(moved from north of Stockbridge)
We know that Johannea Siebold moved his family into an existing log house that stood where the dining room of the farmhouse now stands. Our building was taken apart, moved, and reconstructed from a much larger, two-storied house, purchased from Roy Tuthill, who told us about the pegs on the wall for hanging fur pelts. Outside the old house, cast iron rings were embedded in a log to secure horses. The size of the house, roughly 18 x 24, and its placement facing the south are typical. The planed floor, trim, and glass windows could have been possible in the late 1840's and 50's. The tamarack rafters were replaced and a new roof added at the time of reconstruction in 1976. The cupboard in the corner was found in the upstairs of the larger log house.
This house should not be confused with a true pioneer's log house built before there was sawed lumber in the area. It would have had a dirt or puncheon floor, maybe a blanket for a door, greased paper instead of window glass, and a roof of rough shakes or logs. Mr. Hubbard's 1836 sawmill in Waterloo made planed lumber a possibility here.
The log house is furnished for a family with small children, as was the situation when 6 year old Jacob lived here with his eight-year old sister. This was a family that worked hard to equip their home in the Michigan wilderness, while they were also clearing their farm. The rough-cut log table is set with the few good dishes brought from far away and flanked with cherished chairs. Hung by the fireplace and setting on the hearth are the spider pots and griddles, tea kettle and meat racks used in daily cooking. The one bed in the house is built into the corner with a specially chosen tree at its foot, cut with branch stubs for hooks to hold the family nightshirts. On the planks is a feather tick and woven coverlets, a luxury when it snows.
The children slept in bedrolls in the upstairs loft. In summer, it was stifling hot up there. In winter, it wasn't at all unusual for fine snow to sift through tiny holes in the roof. The children threw their covers off very quickly in the morning and scampered down the ladder to dress by the warm fire.
The house is completed with two large trunks used for moving and storage. The largest trunk belonged to the Jacob's stepfather, whose name is painted on the front along with the city from which the family emigrated. In a corner is Ma's walking wheel, a spinning wheel used whenever there was time to spin the yarn, to weave the cloth, to sew the clothes needed by the family. A few rag rugs, a child's rocker by the fireplace and a deep cradle make the house come alive.
