Was this mysterious log cabin built 10 years before Lewis and Clark even arrived in Oregon?



MOLALLA, Ore. (AP) — Two researchers believe a log cabin in Clackamas County Oregon may have been built a decade before the Lewis and Clark expedition.

They say it might have been put up by Russians sent by Catherine the Great to grow wheat and gather pelts to help support the Alaskan fur trade.

The Oregonian reports that the cabin is being restored by Gregg Olson of Historic Building Repair, who has saved several of Oregon's oldest log buildings. He's using antique hand tools to recreate fragile pieces.



Olson and architectural historian Pam Hayden have written a 200-page paper about their research.

Restore Oregon, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Clackamas County Cultural Coalition and Molalla Area Historical Society have supported the restoration efforts. Kinsman Foundation grants funded much of the work.



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Information from: The Oregonian,