McMullen - Coachman Log Cabin

McMullen - Coachman Log Cabin. Built: Circa 1852 - Moved: 1977. , The McMullen Story , Cotton, Cattle and Citrus , James and Elizabeth McMullen built this 1 1/2 story log cabin near Alligator Creek, part of present day Clearwater. They raised livestock and farmed, growing a variety of crops including cotton. Their cattle ended up on dinner plates throughout the South and even Cuba. The McMullens pursued opportunities during the turbulent years following the Civil War by selling cattle to Cuba where the economy was stable. By 1869 the family manufactured syrup barrels and held sugar cane grinding parties. Later they converted their cotton fields into citrus groves. , Why Did the McMullens Come? , In 1841 18 year old James Parramore McMullen suffering from 'consumption' or tuberculosis, gathered his bedroll, gun, horse and dog and left his southern Georgia home. He regained his health while living alone on the Pinellas Peninsula. Later he returned to the family homestead in Georgia and recounted stories of this place to his 6 brothers. I would be another 7 years before he came back to upper Pinellas, but this time it was with a wife and a determination to make this area home. They persevered even in the aftermath of the Second Seminole War (1835-1842) when skirmishes continued in the region for years. Between 1851 and 1871, one by one, the 6 brothers followed James to Pinellas. , A Rugged Pioneer Woman , ELizabeth Campbell McMullen, a Hernando County native, was probably the first midwife in the area. By 1900 this cabin witnessed the birth of nearly 60 children, including many of the extended McMullen family. During the Civil War, Elizabeth protected the family homestead and raised their children while James served with the Confederate Cow Calvary. For nearly 20 years, this was the most substantial home in Upper Tampa Bay. And with Elizabeth's hospitality, it was a favorite stop for overland travelers to enjoy an evening of dancing to guitar, fiddle and organ music. , Peeking Through the Cracks , Originally gaps between the interlocking heart pine logs, window openings with no glass, wide porches and a dogtrot breezeway allowed in fresh air, not to mention plenty of critters. James McMullen told family members, "I wouldn't give anything for a house that didn't have cracks wide enough to throw a cat through!" Years later grandson Guy McMullen chuckled as he explained the "children chore to boil water and pour it down between the cracks to run the noisy hogs off when they gathered under the cabin at night." , Building a Community , The McMullens were more than farmers. In the 1870s, miles from their home and farm, they created the Bay View settlement at the place where farmers loaded livestock onto boats in Tampa Bay. Always the entrepreneurs, they soon added a store and hotel. In the years that followed the family, including James, his 6 brothers and their children, helped shape the future of Pinellas as visionary community leaders, business developers and politicians. , Tidbits from Time , Carving a Trail , It is said that one day James grabbed his sharpest hatchet and visited nearby neighbor Richard Booth. Together they carved a pathway between their cabins. It is now part of McMullen-Booth Road and is considered the first Pinellas road built to surveyors' specifications.