History of the Homestead

This page will contain what history we do know of the cabin, the land it is built on, and the surrounding area.

There is no documentation that verifies the exact age of the cabin, but if the carving on the exterior logs is true, it was built in 1822.

This makes the cabin exactly 200 years old! Many buildings don’t last this long, so how did a rustic dwelling make it?

We suspect that the logs building the main structure are Tamarack, also known as Larch trees. They are abundant in the area and have a high Silica content.

Most people think of those little packets in new shoes or coat pockets that are labeled “Silica”. However, Silica is naturally found in the world, mostly in sand. When plants have a high Silica content, it strengthens cellular walls and is thought to help keep the plant resistant to mold, mildew, and pests.

This could be why Tamarack trees grow so well in swampy areas. They are able to grow 30-60 feet tall and up to 2 feet in diameter.

The exterior logs do show some sign of breakage, but not rot. We would ideally like to preserve these logs from further deterioration.

So if the cabin was built in 1822, then who built it?

The area was not a state, it was still a territory. Our best guess is a fur trader/trapper traveled to this neck of the woods, found abundant wildlife, and decided to make home base here.

An interesting detail of the cabin is the corners are dove-tailed. This is very precise work that would have all been done with hand tools. This undoubtedly added more structural integrity to the cabin, which could be another factor as to why it has held up to the test of time.

From online and local resources, the nearest town (which is now unincorporated) used to be a bustling village of more than 500 people. It began with a man who set up a logging camp in 1866. It wasn’t until 1899 though that someone purchased the portable sawmill that was brought there earlier and began clearing more timber. In the early 1900s, houses were built for the sawmill workers, which kept people there all year round instead of just logging months. In 1919 a general store was built. A telephone system came soon after along with a school house, a town hall, and a church.

In 1920 a bank was established. By this time, the general store became a large mercantile, there was a post office, a grand hotel, a two story high school with a basement, a boarding house, a moving picture cinema, two pool halls, a butcher shop, repair shops, and a garage.

While the village was on the fast track to becoming a bigger city, a fire burned the entire village. Now there are no true historical buildings left, and not much of a year round population to speak of.