Log structures were the most familiar ones for my early ancestors in American. In the Midwest and South logs were the most popular building material. The pioneer settlers of the midwest and Southern States, such as Tennessee, found plenty of trees which could be used for building. It surprised me that the Scots-Irish had no tradition of building with logs. However, they quickly adopted this type of construction which was so well suited to the area. Early churches, school houses. and courthouses were often log structures. The initial log cabins of the pioneers were generally just temporary. Once they got established they would build a log house which was built to be permanent and larger than a log cabin. A log house was also given a more finished look with planed logs, which may have been finished with siding.
|Crawford Log House Built 1792|
The name Abraham Lincoln and the Log Cabin are synonymous. My Mason and Owens family lived in Coles County, Illinois which was where Abraham Lincoln helped build a Log Cabin for his father and stepmother, and he practiced Law in that area. He worked as a lawyer for the Illinois Central Railroad where my ancestor Peter Mason also worked. My family living in the area did pass down stories regarding seeing Mr. Lincoln in the area.
All of my early American ancestors got their start in these rustic humble homes. Sadly few examples of these houses still stand, and hopefully these will be preserved for future generations.
|Lincoln Log Cabin|