Timber pirate

An 1853 map, timber pirates devastated the United States Navy lumber reserves along the Michigan coast.

A timber pirate is a term used in the United States to describe a type of pirate engaged in the 19th century illegal logging industry

History

he term probably origionated during Timber Rebellion in 1853 when criminals, mainly from the western Great Lakes region, preyed on Michigan's gorvernment owned supplies of lumber. When the government responded by confiscating loads of wood their owners and the so called timber pirates revolted. The pirates assembled and burned a group of boats loaded with the stolen wood in the most serious incident of the conflict. Following that a series of naval operations by the United States Navy warship USS Michigan led to the capture of many timber pirates and successfully put an end to the revolt. Timber pirates continued to thrive in the Great lakes for several years afterwards. At the same time there were timber pirates on the northern Mississippi River and the American navy launched another seperate operation against timber pirates in the Calcasieu River of Louisiana.

In the early 1900s those who engaged the New Mexico's illegal logging industry were called timber pirates.

References

• Rodgers, Bradley A. (1996). Guardian of the Great Lakes: the U.S. paddle frigate Michigan. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0472066072. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)