Red Elm can be a really stunning, under-appreciated wood. This mantel has as stunning red tones and just the right amount of character. This hand hewn mantel beam came from a vertical, stockade style, log cabin. The face shows interesting grain patterns as well as in interesting like of hack marks. The top is filled with old hand hewn marks from an original settler swinging an ax. The bottom of the beam looks like it might have had a different craftsman doing the work. It has more of a chop-and-peel kind of look. The bottom is also accented with a number of old dark nail stains.

One of the interesting features is this row of hack marks on the bottom of the face. It took us a while to figure out why the marks were there. Well, it turns out that the original carpenter roughed up the wood so that the chinking (i.e. insulation) between the logs, which was made of grass and fabric, would stay into place and not fall down. The last picture in the set shows some of the grass chinking. The top of the beam has a much more character and color variation. That was probably the outside of the building. The bottom is much more even toned and was probably the inside of the log cabin.

From what we can tell, this cabin was built in 1894. There were old Swedish newspapers stuck to the wall for insulation. Between the logs, there was chinking made of grasses and old fabric. We’re trying to clarify the history. The area Buffalo, Minnesota area was settled with a mix of Swedish, Polish, and German immigrants. There’s some reports that making vertical log cabins was common in a small area in Poland. It is certainly plausible that Polish immigrant brought over this construction technique. There was another vertical log cabin found in the area.

A Swedish family, the Mainquist’s, lived on the farm from about 1930 to 2013. There are some nice pictures on the Minnesota Historical Society website of the Mainquist Family — Evert with Calf, Carol Mainquist sitting on a disc harrow, and Break from threshing on Evert Mainquist farm. You can see the old house in the background of the Carol image.

Also note, if you’re interest in Swedish-American Pioneer history, the Vilhelm Moberg’s Emigrants book series comes highly recommended.

This one has been discounted to $115/LF. We can cut the length down and reduce the price by $9.58 per lineal inch, up to a $115 discount.