John & Margaret McDannald's Oregon Cabin in the Fruitvale District of Umatilla County, Oregon
The cabin in the 1920's still showing the log siding.
John & Margaret's grandson, Ed Hodgen, wrote these memories of the
cabin in 1941.
"I was born in a log house which is still standing and is still inhabited.
It was built in 1866. When I was born, in 1869, grandmother cooked on a
fireplace, but soon afterward got a cook stove. It was used as long as
she lived, until 1887. My grandfather, John McDannald, died in 1890 and
the farm was divided among the heirs. My Uncle Nim fell heir to the part that
had the house and while he owned it, he got a kerosene stove. He died in
1928. The place is now owned by Dale Kralman, (grandson of John and
Margaret), who cooks by electricity.
When I was born we used tallow candles to light the cabin at night. They
were made at home using the candle molds my grandparents brought across
the plains in 1865.
Now, I am not going to claim that this is the oldest house still standing
in this part of the country (in 1941), but I do challenge anyone to find one as old
as it is that is still inhabited. If you want to see one of the best-hewn
log houses in anybody's country take a look, as the logs in it are as
smooth as if they had been planed.
The logs are hewed tamerec that was cut up on Basket Mountain and hauled
down by both horse and oxen, but most of the logs on the outside are now
covered with shipler. All that can be seen is at the front door between
the door and window which whows it to be hewed as smooth as if it had been run over
with a plane.
The old fireplace whcih was built out of alkali rock has all been torn
down, and the rocks were used for a foot walk until they began to
crumble. Then they were done away with, as were all the old buildings
with the exception of some of the log frame work used in the old barn
which were reused in one made later.
The old orchard, close to the cabin, which had the only tree of apples by the
name of "seek-no-farther" that was known to be in the country, was gone.
Also the old sweet apple tree is all gone, and the old hop vines from
which my grandmother used to get hops to make her hop yeast for
light bread is gone."
The cabin in later years with the logs covered on the outside.
Sad note: After 113 years, the McDannald cabin, built in 1866 by John McDannald II,
and his sons, George W., Nehemiah and David W., burned down in 1978.
Map showing location of the McDannald farm and cabin north of Milton-Freewater, Oregon.
Umatilla County, Oregon Deed
United States Grantor
TO
John McDannald, Grantee
Dated October 7, 1876
Filed April 6, 1882 at
Recorded Book H of Deeds Page 113
Certificate No. 447
Application No. 446
Description:
The Northwest Quarter of the Northwest Quarter of Section
Twenty-One and the Northeast Quarter of the Northeast Quarter
of Section Twenty, in Township Six North of Range Thirty-Five,
E.W.M., containing 80 acres.
After John McDannald passed in 1890, the property was split
among the heirs.
Record of transfer of 15 acres of the Property for $1.00
Dated June 17, 1893
Filed May 12, 1894 at 9 A.M.
Recorded Book 13 of Deeds Page 617
Eleven witnesses
Consideration, $1.00
Notarized in Umatilla County, Oregon:
Malinda J. Hodgen, formerly Malinda J. Mcdannald
and Isaac W. Hodgen her husband,
Alice L. Hodgen, formerly Alice L. McDannald
and John W. Hodgen, her husband,
Emma C. Kralman, formerly Emma C. McDannald
and Joseph W. Kralman, her husband,
David W. McDannald and Lucetta McDannald, his wife, Umatilla County, Oregon.
Notarized in Clackamas County, Oregon,
Nehemiah McDannald, unmarried,
Notarized in Brown County, Illinois,
George W. McDannald, unmarried,
being all the surviving heirs of John McDannald, deceased,
GRANTORS
TO
William A. Welles,
GRANTEE
DESCRIPTION
The West Half of the Northwest Quarter of Section Twenty-One
in Township Six North of Range Thirty-Five, E.W.M.
And then on the same day, May 12, 1894, 8 P.M.
William Wells gave the 15 acres to A. Rambo, for $1.00.
DESCRIPTION
Commencing at a point 40 rods East of the Northwest corner
of Section 21 in township 6 North of Range 35, E.W.M. runnign
thence East 30 rods, thence South 80 rods, thence West 30 rods,
thence North 80 rods to place of beginning, containing 15 acres.
On September 16th, 1898, David and Lucetta McDannald sold half of their
share of the property, 15 acres, to A. Rambo for $650.00.
On January 25th, 1899, David and Lucetta McDannald sold the mortgage
for the property to Emery Baltzore for $800.00.
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