Artifact of the Month: July 2026

Easy Logging


Recovering fallen wood that has washed up on beaches or is floating in the ocean is known as beach log salvage. The Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the U.S. Forest Service regulate the salvage process, issuing permits and setting guidelines. This program provides valuable timber for use, clears navigational hazards, and reduces pressure on old growth stands by providing an alternative to cutting live trees.

This month's featured artifact, Easy Logging by Lawrence "Snapper" Carson, captures a beach log salvage operation on the Cleveland Peninsula in West Behm Canal. Carson, a well-known Ketchikan captain, salvager, and artist based the painting on a photograph taken by fellow salvager Dennis Diamond. The scene shows Carson and Neil Ohashi aboard the tugboat Behmer as they pull a beach log into the water.

The Behmer itself has a notable history. Built by prisoners on McNeil Island near Seattle, the tug was used by the U.S. Army during World War II before being purchased by Boyer Halvorsen for towing operations. It later became one of the first tugs to move timber rafts for the Ketchikan Pulp Mill. Carson eventually acquired the vessel and named it Behmer after a favored salvage area.

Easy Logging is currently on display in Cedar: The Tree of Life at the Tongass Historical Museum through January 2027.


Object ID #: KM 2019.2.75.3