Davenport Democrat Davenport, Scott, Iowa July 20, 1924 HOW DAVENPORT PIONEERS MADE THEIR LOG CABINS: CUSTOMS OF EARLY DAYS After the Davenport pioneer of the early days made his long, arduous journey from the east, he found that the job of becoming an "old settler" was perhaps not so easy as he had anticipated. One of the biggest tasks was that of erecting a suitable habitation. Selecting a location, the pioneer would all together as many of his neighbors as were available and have a "house raising." Trees of uniform size had been chosen and cut into logs of the desired length, generally 12 to 15 feet, and hauled to the site of the future dwelling. Each end of every log was saddled, and notched so that they would lie as close down as possible; the next day the proprietor would proceed to "chink" and "dash" the cabin to keep out the rain, wind and cold. The house had to be redaubed every fall, as the rains of the intervening time would wash out a great part of the mortar. Cabin 8 Feet High. The usual height of the house was seven or eight feet. The gables were formed by shortening the logs gradually at each end of the building near the top. The roof was made by laying very straight small logs or stout poles suitable distances apart, and on these were laid the clapboards, somewhat like shingling, generally about two and a half feet to the weather. These clapboards were fastened to their place by "weight poles" corresponding in place with the joists just described and these again were held in their place by "runs" or "knees" which were chunks of wood about 18 or 20 inches long fitted between them near the ends. Clapboards were made from the finest oaks in the vicinity, by chopping or sawing them into four foot blocks and riving these with a frow, which was a simple blade fixed at right angles to its handles. This was driven into the blocks of wood by a mallet. As the frow was wrenched down thru the wood, the latter was turned alternately over from side to side, one end being held by a forked piece of timber. How Chimney Was Made. The chimney to the Davenport pioneer's cabin was made by leaving in the original building a large open place in one wall, or by cutting one after the structure was up, and by building on the outside from the ground up a stone column, or a column of sticks and mud, the sticks being laid up cob-house fashion. The fireplace thus made was often large enough to receive firewood six to eight feet long. Sometimes this wood, especially the "back log" would be nearly as large as a saw log. The more rapidly the pioneer could burn up the wood in his vicinity, the sooner he had his little farm cleared and ready for cultivation. For a window, a piece about two feet long was cut out of one of the wall logs, and the hole closed, sometimes by glass, but generally with greased paper. Even greased deer-hide was sometimes used. A doorway was cut thru one of the walls if a saw was to be had; otherwise the door would be left by shortened logs in the original building. The door was made by pinning clapboards to two or three wood bars, and was hung upon wooden hinges. A wooden latch, with catch, then finished the door, and the latch was raised by anyone on the outside by pulling a leather string. For security at night the latch string was drawn in; but for friends and neighbors, and even strangers, the "latch string was always hanging out" as a welcome. The "Mantel" In the interior of the cabin over the fireplace would be a shelf, called "the mantel" on which stood the candlestick or lamp, some cooking and table ware, possibly an old clock, and other articles; in the fireplace would be the cane, sometimes of iron, sometimes of wood; on it the pots were hung for cooking; over the door, in forked cleats, hung the ever trustful rifle and powder horn; in one corner stood the larger bed for the "old folks" and under it the trundle bed for the children; in another stood the old fashioned spinning wheel, with a smaller one by its side; in another the heavy table, the only table, of course, that there was in the house; in the remaining was a rude cupboard holding the table ware, which consisted of a few cups and saucers and blue edged plates, standing singly on their edges against the back to make the display of table furniture more conspicuous, while around the room were scattered a few splint-bottom or Windsor chairs, and two or three stools. These simple cabins were inhabited by a kind and true hearted people. They were strangers to mock modesty and the traveler seeking lodging for the night, or desirous of spending a few days in the community, was always welcome, altho how they were disposed of at night the reader might not easily imagine; for, as described, a single room was made to answer for kitchen, dining room, sitting room, bedroom, and parlor, and many families consisted of six or eight members. Cathy Joynt Labath Iowa Old Press http://www.IowaOldPress.com/

Very interesting! Certainly makes me glad to be living in these times and not those. Jackie ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cathy Joynt Labath" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, July 16, 2004 3:30 PM Subject: [IASCOTT] !! Davenport Democrat; July 20, 1924 "Log Cabins" > Davenport Democrat > Davenport, Scott, Iowa > July 20, 1924 > > HOW DAVENPORT PIONEERS MADE THEIR LOG CABINS: CUSTOMS OF EARLY DAYS > > After the Davenport pioneer of the early days made his long, arduous > journey from the east, he found that the job of becoming an "old settler" was > perhaps not so easy as he had anticipated. One of the biggest tasks was that of > erecting a suitable habitation. > Selecting a location, the pioneer would all together as many of his > neighbors as were available and have a "house raising." Trees of uniform size > had been chosen and cut into logs of the desired length, generally 12 to 15 > feet, and hauled to the site of the future dwelling. > Each end of every log was saddled, and notched so that they would lie as > close down as possible; the next day the proprietor would proceed to "chink" and > "dash" the cabin to keep out the rain, wind and cold. The house had to be > redaubed every fall, as the rains of the intervening time would wash out a great > part of the mortar. > > Cabin 8 Feet High. > The usual height of the house was seven or eight feet. The gables were > formed by shortening the logs gradually at each end of the building near the > top. The roof was made by laying very straight small logs or stout poles > suitable distances apart, and on these were laid the clapboards, somewhat like > shingling, generally about two and a half feet to the weather. These clapboards > were fastened to their place by "weight poles" corresponding in place with the > joists just described and these again were held in their place by "runs" or > "knees" which were chunks of wood about 18 or 20 inches long fitted between them > near the ends. > Clapboards were made from the finest oaks in the vicinity, by chopping or > sawing them into four foot blocks and riving these with a frow, which was a > simple blade fixed at right angles to its handles. This was driven into the > blocks of wood by a mallet. As the frow was wrenched down thru the wood, the > latter was turned alternately over from side to side, one end being held by a > forked piece of timber. > > How Chimney Was Made. > The chimney to the Davenport pioneer's cabin was made by leaving in the > original building a large open place in one wall, or by cutting one after the > structure was up, and by building on the outside from the ground up a stone > column, or a column of sticks and mud, the sticks being laid up cob-house > fashion. The fireplace thus made was often large enough to receive firewood six > to eight feet long. Sometimes this wood, especially the "back log" would be > nearly as large as a saw log. The more rapidly the pioneer could burn up the > wood in his vicinity, the sooner he had his little farm cleared and ready for > cultivation. > For a window, a piece about two feet long was cut out of one of the wall > logs, and the hole closed, sometimes by glass, but generally with greased paper. > Even greased deer-hide was sometimes used. A doorway was cut thru one of the > walls if a saw was to be had; otherwise the door would be left by shortened logs > in the original building. The door was made by pinning clapboards to two or > three wood bars, and was hung upon wooden hinges. A wooden latch, with catch, > then finished the door, and the latch was raised by anyone on the outside by > pulling a leather string. For security at night the latch string was drawn in; > but for friends and neighbors, and even strangers, the "latch string was always > hanging out" as a welcome. > > The "Mantel" > In the interior of the cabin over the fireplace would be a shelf, called > "the mantel" on which stood the candlestick or lamp, some cooking and table > ware, possibly an old clock, and other articles; in the fireplace would be the > cane, sometimes of iron, sometimes of wood; on it the pots were hung for > cooking; over the door, in forked cleats, hung the ever trustful rifle and > powder horn; in one corner stood the larger bed for the "old folks" and under it > the trundle bed for the children; in another stood the old fashioned spinning > wheel, with a smaller one by its side; in another the heavy table, the only > table, of course, that there was in the house; in the remaining was a rude > cupboard holding the table ware, which consisted of a few cups and saucers and > blue edged plates, standing singly on their edges against the back to make the > display of table furniture more conspicuous, while around the room were > scattered a few splint-bottom or Windsor chairs, and two or three stools. > These simple cabins were inhabited by a kind and true hearted people. They > were strangers to mock modesty and the traveler seeking lodging for the night, > or desirous of spending a few days in the community, was always welcome, altho > how they were disposed of at night the reader might not easily imagine; for, as > described, a single room was made to answer for kitchen, dining room, sitting > room, bedroom, and parlor, and many families consisted of six or eight members. > > > Cathy Joynt Labath > Iowa Old Press > http://www.IowaOldPress.com/ > > > > > > > > > ==== IASCOTT Mailing List ==== > Reminder! Please remove as much of the original message as possible > when replying to a post. Include only that part of the original > message important to your reply. > > ============================== > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 > >