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John Oliver Cabin



The John Oliver Cabin in Cades Cove is the typical mountain cabin: made from logs with a fireplace and a sleeping area in the attic.  John and his wife were some of the first white settlers to the area, and would have starved the first winter without help from the Cherokee who lived there.  The couple had nine children (two died as infants) and raised them in this cabin.



The very knowledgeable volunteer ranger counted off nine of us in the small area (the whole house was smaller than our living room) and asked us to imagine living there.  He explained that the cabin was for sleeping and storage; everything else was done outside. And who wouldn't want to stay outside, when your front yard looks like this?


One of the ladies in the crowd asked the ranger, "How in the world did they have that many children in this crowded cabin with no privacy?"

The ranger sheepishly smiled and said, "Pretty much the same way we do it today."

Comments

  1. AnonymousJune 26, 2012 at 11:44 AM

    Loved the photos and the post : )

    ReplyDelete
  2. Brenda Kay LedfordJune 26, 2012 at 1:25 PM

    Wanda,
    Wow! Your blog is wonderful. I'm so glad I found it. I really enjoyed this posting about the log cabin very much. What an interesting history. You sure did a great job capturing the "good old day."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Faith, Folklore, and FriendsJune 26, 2012 at 8:15 PM

      Thank you so much for reading my blog and your comment, Brenda. I love log cabins. My husband says I wouldn't make it a month in one, but I would like to try! :)

      Delete
  3. lil red henJune 26, 2012 at 9:33 PM

    I keep telling Popa I want a log cabin; he says he can't leave his shop :( I just love the picture you've posted, and the story behind it all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Faith, Folklore, and FriendsJune 27, 2012 at 7:33 AM

      I would love one; hopefully, a little bit bigger than this one! :)

      Delete

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