Thanks to the fine folks from the Forest Heritage Center in Beavers Bend State Park Hochatown Oklahoma. Who had the foresight and went to the pains to dismantle, label, move, and reconstruct at their facility this homesteaders log cabin we would not have this piece of living history.
There is no photographs no written records, all that is known is it came from bethel Okla. and was thought to be about 120 yrs. old. That's all we know the rest we'll have to imagine. Based on it's age the family that built it could have came to Oklahoma in the Land Rush of 1889 like so many others looking for a fresh start in a new country.
Where they combined their imagination with a desire for a better way of life, lured by the hope of owning and working your own place. Even if it killed them at least they then were buried on their own land.
Once again judging by it's age and location they lived there through the 1930 depression, possibly cutting railroad ties by hand as was the custom for cash money. Selling for .42 cents ea. in 1913 the price dropping to .25 cents ea. and finally to .15 cents ea. as the depression deepened.
We are only supposing, but the fact is somebody did a whole lot of hard work building that cabin. I doubt they had a plan other than to stay warm and dry. With a few tools and only the north wind encouraging them to get done by winter.
No YouTube to consult and probably couldn't read or write anyway. Fast forward 120 yrs. I build a cabin right down the road just a little bit bigger. Using modern practices and tools and I doubt mine will be in a museum 100 yrs. from now.
Makes me wonder for all my activity I'm really going in the right direction.
This is Papa Randy and I am
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