Day 1489

If buildings could talk, this one-hundred-year-old gem would have quite the story! Originally built on Pelican Lake near Nisswa, this little cabin incredibly found its way to Palmer, Minnesota on Briggs Lake!

Back in the early 1920s, my Grandpa Closson purchased land for fishing in northern Minnesota. My mother remembered taking the train to Lake Hubert and getting a wagon ride to a barn on the land that is now part of the Elk’s Youth Camp on Pelican. After sleeping in the hayloft, they were taken to the Closson property. Evidently, a cabin was built to replace the tents.

Our dear friends, Bob and Charlotte were the next caretakers and built a much more substantial building on the land. When they said their farewells to the property, Charlotte called me and asked if I wanted the little cabin my grandfather had built! Absolutely!

Eventually, that sweet building headed 100 miles south on a trailer to be placed in the backyard of our new place on Briggs Lake. It was a homecoming of grand proportions! As soon as they lowered it onto the foundation, the relief was palpable. My own heart welcomed it home!

The inside walls are covered with names from the past. It started out as a fishing cabin, but went on to become a honeymoon cottage, bunkhouse, playhouse and guest cabin. Now, it is a refuge for anyone wanting to be embraced by the past. Having had quite the “facelift”, it can now be heated, air conditioned and enjoyed for the ambiance it so willingly offers. Sitting in a rocking chair by the window or doing a puzzle on the cute little table, peace can be found. It has so many stories that it safely keeps within, but now there will be new tales to gather in its final home.

An added bonus is the Golden’s favorite pastime… playing tag around and around the precious building. I think I will grab a pen and add their names to the walls within!