The Pioneer Logger Award, in the beginning, in 1981, was awarded to “Pioneer Loggers” many of whom worked and remembered the days of springboards and the industries move from the misery whip to the first chain saws. The pioneer loggers are gone but the honor is still bestowed each year to an individual who embodies that spirit of hard, honest work. The award is sponsored by the West End Business and Professional Association.
For 2021 WEBPA has chosen Clark Browning.
In 2014 Clark “CB” Browning received the American Truck Historical Society Golden Achievement Award in a ceremony in Puyallup for his over 50 years of dedicated service to the trucking industry. CB’s efforts have contributed much through many changes and advancements to make the industry what it is today. For 2021 WEBPA is recognizing his contributions to the west end economy and timber industry with the Pioneer Logger Award.
CB started his truck-driving career by skipping school at Beaver, WA and catching a ride in a truck with Joe Dahlgren or any trucker that would pick him up. His first major log truck-driving job was with Tom Braithwaite.
He bought his own dump truck and later bought a Kenworth log truck and hauled for Rayonier.
In 1970 CB bought a new Peterbilt log truck and sold it in 1974. He then drove for Brager Bros and Tyee Timber and started to drive for Barry Swanson Trucking in 1975.
He thought there were not any other logs to haul except in the Forks area until he went to Cle Elum in 1979.
He then hauled logs in 1980 from Mt. St. Helens after it erupted. CB has hauled logs out of Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and even spent two seasons in Alaska.
When you travel with Clark, there is always someone he knows. I guess you could say that he is the most famous truck driver around. Now in his 80s CB is still going strong. Possessing the work ethic and many of the qualities of the pioneer loggers before him he is the best employee and friend you could have.
Past Pioneer Logger honorees: 1981 Lawrence Brager, 1982 Hassel Ray, 1983 Perry Duncan, 1984 E.L Whitehead, 1985 Ernie King, 1986 Walt Roberg, 1987 Bill Wentworth, 1988 Ted Spoelstra, 1989 Floyd Thornton, 1990 Joe Bunker, 1991 Wiley Duncan, 1992 Bob Tuttle Sr., 1993 Martin Dimmell, 1994 Edwin Duncan, 1995 Ray Hull, 1996 Maynard Lucken, 1997 Del Huggins, 1998 Richard Miller, 1999 Lawrence Gaydeski, 2000 Jack Olson, 2001 Joel Dahlgren, 2002 Kaye Kelso, 2003 Lloyd Allen and Myron Simmons, 2004 Rocky Fletcher Sr., 2005 Wally Crippen, 2006 Eleanor Thornton, 2007 E.C. Gockerell, 2008 Gene Spaulding, 2009 Ingrid Dahlgren, 2010 Carroll Koenke, 2011 Jess Parris, 2012 Willard Morgan, 2013 Dale Raben, 2014 Fred Shaw, 2015 Jack Merrick, 2016 Ernie Nielsen and Jay Sarnowski, 2017 Pat Raben and Oscar Peterson, 2018 Homer Kesterson, 2019 Richard Halverson, 2020 Dean Hurn, and 2021 Clark Browning.
WEBPA usually hosts the honoree at one of their Wednesday morning meetings …but Clark is still driving his truck and will probably be on the road somewhere!
