Found a colonial log cabin? *UPDATE

[incajoe]

I ventured into the woods today on a mission. I had been doing some research on a potential site of a very early log cabin. Early being 1730ish! There is some local lore about this cabin and it's occupant (trying not to give away too much info here) and I figured I would take a shot at finding it. I had a general idea of where the cabin was located and it is in a very tough to access area. The only way to get there was to approach it from the opposite side of the mountain and hike down into the notch between two peaks to the area in question. It was a steep climb up the mountain but it was do-able. Of course I wasn't carrying any equipment either! I left the detector at home since this was merely a search mission. After descending into the notch I noticed a small pool of water ahead of me which was a natural spring. I knew this would have been a likely area for a cabin since a water source would have been required. As I approached the spring I was able to see some rocks placed in a small wall where the water actually came out of the mountain side. This was a good clue. Someone had definitely used this spring to get water and these rocks had been placed there a very long time ago. I started to survey the area knowing that the cabin would likely be close by. There were a few flat spots around and I began to check each one for any signs of a cabin. Then as I reached one of the larger flat areas I saw something. There were the remains of a couple very old logs that were piled on top of each other at a 90 degree angle and as I got closer still I could see that they were notched and set into place! YES, this was the corner of a very old log cabin! Almost nothing was left but I could see a very faint outline of the footprint of the old cabin in the form of a slight mound where the logs had deteriorated. It looked to be about 10' X 12' (approx). There was no sign of any iron in the structure such as nails or pins. There was no evidence of roofing material (asphalt singles, tar paper). At this point I'm thinking I have found this long lost cabin of local lore but I would like to know what your opinions are. The question that keeps popping into my mind is: Could these logs really have survived 250+ years? Can they really be that old? I'd like to think so. I will certainly be visiting the area again soon armed with my metal detector. Hopefully I will find definitive evidence that tells me the age of the site. I'll keep you posted.......

 

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[YankeeDownSouthAdv.]

Re: Found a colonial log cabin? *MORE PICS ADDED

yes more pics, and good luck again!..gregg

 

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[incajoe]

Re: Found a colonial log cabin? *MORE PICS ADDED

Hell, if nothing else more pics would be nice... good luck

Well, OK. These are the last two that I have. The first is the spring that led me to the area of the cabin and the second is me next to my find. Stay tuned for next weeks trek back there with a detector!

 

[Mr.Jody]

Re: Found a colonial log cabin? *MORE PICS ADDED

Looks like it will be a good place to check out....if nothing else, have fun.Thats what it is all about....

 

[Michigan Badger]

Re: Found a colonial log cabin? *MORE PICS ADDED

Nice photos and story!

Like Nana says, just hunt it.

Well done.

Badger

 

[JP]

Re: Found a colonial log cabin? *MORE PICS ADDED

To me it look like the remains of a cabin. I guess one thing that we can all agree on is that it is man made.

If that's not the main structure it must be close. It looks like the rocks were hand stacked by the source of water.

Have fun and post pictures of the finds.

HH

 

[history_buff]

Re: Found a colonial log cabin? *MORE PICS ADDED

Seems just a little odd theres no fireplace stones?...Id look a little further you may have found a barn or something.I would sure think there would be a pile of stones where the fireplace was.....Just a thought still looks like a dang good place to swing a detector!!! GL and let us know how she goes......HB

 

[Burnt Chimney]

Re: Found a colonial log cabin? *MORE PICS ADDED

I agree with the Buff , Stones will never let you down ! Time tested.

 

[Cache Man]

Re: Found a colonial log cabin? *MORE PICS ADDED

I don't know how Split Rail fences are built were your at, But here in the south the wood is Not Notched , the split rails are just stacked on top of each other in a zig zag pattern and you can see through the rails.

 

[jog]

Re: Found a colonial log cabin? *MORE PICS ADDED

If most of the cabin was built out of younger trees,and they happen to use what we call an old growth log (in the northwest)for that particular corner of the cabin,That tree would have grown slower than other trees.That would make that portion less apt to rot.An old growth log has small growth rings witch makes for stronger wood.

Sounds like you did your research and it led you to that spot.Looks to me like the hard parts over and now the fun begins.
GOOD LUCK and HH

 

[kieser sousa/rip]

Re: Found a colonial log cabin? *MORE PICS ADDED

Cool deal Joe.....looks very promising.I'm in upstate NY if you need help with it. Good luck !

 

[Bridge End Farm]

Re: Found a colonial log cabin? *MORE PICS ADDED

My answer is yes it is possible

the "heart wood" of trees can last centuries, I have sawed heart pine and heart cypress here that my grandfather put up in the early 1900s. It looks like the day it was cut.

I have seen log cabins and log cabin remains on families properties that were 2 centuries old

 

[incajoe]

Re: Found a colonial log cabin? *MORE PICS ADDED

Seems just a little odd theres no fireplace stones?...Id look a little further you may have found a barn or something.I would sure think there would be a pile of stones where the fireplace was.....Just a thought still looks like a dang good place to swing a detector!!! GL and let us know how she goes......HB

In surveying this area I came to the realization that there are very few spots that are level enough for a cabin to be built on. This is surrounded by very harsh terrain that is either very steep, wet or very rocky. The location of this cabin is on prime spot because it is level and close to the spring. It just doesn't make sense that the living space would be anywhere else but where I found these logs. If you look in the photos you'll also notice some old stone walls in the area which were probably built after this cabin was occupied. Maybe they used stone from the fireplace to build the walls later on?

The good news for me is that Minelab called today and said my detector was on it's way back to me so expect another post with my finds early next week (weather permitting)!

 

[cheese]

Re: Found a colonial log cabin? *MORE PICS ADDED

That's definitely a structure, not just a fence. I've been around enough cabins to know the difference, and have disassembled old cabins in my line of work. (look at the one in my avatar... according to the family who owned it, it was abandoned when the "new" house was built in 1909 and it still stands sturdily). The wood is so weathered it's hard to tell, but as mentioned earlier, if this is heart pine (longleaf southern yellow pine) it can last for centuries. I make flooring out of antique heart pine and the same wood I pull out of a 150 year old run down barn or cabin looks brand new with a little mill work. It's bug and rot resistant by nature with all the rosin in it. In my opinion, you have a good chance of finding 200+ year old wooden remains in the woods. Also, I have some pics of log structures that have begun to "sink" to the ground and now roof height is only 4-5 feet off the ground because it slowly rots away at the bottom...so it c an happen. A log structure is incredibly strong and doesn't fall apart easily... I took one apart to nothing but the outside walls and then tried to pull it down with my truck. It wouldn't budge. I hooked it to the tractor...still no go. It will move, flex, shift, etc... but they stay stuck together.

 

[Jeannie]

Re: Found a colonial log cabin? *MORE PICS ADDED

That's really cool! 8)

 

[RPG]

Re: Found a colonial log cabin? *MORE PICS ADDED

Seems just a little odd theres no fireplace stones?...Id look a little further you may have found a barn or something.I would sure think there would be a pile of stones where the fireplace was.....Just a thought still looks like a dang good place to swing a detector!!! GL and let us know how she goes......HB

In surveying this area I came to the realization that there are very few spots that are level enough for a cabin to be built on. This is surrounded by very harsh terrain that is either very steep, wet or very rocky. The location of this cabin is on prime spot because it is level and close to the spring. It just doesn't make sense that the living space would be anywhere else but where I found these logs. If you look in the photos you'll also notice some old stone walls in the area which were probably built after this cabin was occupied. Maybe they used stone from the fireplace to build the walls later on?

The good news for me is that Minelab called today and said my detector was on it's way back to me so expect another post with my finds early next week (weather permitting)!

I think you're in for a great hunt. We're waiting for the finds. 8)
Randy

 

[zaxfire69]

Re: Found a colonial log cabin? *MORE PICS ADDED

Get out and metal detect that place.

 

[incajoe]

Well, I finally got out to the cabin with a detector to check it out. The verdict is in.....it's not the cabin I was looking for. There was plenty of iron in the ground none of which was older than 100 years old. I found an axe head, a flat iron, nails...etc. These are all easily date-able items and they were showing me that the cabin wasn't nearly as old as I had been hoping for. I did some more snooping around and could find no evidence of the earlier cabin that was the focus of my mission. BUMMER!

The consolation is that as I was heading back I did find a big rock that looked interesting enough to make me want to check around it with the detector. I found two things there: a 1938 Dog tag and a 1818 large cent. I guess I really can't complain that my first coin of 2009 was 191 years old.

 

[YankeeDownSouthAdv.]

kent? hmmm kent CT?...reminds me of a small forgotten town i visitied in CT when i lived there...wish i wasinto metal detecting back then..lol...gregg

 

[ugotit22]

kent? hmmm kent CT?...reminds me of a small forgotten town i visitied in CT when i lived there...wish i wasinto metal detecting back then..lol...gregg

o yes you would be thinking of Dudley towwn alittle further north of Kent. I detected it a few yrs ago. Nothin

 

[geo4472]

good post and nice coin too wtg