March 2012

Check out other featured articles in the March 2012 issue of Southern Loggin’ Times magazine.
Southern Loggin’ Times’ March issue spotlights Florida’s Van Aernam boys—dad Gene and brothers Kimbo, Wayne-o and Frankie—who are four generations deep in their family’s logging history. Its current incarnation, Van Aernam Timber, has been in business since 1982. Also featured is North Carolina’s Donald Young, whose crew touches 18 counties and leaves a good mark. Continue reading the serialization of Sawmilling With Paw.