Early pioneers chose heart pine for building materials because of its stability, strength and natural resistance to insects and decay. Heart pine was in such demand worldwide that it was virtually extinct by 1910. In the early days, the only way to get the logs to the sawmill was by river. The logs were dragged to the river by oxen and formed into rafts to be floated to the mill. It was not uncommon for a log to sink (especially the most dense) when placed into the river. Sometimes entire rafts would sink. It was easier to cut another log than ot retrieve one that sank.