Cabin Building

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From Reminiscences of Newcastle, Iowa, 1848, by Harriet Closz, 1921.

Images from text.

Cabin Building, and Beds

Jack Brewer was esteemed an expert in the work of cabin construction. Uniformly shaped logs were selected if possible and they were laid out on the ground in the order to be raised. The chopping of notches at the ends of the logs to saddle or fit their fellows was called "taking up the comers." The upper timbers often projected to some length and were used for hanging household and field implements, stringing up an animal carcass or surface-drying a hide.

A bullet attached to the end of a string suspended from each timber as it was raised furnished the method of evening or plumbing. The shadow of a tree at noon was the rule for starting square with the world. Several tiers of logs were laid, and when building in winter, a fire was made at one end of the space to thaw the dirt, which mixed with water, supplied mortar to chink the cabin cracks. The excavation made the floor surface lower at one end than at the other, say, about a foot or a foot and a half ledge marked off two-thirds of the floor-area.

The logs were rolled up on skids with hand spikes — long slender poles — to a point as high as the men could reach; then with forked sticks they were lifted into place with the aid of steadying guide-ropes in the hands of men on the top tier. Before the gables were shaped to the proper slant, the hewn beams for rafters were placed at intervals across the log framework.

Roofing

Two poles with top forks were set in the ground so the crotches corresponded to the gable peaks; in these the ridge-pole was laid. Two parallel cross-center stays supported the heavy shake roof. Shakes were pieces of oak boards from four to six feet in length, according to the size of the hut. They were rived from a hewn log with a frow — a large cleaving knife with the handle set at right angles with the blade. The frow was pounded into the log with a small maul or mallet and a section of wood about an inch thick, six or eight inches wide and the desired length was split off.

The shakes overlapped like ordinary shingles. The lower ends often were loosely arranged so they might be pushed aside in fair weather for light and ventilation. Heavy poles were placed on top of the roof where the shakes lapped; these weights were kept at the proper distance apart by roof-knees — notched logs fitted and fastened at right angles between the binding or weight poles and along the gable edges of the roof.

Grass thatching was not used by us. The long, rank hay would have served the purpose admirably, but the rudely constructed chimneys made thatched buildings an extra hazardous fire risk. We did not carpet the floor with hay for the same reason. The pole skeletons for stock stables, however, not only were covered with grass but the splendid wild blue-stem was stacked all around the shelters except at the door-openings. Cattle could help themselves to the hay-ration, and they usually ate their way through the stacking at various points during the winter.

Doors

The openings for cabin doors and windows were sawed out after the logs were laid. The free ends were wedged up plumb with the corners and the logs forming the top casings for these openings then were put in place. Two windows, two feet square was a luxury; one window was the general rule, and it was covered with slabs during the winter. I have seen many a cabin without a single window and but one door. A good many cabins, however, had two doors directly opposite each other. Occasionally an ox was hitched to a back-log, the cut dragged into the cabin at one door, the chain loosed and the critter driven out through the other opening. Children shinned through the windows as often as they ran in or out of the door.

The two side-casings for a door were scaled to the desired size and thickness from slabs, and were fastened to the log-ends. There were no extra top or bottom frame-pieces. The material for doors was split from clear, straight-grained logs and smoothed with a foot-adz. A notch about five inches square was cut from the bottom corner of the door-board for the entrance and exit of cats. Some of the large log-sections furnished one-panel doors. A solid black walnut one-panel door is in our possession at this time.

A man usually had to stoop in order to pass through a door opening, but the lack of height made it easy to reach the rifle which rested in the forks of a couple of cut saplings pinned to the log-casing.

Doors were hung on hickory hinges which were bolted with wooden pegs. A less durable hinge, one certain to sag or wear in two, was made from buckskin or leather from an old boot leg. Doors opened inward and fastened on the inside. No latch, lock, knob or handle was visible from the outside. The cross-piece of the hickory latch was lifted from its notch by pulling the rawhide string attached to it which hung on the outer surface through a hole a few inches above the latch. This string could be drawn inside in case of danger, and the door further secured with a cross-bar set into casing-notches.

Puncheon Floor

The cabin with a puncheon floor was thought to be quite well finished; for all early structures were unprovided with slab floors. The dirt for floor-surfacing was well tramped — dampened if necessary — and beaten with a maul until smooth and solid. If clay was available, so much the better for the comfort of the housewife, as clay packed evenly and became almost impervious to water.

Puncheon floors were prepared by splitting the outside slabs from the surface of logs, hewing the flat side as smooth as possible with the broad-ax and an adz. The puncheon was put into place on the ground with the rounding side downward. They soon settled into the soft soil and made a solid walking surface; if however, a piece of floor-log settled unevenly and persisted in rocking when stepped upon, it was removed and rebedded.

The attic floor-boards were not fastened to the ceiling rafters, and they soon became warped and uneven. Many loft floors were extensive enough only to place the bed ticks and furnish a walk-way from the ladder to the beds. The open condition of the ceiling made it easy to place things for drying and seasoning; besides, the arrangement prevented the garret sleepers from freezing to death in winter or roasting to death in summer. The ladder leading to the loft was made from a section of puncheon with cleats fastened to the flat surface about eighteen inches apart. One end of the slab rested on the lower floor and the other extended, almost perpendicularly, into the opening in the attic floor.

Our first cabin at Newcastle only had sufficient floored space upon which to set the beds, loom, spinning wheels and other bulky belongings. There was an eighteen inch jump-off from this puncheon floor to the earthen surface where the daily work was done. This ledge was utilized to sit upon, and therefore, fewer stools were necessary. We thought we were quite comfortably domiciled when we built on the Eyer place, the hewed, double log cabin with a lean-to. This cabin furnished ample room for our family and others; and for many years it was the community center of entertainment. Outhouse accommodations were the thick brush or a couple of fallen tree-trunks; one for men, one for women.

Fireplace

The fireplace was a five-foot opening at one end of the cabin. The greater the fire capacity the more wood could be burned; and, therefore, the ground sooner would be cleared for planting. The first chimneys were built with sticks daubed with mud; but on account of fire danger we soon began to use stones. The front surface of the fireplace was set a foot or so into the room, and the depth — the receptacle for fire — was extended backward two feet and outside of the cabin wall. The mantel shelf took shape at about five feet high, and the chimney wall then was narrowed and shaped to the regular size. The randle, or back-bar, was arranged below and back of the shelf and on it were the trammels — hooks for hanging kettles. On this bar strips of venison were seared at every killing.

Flint-sparking was the early method of ignition. The kindling was arranged with a bunch of tinder — usually tow — beneath and in front of it, and a bit of powder sprinkled thereon. The flint was struck sharply with a hard substance, say the steel on the handle of a bowie-knife, and the sparks resulting from the concussion lighted the powder. Our care, however, was to obviate the necessity for starting a fresh fire every day, so we carefully covered the coals with ashes to prevent their entire extinction. Then rekindling easily could be done from the embers. Occasionally it was necessary to fire a dampened gun-wad into inflammable material to start a fire.

One-Legged Bedstead

The pioneer wall-bedstead had but one leg; and it was put in place by the regular cabin builders. Very often two beds had but one leg — if the width of the cabin was twelve feet. I have seen two beds and several wall-bunks resting on one strong sapling leg-support. One end of the pole foot-rail and, likewise, an end of the side-rail was fastened to the single bed-leg, and the other ends were fitted into an auger-hole in the log wall. If bunks were to be arranged, a high, stout leg-timber was utilized. Holes were bored one above another, two or three feet apart. The foot and side-rails for each bunk then were arranged as already described.

Ends of shake-slats were stuck into the log-crevices and the other ends rested on the side-rail. It often happened, when the burden was too heavy, the slats settled and slipped from the wall cracks and precipitated the occupants of the bed to the floor. If cord were used instead of slats, saplings were fastened to the wall and the rope cris-crossed from them according to the usual method. Sometimes a linen blanket or quilt was fastened to the logs and to the side-rail and bed end. This did away with the slipping slats, but the sag to the center was much greater than with the cord-woven support.

A quilt tied at the four corners with ropes depending from the rafters made a comfortable nest for a child. The trundle-bed was made small enough to slide under the bedstead during the day. The log cradle usually occupied the hearth.

A four-legged bedstead also was made. While it could be shifted about, it could not be taken apart. When a family moved these bedsteads remained for the next comer. With the advent of the four-poster and its yards of cordage, convenience seemed to have attained its limit and luxury its climax. There still is in the possession of our family a four-post, cord bedstead that is over one hundred years old.

When dances were on the program the portable bedstead, loom, table, spinning-wheels, provision barrels, etc., were moved outside; and wooden chunks and slabs were arranged along the log walls for seats.

Jack Brewer assisted in all the work of cabin building until his death in February, 1857. The broad-ax so well used by him in the early work in Newcastle still is in the possession of his son, Andrew Brewer. The implement was kept carefully by the maternal grandfather, Patrick Frakes, and given to Andrew on his twenty-first birthday. Our own family broad-ax is a rusty relic of the past, but is preserved by my son, Frank Bonebright.

Closz, Harriet. Reminiscences of Newcastle, Iowa, 1848. Historical Dept. of Iowa, 1921.

Harriet Closz

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