Robert H. Jones, Jr. log caliper with walking wheel

Collection

Identifier: MCC-00468

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of a log rule with a caliper and a one-foot diameter wheel at the other end. It is made of wood and metal and measures 56" long x 30"wide x 3" depth. The name of the maker, F.H. Greenleaf and the address, 62 Oak Ave. Belmont, Mass, is carved on the log rule near the wheel. An individual called “a scaler” in the lumbering business used this item to measure a log’s diameter and length to find the total board footage a log would provide. This specific item does not have tally holes on the side of the lower jaw like mentioned in the note above.

Dates

Creation: 1922-1928
Other: Date acquired: 2019-09-00

Conditions Governing Access

Item cannot be manipulated.

Biographical

Robert Hayward Jones, Jr. was born on May 24, 1919, in St. Francis, Maine, the son of Robert Jones and Adeline Mills. In his early years, Mr. Jones worked for the Great Northern Company and Pinkham Lumber. Bob married Mary Germaine Pelletier on February 7, 1948. He was an avid fisherman and hunter who enjoyed staying at his camp on Cross Lake. Bob enjoyed playing bridge and cribbage.

Bob was a Private who served in the European Theater of World War II where he landed on the beach of Normandy during the invasion. He continued to serve as a tank commander and went into Munich, Germany, earning a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for his service. Bob also received an award from the government of France for his contribution in the fight to liberate France during WWII.

Historical

F. W. Greenleaf, Florence “Flossie” Greenleaf, was born in 1882 and was the daughter of William Greenleaf, who made log calipers for a short period in Littleton, New Hampshire from 1913 until his death in 1916. After her father’s death, Flossie began producing calipers in Littleton until she moved to Belmont, Massachusetts, working there from 1922 to 1928. Flossie was also an accomplished violinist and violin teacher.

Log calipers were used to measure the diameter of the log. They were made of maple wood with the straightest grain. By law, they had to have metal tips on the end of the jaws so wear would not cause a false calculation. They often had tally holes on the side of the lower jaw where the scaler could place small wooden pegs to keep track of his total footage calculated. Spoked wheels were added to the log rule to increase the accuracy and ease of measuring the length of a log. In Maine, they were usually a “five-foot wheel” with ten spokes. One spoke was weighted with a lead weight to start the wheel off. The spoke tips are six inches apart so every other spoke is one foot and one revolution is five feet. It was used by starting at one end of a log and rolling it down the log. The two measurements, diameter and length, would allow the scaler to read off the total board footage.