The Territorial Days celebration took place in Amboy on Saturday, July 11, showcasing the town’s dedication to its community and history.
The weekend-long event takes place at the Amboy Territorial Days Park, the community funded and volunteer maintained town park.
“Territorial Days is an opportunity for people in our community to get together and celebrate community. We remember the logging history of Amboy and the founding of the territorial Post Office years ago,” said Clark County Fire District 10 Chief Gordon Brooks.
The main draw to Territorial Days, now in its sixth decade of logging action, the log show highlights north Clark County’s connection to the timber industry.
“Back in the day they would just huck a log and now it’s grown into a full-blown log show. They used to have, when Sutton ran it, a pro day and an amateur day,” said Clifford Campbell, a long time log show attendee and competitor.
“I grew up in a logging family and my dad had his own business. I remember coming down here in the 1980s and watching one of my older brothers compete, and at that time we didn’t have kid events and I was just chomping at the bit so I could start competing,” said Territorial Days board member and log show competitor Greg Brown.
Community members, from children to adults, get to compete in events using a variety of logging equipment including chainsaws, two-man saws, axes and log chokers. This addition of categories has allowed multiple generations of family to partake in the competitions together.
“I started competing at Territorial Days in 1975. I love to do it and I don’t miss a show, but I’m getting up in age and now my primary concern is teaching the little guys how to win,” said Stan Sawyer, a community member labeled a “living legend of the log show.”
This year Sawyer was able to compete alongside his own grandsons, Everett and Broden, who have both been competing in the kids division for about five years.
“I love how you can come here and compete in the sun and do fun challenges for a whole day and pass the time, and it’s really fun to win,” Broden said.
For some, the log show marks the anniversary of a special occasion beyond an annual Amboy celebration.
“This is our 42nd log show. Back when we were eighteen and nineteen years old, (Clifford Campbell) needed a jack-and-jill partner. He asked me to be jack-and-jill and we’ve been together ever since,” Carrie Campbell said.
Territorial Days has become many things to all kinds of people. For some it’s a time to remember their family lineage while others may view it as a simple weekend getaway. For the residents of Amboy, the event is the thing that ties them all together.
“This is the heart of the community. This is our own little town park. This weekend is the main weekend for Amboy,” Clifford Campbell said.
Stock Saw Chain Race Modified Saw
1st Place – Mike Truong 1st Place – Kyle McKee
2nd Place – Jeff Fetter 2nd Place – Tobi Huhta
3rd Place – Ben Clark 3rd Place – Shane Felton
Double Buck Jack & Jill
1st Place – Dylan Eltz & Austin Roth 1st Place – Mike Nicholas & Martha Nicholas
2nd Place – Eli Bekkevar & Bubba Simplot 2nd Place – Anthony Callison & Hailee Phelps
3rd Place – Anthony Callison & Matt Phelps 3rd Place – Austin Roth & Rayleigh Peterson
Jill & Jill Men’s Choker Set
1st Place – Martha Nicholas & Hailee Phelps 1st Place – Shane Felton
2nd Place – Jalia Williams & Rayleigh Peterson 2nd Place – Zach Brown
3rd Place – Amanda Hafner & Jessica Durnford 3rd Place – Ben Clark
Women’s Choker Set Obstacle Pole Choker Set Over Water
1st Place – Jalia Williams 1st Place – Tedd Huhta
2nd Place – Audrey Joner 2nd Place – Shane Felton
3rd Place – Peyton Yancey 3rd Place – Zach Brown
Obstacle Pole Cut Over Water Log Rolling
1st Place – Shane Felton 1st Place – Ben Clark
2nd Place – Travis Hafner 2nd Place – Jeff Fetter
3rd Place – Kyle McKee 3rd Place – Matt Campbell
Men’s Ax Throw Women’s Ax Throw
1st Place – Darryl Durnford 1st Place – Hailee Phelps
2nd Place – Aaron Brown 2nd Place – Audrey Joner
3rd Place – Kyle McKee 3rd Place – Delaney Brown
High Climb
1st Place – Tedd Huhta
2nd Place – Ben Clark
3rd Place – Tobi Huhta
Men’s All Around Logger Women’s All Around Logger
1st Shane Felton (9 total points) 1st Hailee Phelps (8 total points)
2nd Ben Clark (7 total points) 2nd Martha Nicholas (6 total points)
3rd Tedd Huhta (6 total points) 3rd Jalia Williams (5 total points)
Youth Ax Throw – Ages 6-9 Youth Choker Set – Ages 6-9
1st Place – Waylon Durnford 1st Place – Evalyn Clark
2nd Place – Walter Durnford 2nd Place – Walter Durnford
3rd Place – Kylee Meckel 3rd Place – Payton Brooks
Youth Ax Throw – Ages 10-13 Youth Choker Set – Ages 10-13
1st Place – Brodin Harris 1st Place – Everett McKee
2nd Place – Cash Clark 2nd Place – Lena Brown
3rd Place – Everett McKee 3rd Place – Brodin Harris
Youth Ax Throw – Ages 14-17 Youth Choker Set – Ages 14-17
1st Place – Gatlin Brown 1st Place – Gatlin Brown
2nd Place – Lacey Brown 2nd Place – Lacey Brown
Youth Modified – Ages 6-9 Youth Modified – Ages 10-13
1st Place – Evalyn Clark 1st Place – Everett McKee
2nd Place – Emma McKee 2nd Place – Cash Clark
3rd Place – Payton Brooks 3rd Place – Brodin Harris
Youth Modified – Ages 14-17
1st Place – Lacey Brown
