OHIO

OHIO

The log cabin located in the Monroe Community Park on S. Main Street has an unusual history. It was discovered by workman who were tearing down a small house in Warren County near Rts. 63 & 741. The rustic cabin logs were hidden by wallboard inside and by wood siding and additional rooms on the outside!

 

The land on which it was located dates back to 1781 as part of the original Symmes Purchase - bordered by the Ohio River and between the Little & Great Miami Rivers - long before Ohio became a state in 1803. Bedle Station, an early white settlement in the area was built in 1795 and in 1797, 640 acres of the Symmes Purchase were sold and our cabin along with many others like it, were built soon after. The owners of record were Mr & Mrs. Robert S. Stewart. Their ancestor, James B. Stewart was listed as owner of the land in 1836 for the county’s first map.

The cabin was offered as a gift to the Village of Monroe in 1967. Our Historical Society was then formed to to handle the details of relocating it onto park land recently donated by the Monroe Lions Club (then known as Lion’s Park). Each piece was dismantled, numbered and photographed from all sides and stored until the Spring of 1968 when a foundation was poured. With the help of many dedicated volunteers, generous businesses and organizations, including Village Mayor Gordon Reed, the rebuilding continued through 1969.

The cabin stood unfinished until Spring 1971 when the stone fireplace and chimney were constructed, repairs completed, windows and doors replaced and landscaping added. On October 10, 1971, a proud Historical Society President Dr. James Anderson formally dedicated the cabin during a public open house. The rustic pioneer cabin was described by Maude McGohan “as a symbol of the Historical Society." The cabin has since been furnished with authentic furniture and implements from the mid-1800’s. It is available for school field trips and community events by appointment.