Following the meeting at 9:30 a.m. of the Catalina Timewalkers chapter of The Questers on Tuesday, May 12, seven members were introduced to a program produced by Sylvia Munsen. Stepping back in time they learned about the 1859 log cabin being restored by Heritage Woodworkers of Clemons, Iowa. It will be one of five museums in Story City, Iowa, Sylvia Munsen’s hometown. Sylvia shared information via a PowerPoint (PPT) presentation about this log cabin, which was situated on the farm owned by her grandparents and parents for more than 80 years and lived in by her sister, Anne Marie, for 35 years. Around the late 1800s, three rooms were added on the north, east, and south side of the log cabin for living, sleeping, and dining; the log cabin itself was covered by wood planks inside and became the kitchen of the home. Anne Marie and her sons began the restoration process in the 1990s by carefully removing the boards from the inside of the cabin.
Sylvia donated about 75 artifacts to the Museums of Story City appropriate for the log cabin, which were included in the PPT to give an idea as to what life was like in a log cabin in the mid-late 19th century. Artifacts included a wood and chain link trundle bed, a walnut cradle and baby quilt, mattress and pillow covers, a woven cotton floor rug, Norwegian rosemaled wood boxes and baskets, an ironstone chamber pot, buttocks and reed baskets, salt-glazed crocks, a coal bucket and scoop, a pierced tin lantern, iron and tin candlesticks, and a summer/winter Jacquard coverlet dated 1859. In addition, numerous kitchen items donated included: a dough tray, tin cookie and biscuit cutters, butter molds, Norwegian rolling pins, a flour sifter dated 1861, a flour scoop, wood spoons, a wood mortar & pestle, a wood funnel, tin vegie choppers, maple sugar tins, an apple corer dated 1882, a bentwood spice cabinet, a wood cutlery caddy, an English bread board & knife, a butter dish and knife, a blueberry scoop, a bentwood sieve, copper tea kettles and a wood school lunch box.
The PPT concluded showing the progress of rebuilding the log cabin from photos inside the cabin before identification & marking of the logs and removal for renovation, to excavation of the land for the log cabin as a museum, to laying the foundation including original rocks, to transporting the numbered logs and rebuilding the log cabin. There will be a Grand Opening of the
restored log cabin this summer. It will be staged with appropriate artifacts including a four-burner iron stove, table and chairs, a dry sink and Sylvia’s donations.
At the close of this truly engaging and memorable presentation, members enjoyed their camaraderie with a delicious lunch at the Mountain View Bar & Grill.
Are you interested in the history, education and preservation of various collections and artifacts? Join Questers! Meetings are conducted October to May and usually held on the third Tuesday of the month at 9:30 a.m. in a member’s home or at an outside location including museums. For membership information, text Leni Bowman at (623) 217-5336. The purpose, mission, and vision of Questers may be found online at azquesters.org. Upcoming events can be viewed at azquesters.org/news-and-events.
