At least 10 children from two different families grew up in this midwestern log house in times past near Galena, Illinois. Though simple and humble, it was home and provided what was needed for survival: shelter from wind, rain, and cold. Built before electricity and power tools existed, ax marks on its rough hewn logs still testify to the back-breaking labor it took the owner to bring it into existence. I could not help wondering what they lived in while building this log house.
I remember seeing photos of the sod cabin in Nebraska that my grandfather was born in. Later, a wooden house was built and further farm sheds constructed, but for a time they had to survive in a hovel made by stacking blocks of freshly-plowed sod to form the walls and topping that with a roof made of such wood as could be found nearby.
Those were difficult times, but they found ways to survive and make it work; they had to, there was no one else to do it for them. And because they succeeded to make things work during their times, I am here to enjoy the life made possible by continuing to build upon their labors.
#logcabin #sodcabin #pioneers
Eskildoodle Photos and Feelings 