In former times, the Sura River within the city was quite narrow and shallow, navigable only during the spring flood, and was used for timber rafting. For this purpose, a dock was built on the gentle bank between the Sur and Krasny (now Bakuninsky) bridges. Nearby, pine timber brought from the upper reaches of the Sura was sawed at water-powered and steam sawmills. In 1887, S. L. Tyurin established a sawmill, which stimulated the development of the timber industry in Penza. Timber was mainly harvested in the Kuznetsk district, where timber merchants bought plots of forest from landowners for up to 650 rubles per desyatina. The area of each plot reached several hundred desyatinas. The logging was mainly done by the Mordvins from the Gorodishchensky district, while the tying of rafts and their rafting downstream was carried out by Tatars from the village of Uzy in the Kuznetsk district. M. P. Zhdanov's 1843 'Travel Notes' describes this industry:

"A small river, the Penza, flows under the hill, joining the Sura not far from the city; the latter is navigable only in spring. On this river, large saw and flour mills are built; on the first, up to 50 thick pine logs are sawed daily. A sluice is made in the dam, through which timber rafts are released. It is curious to see how the brave Tatars, engaged in this trade, disappear into the waves with the rafts and then emerge several fathoms later."

Timber rafting, or driving, was an extremely difficult and dangerous task, especially in autumn before the ice formed. Due to strong winds, drivers sometimes had to become burlaks, and during rains, they would tie the rafts to the shore. When the river froze, logs were pulled ashore until spring. This happened in 1882 when the river froze in October, and over 50,000 logs became stuck in the ice. Residents of the coastal villages had to chop the logs out of the ice and pull them ashore. However, the effort proved futile: in November, a thaw occurred, and the logs were able to be driven to Penza.

At the confluence of the Shelahovka River into the Penza, there was a Chip Square where timber goods were traded. Now the Sura River flows here, having changed its course after the dam burst in 1945 near the village of Kurilovka. It absorbed the Penza River, which is remembered by the name of the coastal street, the Embankment of the Penza River.