A Tribute to Pioneer Living / Building a Hand-Hewn Cabin

This small cabin was constructed in 1878 by Norwegian immigrant Carl Bjerke Jensen and his nephew John Bjerke. Carl moved to Dakota Territory from Minnesota with his father, Jens, and brothers, Hans and Ole, earlier that year. The three Jensen brothers wasted no time setting up homesteads. Ole homesteaded on land to the west, and Hans farmed to the south.

The walls of this one-room cabin are constructed of hand-hewn oak cut from the banks of the Sheyenne River-the foundation is made of local, uncut stones. Less weathered sections of the north side reveal that a lean-to was once added to the cabin and then later removed.

Building a Hand-Hewn Cabin

Trees for building a cabin like this one must be straight with no large branches. Green wood is easier to work, but weighs twice as much as dry. Green timbers, similar to the ones used in this cabin, can weigh as much as a small car.

This cabin began with a foundation of uncut stone. Two logs or "sills" are placed on the foundation to begin the cabin's longer walls. Sills support the entire structure. Floor joist logs are placed in notches cut in the sills and hewn level.

The walls are laid in courses, level by level, on top of the first four logs. As each course is laid, it is hewn to fit the shape of the course below-creating "custom-fit walls." These corner joints are dovetailed.

Large beams between the eighth and ninth course of logs on the long side of the cabin are added to secure the walls and provide support for a second floor. Notches cut in the top log or "plate” hold the roof rafters. Finally, the shingled roof is set into place. The steep pitch sheds rain and snow.

Captions: Log cabins such as this were built without siding-siding was added later. At one time this cabin had siding of pressed metal. , Jensen cabin as it appeared prior to restoration in 1981. This site is named Wadeson Park in honor of Jewel and Oscar Wadeson who donated the cabin and property to the State Historical Society in 1957. , The man in the back row, on the right is Carl Bjerke Jensen. He is posing here with his family, circa 1880s. , Through the years, this cabin has been a community hall, a store, a pioneer home and an icehouse. , 1) Trees are felled and stripped of bark. A bottom log or "sill" is positioned on top of a foundation to keep the wood cabin away from damp soil , 2) The walls are started by laying the third log across the end of the sill logs. Corner joints are hewn one by one for a snug fit. , 3) Dovetail notches are cut with an axe or more precisely with a sow. Dovetail notches are named for the resemblance they bear to the shape of a dove's tail. This joint with its beautifully complex angles, is easier to make than it looks. The angles lock each course or layer of logs in place, making it impossible for the logs to roll out. , 4) The round notch joint and v-notch or saddle notch are other simple and stable joints to construct. They both shed water well preventing rot caused by fungi.