By: James A. Jones
Restoration Chairman

  This is about a little walnut log house that has been hidden inside another house, in some cases, hidden from even those living within its walls.

  It came into existence sometime in the 1830’s. The little log house met all the needs of the original family who lived in it. Using today’s standards, it is hard to imagine that this 18ft by 20ft house could be large enough for two people let alone a family of 6 or 7.

  Using the materials at hand, early settlers used rocks for the foundation for the sill logs. They cut walnut trees by hand. They hewed and notched these logs to make the sidewalls, ceiling and floor joists. The shingles and flooring was split by hand. All of this was done with an ax, aze, hatchet, drill, wedges, mall, some small hand tools and lots of hand labor. The fireplace acted as the kitchen stove, water heater, furnace and lighting.

  The original log house had additions built onto it covering it with layer after layer of all kinds of different materials and eventually it disappeared within its own creation. Over the years, there were several times that it almost ceased to exist, but it has stood the test of time. There was one instance when the family living within the house built an addition on the north end exposing the north end of the original house. When they tried to cut a door into the north wall, they exposed the finest walnut wood logs seen. The wood was of such high quality that the wood removed for the door was sold to a company in St. Louis to make gunstocks. Because this wood was in demand, these families considered tearing out the rest of the log house and selling the walnut logs.

  The Historical Society has uncovered enough of this original log house to see its potential and it is the Boards wish to preserve this cabin and maintain the facility as a wonderful learning center for our children and all of its visitors.

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