Pioneers: Shelter

The Pioneers: Shelter
Log Cabins	Log Cabin from the 1800s. It was built with squared logs, planks and cedar shingles.
Shelter was a settler's first concern upon arriving at the property. The first shelter was a temporary leanto made of branches and boughs. The leanto would protect the family until some land could be cleared of trees. Once a small amount of land had been cleared, the pioneers could build a shanty. A shanty was a very small log hut that could be made in a few days. It had log walls and a flat roof. The only openings were the door and a hole in the roof to let out smoke. The door on the shanty was probably cloth or canvas, anything to keep the wind and rain out. It wouldn't keep out animals. As more land was cleared and logs were available, the pioneers could build a better log cabin. This log building was usually about six metres long, five metres wide and three metres high. Sometimes the door was the only opening; a window or two might be cut in later, especially if glass could be bought in a nearby village or town. Inside the cabin was one room with a dirt floor. Often there was a pit in the middle for a root cellar to storing food. The pit would be covered with wood, so no one would fall into the cellar!
Building A Log Cabin First the land had to be cleared of trees. Trees were cut down using axes and handsaws. The logs were either burned or set aside to be used later. The tree stumps and roots were left in the ground to rot. Stumps were always in the way, especially if you were walking around in the dark of night. The trees were then cut into logs. If there were other settlers in the area, they would help with the clearing because this was a very hard job. The logs were notched at the ends. Four logs were assembled into a rectangle for the foundation. Layer by layer, the next logs were put into place and slowly, the walls began to appear. The walls were usually eight or eleven logs high. If there were no nails, wooden pegs were made to hold the cabin together. Nails might be available if there was a blacksmith in the area. The spaces between the logs were filled with mud and wood chips to keep out the wind, rain and snow. The roof was often made of cedar logs or cedar shingles. Cedar wood is more waterproof. The photographs show different styles of log cabins. Here is an example of a log cabin built near Cayuga, Ontario. Notice the walls are eleven logs high and made of round logs. The roof has cedar shingles. At the County of Grey-Owen Sound Museum in Owen Sound, you can see this early settler's log cabin. It has a stone chimney and was built about 1845. How many logs high is it?
Technology Connection: Collect sticks and make a log cabin that is 14 cm by 12 cm. You could use pieces of dowel, or jinks wood, but it won't look as realistic. Mix up some flour and water, colour it with brown tempera paint and use this mixture to fill in the cracks.
Home Timeline Biocards Buildings Education More Info Teachers
More Information: "The History and Development of Early Forms of Building Construction in Ontario" by John I. Rempel published in Ontario History by the Ontario Historical Society, Volume LIII, Number 1, March 1961 A Pioneer Story by Barbara Greenwood Exploring Canada by Paul Collins and Norman Sheffe New Beginnings A Social History of Canada Volume 1 by James H. Marsh and Daniel Francis