Beaver Jim Villines

Beaver Jim Villines. Boyhood Home. , Settling Along the Buffalo , Abraham Villines and his children were among the earliest pioneer families in the Buffalo River valley. Abraham’s grandson William built this log house in 1850 for his new bride, Rebecca. Four years later their son James was born here., James Villines (1854-1948) was known as “Beaver Jim” for his renowned trapping ability. After his marriage in 1880, he moved from this home to his own farmstead across the Buffalo River., In the mid-twentieth century, Villines family descendants used this house as a barn---with the chimney still attached. Today, the notched and hand-hewn logs recall the pioneers who carved their homes out of the Buffalo River wilderness., Captions: , This cabin was still inhabited in 1914 when two of Beaver Jim's grandchildren posed for this photograph., James "Beaver Jim" Villines, circa 1920s