Cabin story

Our interest in old log cabins started long ago. As a young child I spent many hours playing in the log cabin on the family property . The electric company purchased the land on which the cabin was located to put in a power line and eventually tore down the cabin. Unfortunately my parents were unsuccessful in their attempt to have the Historical Society save the cabin. My husband was also fascinated with log cabins and in his travels was drawn to old log structures and their furnishings. We frequently talked about “some day” reconstructing a cabin on our farm where we live. That day became a reality during a visit with a friend when I learned about someone who was looking for someone to tear down her old family home in exchange for the log structure underneath the siding. My husband immediately contacted this person and offered to do the job. On July 23, 2003 the log cabin dream came to life when an official agreement was made.
My husband began to dismantle the log home in the fall of 2004. Excitement grew as the siding came off to reveal a beautiful log home with most logs in good condition considering the structure had served as a chicken coop for many years. Not much could be saved inside the home except for some windowsills and walnut doors (two that are now in the reconstructed cabin). When the log home was fully uncovered it appeared to us that the original front entrance may have been on the south side of the home instead of the east side. The logs were numbered as they came off and hauled away by semi to the Lill home farm. Then came the decision as to where to locate the log home. Of course we knew we wanted it near the back pond and wetland area, but the dilemma was whether to put the log cabin in the woods or out in the open. We decided to locate the cabin in an open area so that we would have a nice view of the pond and woods. We also felt that upkeep would be easier away from the woods where there would be no possibility of falling trees or moisture problems – not to mention mosquitoes.
Our original intention was to join my husband's father's old granary to the log cabin. Our plans changed however, our farm employee was contacted about tearing down another log home. It was decided then to get the second cabin and join the two log structures to make one cabin home. The cabin was positioned to overlook the pond and wetland area with a beautiful view of the woods to the west and the prairie to the east. Construction of the basement started in the spring of 2006. Reassembling the logs on the foundation began the spring of 2007. During the summer of 2008 the front porch was added, upstairs floor installed, inside window trim was painted, water well and septic tank were put in, and the ground around the cabin was graded and seeded.
To be continued...