07/08/2025
Maine Forestry Museum Hall of Fame has one posthumous inductee for 2025, Robin A. Crawford of Wytopitlock.
Due to his father’s early passing, Robin A. Crawford began his lengthy career in transportation and logging at the ripe old age of 13 years old! Riding shotgun with brothers Dale and Harry, Robin hauled wood to the local town mill. The called themselves the “3 Untouchables”. Robin loved hauling wood with his brothers but recognized the importance of hard work in the classroom as well, becoming valedictorian of his 1963 Wytopitlock High School Class. 1963 was a busy year for Robin. He graduated from high school, purchased his first truck and married his wife, Lois!
In 1987, Robin decided to transform his wood transportation business, into a logging and transportation company by acquiring a logging company that had gone out of business. The new company was named Robin A. Crawford and Son Woods Company. Over the next 30 years Robin A. Crawford & Son Woods Co. expanded services to address the needs of the forest industry. From hand crews felling trees with chainsaws to state of the art, full tree Caterpillar mechanized logging equipment, Robin was not shy in making important investments to grow his business.
Robin recognized that equipment investment was not the only important aspect of making a successful business. Investing in people was equally important to Robin as well. Truck drivers, mechanics, professional loggers, and foresters all made the business successful. At one point, Robin’s business employed more than 100 people. Robin’s business was an important cog in the forest economy of Maine’s Golden Road region. Robin had very close working relationships with numerous landowners such as H.C. Haynes Inc., Wagner Forest Management, Great North Woods, and Prentiss and Carlisle.
Robin’s company has always been a family business. Providing the opportunity for family members to develop both work experience and work success was important to Robin. Robin’s son, grandson, and son-in-law have all worked at the company. Not only was Robin loyal to his family, but he was also loyal to his employees. Many of whom worked for decades at the company. Robin was a generous man helping employees in numerous ways beyond a weekly paycheck. He considered his employees to be an extension of his family and loved hearing of their success in life.
Robin spent the majority of time building the business. Yet, he did pursue one item of interest, a 1958 Chevy Impala. He acquired a 1958 Chevy Impala with the help of his grandson on Facebook…Sight unseen. But with the same persistence he gleaned in running his logging business and keeping his trucks in showroom floor condition, he applied to the restoration of the Chevy. In the end, he won numerous trophies.
Robin passed away in 2020 at age 74. He is fondly remembered and lovingly missed by his family and those who were blessed to have known and loved him.
