Long Life Of Log Cabin

James Green of New Bern, North Carolina and eight families migrated to Missouri in 1797. James Green is listed as a Revolutionary Soldier (Ref. No. Car. Society of Cincinnati). They had a hard long trip and when they reached the Mississippi River just before Christmas, 1797, opposite St. Louis. The river was partly frozen over and they could not cross so this group set up camp.

It is interesting to note that the Governor of Upper Louisiana sent tents, coffee and supplies to the stranded families. Each of these families were given a Spanish land grant. They crossed the Mississippi River as soon as it thawed in 1798 and each of their land grant.

James Green land grant is No. 29, consisting of 680 Arpents and located in St. Charles Township 1. In 1808 the American States Papers Vol. 2, Page 563 states that the Spanish land grant No. 29 was confirmed by the United States on December 14th with an additional acreage, totaling 800 acres. The land grant that James Green acquired was near the river and the land was called Green's Bottom, a name it still retains.

He is listed as building an amazing large log cabin and a log barn, as he wanted his wife to have the finest home possible. The maiden name of his wife is not shown in any of our records. They had five children: Robert, John, James, Squire and Elizabeth who helped on his farm. James Green is listed in our Court Records as being an honest hard working farmer. Tax Records of 1805 show that he paid taxes on a two story log house, had six horses, neat cattle 19. Tax Records of 1807 listed James Green as having 8 in the family, six horses, 10 neat cattle and one slave.

This remarkable log cabin is still standing in excellent condition, however the very large log barn is gone. This log cabin is listed as South of Pitman Hill. To see this cabin take Hwy. 94, turn off the Green Bottom Road near the river, and you will see this historical log cabin. This is perhaps the last two story log cabin left in this area and is in a marvelous state of preservation.

It is a full two story log building with full attic. When James Green built this home it was such a large house that no one could understand why anyone should build such a house and a beautiful one.

The first floor is two huge rooms originally built with large fireplaces at each end. The second story has two full rooms and the attic is across the entire building. White oak trees were cut on this Green land grant; many of them as long as thirty feet. In building the house the foundation was built of huge round white oak logs that still retain their bark - only the top was hewn. On top of these logs was placed a walnut wooden floor held together with wooden pegs. There were two large fireplaces, one on each floor. The ceiling of the first floor is a beamed ceiling approximately twelve foot high. The second floor ceilings are about nine foot tall. The inside walls are unchinked. The outside walls are made of white oak hewn logs. These logs were hewn about sixteen inches thick. Between the logs the fillings were of rocks, stone, mud, straw, and clay.

The attic is one large room across the building. The roof of this building is one of the strangest pieces of architecture imaginable. It has a sloping roof that extends over the two porches running the length of the building on the south and north sides. For some reason, this roof is raised about nine inches above the building. How this roof has ever stood up over the many storms and bad winters is unbelievable. At the time of the building James Green said "this is a new type of roofing called a cooling system; making a cooler house in the summer and a much warmer house in the winters."

The windows are charming with their small glass panes. When you realize that this log cabin is 166 years old and is in amazing condition it is hard to realize that it has been occupied constantly until eight months ago.

Near the Old Green log house is the Green Cemetery where many of the family are buried.

Records show that Squire Green who was born in 1800 and died in 1843 (taken from tombstone at Green burial ground), lived in this log cabin. At that time this log home was called the Squire Green home. Next James Green Jr., lived in this house with his wife Rachael Yarnall and during their life time it was known as the Green Yarnall log cabin. James Green Jr., according to the tombstones died on March 14, 1853, age 57 years. He married Rachael Yarnall on April 17, 1823. The tombstone tells us she was born in 1803 and died in this log cabin 1876 after being taken care of by her daughter Sarah Ann. Sarah Ann inherited the house and the land grant. She became the second wife of Capt. Lorenzo Cottle. They were married December 15, 1853. According to the tombstone records she was born December 24, 1828 and died May 12, 1862. She never lived in any other home other than this one having been born and died in this log cabin. This home was known as the Green-Cottle log cabin.

Next this property was owned by a A. Yarnall (he was a son-in-law of Thomas Foreman) and he lived on the original Green land grant. In 1925 the property and log home belonged to Thomas Foreman. Court Records give his address as Green Bottom Road Route 2, Box 85. Thomas Foreman was an excellent farmer. He prided himself on keeping the Green burial ground in excellent condition, cleaned all the tombstones, reset the broken ones; and your Historical Society has the complete record, dates, inscriptions, and epitaphs of this Green Cemetery. After his death there were several owners of this property.

About twenty years ago the log cabin and about 130 acre tract was sold to Mr. and Mrs. John Meyer and they lived in the log house. Several years after Mr. Meyer died, Mrs. Meyer married Irving Queathem. They lived in this log home until eight months ago when they built a modern all electric home next to the log cabin. Mrs. Queathem said when they remodeled the interior of the log house they closed one fireplace and the one large fireplace heated the entire house adequately until extreme cold weather and then they would put up a (wood) stove and the log house was always warm and toasty.

This is the last of the two story log cabins which is in excellent condition in our vicinity. Mr. and Mrs. Queathem will donate the log cabin, if it is moved and kept in St. Charles. They offered it to the St. Charles County Historical Society but the cost of moving and relocating this cabin would be about $4000, and the Historical Society cannot afford to do this. There are hopes that the citizens groups of St. Charles will take the building and move it to our new McNair Park. Where it would be an excellent shelter house.

We oldsters and the younger generations need to have a sense of connection with the past. St. Charles has the opportunity to preserve and memorialize an important part of our American culture.