Cabin Fever

In November 2012, Providence Prairie was blessed with the gift of an authentic 1800's cabin from the Olney area. For our family, the definition of "Cabin Fever" has taken on a whole new meaning.

Over Thanksgiving, we labored hard removing the roof and clapboard siding which covered the primitive structure.

One by one, the logs of the 16x24 foot structure were removed, labeled, and stacked for delivery to our pioneer homestead. 

Hewn foundation rocks were procured from Ryan's grandpa near the Olney area, as our “cabin fever” grew.

 

With the logs and rocks safely delivered, the reconstruction process was ready to begin. After the hewn rocks were put in position, it was time to replace the bottom course of logs that had deteriorated over time. 

Wanting to keep with the spirit of a pioneer, armed with two-man crosscut saws, axes, broad axes and hatchets, the men set to work. At length, mighty trees fell and were drug to the homestead. 

  

The axe was then utilized to make notches to the desired depth about every foot down the length of the log. Then, turning the log on its side the axe chopped out the pieces. The broad axe and hatchet finished the log to the characteristic square shape. Hands sore and bodies tired, after several Saturdays of sawing and hewing, the process was complete.

We have now beguin placing the old 1800's logs atop our newly hewn ones and then the roof, porch and hearth can come next. By summer’s end our “cabin fever” should be cured . . . or will it just be beginning?