Log Cabin Construction

Part 1 - Building the Pens

Construction on the log cabin began in the fall of 2005. Recycled logs were selected and hand-hewn to form the "pens" that form the final cabin structure. Cabin design was based on descriptions of Foster's original "guest cabins," which were not spacious, luxurious, or private. Large gaps between the logs allowed smoke to blow through, eliminating the need for a chimney.

(Right: Volunteer Dennis Duncan meticulously shapes logs in 2005)

Once the logs were hewn, they were set aside, waiting for the final site to be ready, the granary to be moved, and county permits to put the log cabins in place. In July of 2008, the logs were put up by a volunteer crew headed by Tom Burnett, who has overseen the entire project, and including the cast of In Pursuit of a Dream, a film made this summer about the Oregon Trail.

6/26/08:Tom mole-proofs floor.(First mole hill appears, 7/25/08)

Completed pens, 7/11/08

Tom Burnett sitting on first stringer completed 7/28/08.

Part 2 - Ridge and Rafters

Part 3 - Roofing the Cabin