Smith Family Log Cabin

Smith Family Log Cabin

BUILT 1847-48, Ursa, Adams County, Illinois

Original owners: William Bryant (1823, Muhlenberg Co, KY - 1882, Ursa, Adams Co, IL) and Susan Lowery Smith (1830, Londonderry, IRE-1884 Ursa, Adams Co, IL).

 

Thursday, January 26, 2012: Our Smith Log House will soon have a new home, about 1/4 mile to the east of the present location at the south edge of Ursa. We hope to have it moved before the end of February--depending upon the weather. The Smith family includes several other major family branches: Exon, Stroup, Keim and McCormick. The cabin sat on the family homestead that grew to 969 acres of good farmland. It now sits just across the hard road and overlooks the family farm and Smith Family Cemetery II.

The actual move was 1/2 mile south on a dirt lane, 1/4 mile east on a gravel road and 1/2 mile north on the hard road. It was jacked up, put on a low boy and pulled with a tractor by our farmer guys who are used to moving buildings. Estimated weight of the 20' x 25' cabin was between 50,000 and 60,000 pounds! The logs are 6" x 12" x 20'. The move took about 30 minutes without a hitch.

 

The North Adams Historical Society (Meyer, Marcelline, Lima, Ursa, Mendon, Loraine & Fowler), has the vision to use it as an historical museum. The property owner wants it moved from the original site and has given us a .9 acre lot to put it on; this is just across the hard road from our Smith Family Cemetery II.

One person is donating the seeding of the ground after it's done; another bulldozing and leveling the lot; slab work, etc.

PS: This log house was built for William Bryant and Susan Lowery Smith, married in 1848, Ursa, Adams County, Illinois. For the Exon/Stroup families--Wm B was a brother to Mary Ellen Smith/Samuel Exon who married Andrew Jackson Stroup. This was located on the original homestead land where Mary Ellen grew up.

PPS: There were 3 of us working down there today; got the fireplaces exposed; some wains coating "cleaned" of nails and bundled; back porch almost torn off; scrap lumber to the burn pile; and other small jobs. We also got 2 signs painted; one showing where the Log Cabin is now and the other one on the hard road at the new location "Future HOME of NORTH ADAMS HISTORICAL MUSEUM". It will also have an arrow pointing to the cabin and hours we're working over there.

An interesting note: Negro Jim is buried in the Smith Family Cemetery II, just across the road from the Log Cabin; he is listed in the Family Bible at the bottom of the Birth Pages and found in Census reports. He, along with the hired hands slept in the room above the 20' x 20' addition. There was a back stairway and no door cut through to the original cabin where the girls and boys slept upstairs. We will eventually put the 20' x 20' addition back on too. It will make a nice museum and there's been a lot of interest shown from local people to display their family history/artifacts, etc. A lot of stuff has been given to us already too.

 

We accept tax-deductible donations. We have had labor, materials and monetary donations beyond belief; the community has responded very graciously. We are concentrating on rock chinking and mortaring the outside of the cabin, weather-proofing for winter. We're also working on the original double sash, 6 over 6 pane windows. If you want to make a donation contact me and I’ll send you instructions.