P a g e 8 G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r Wagner Cabin This old log cabin was the first home of Joseph Wagner and his wife Mary Elizabeth. It was built in the early 1870s and stood on the original Wagner homestead claim one mile north of Florence and just east of the old highway from Missoula. Joseph Wagner arrived from Germany in 1867 and was soon joined by his brothers Sebastian and Isadore. He came to Montana in 1869, settling first in Helena. All three brothers homesteaded in the Bitterroot Valley near Florence in the 1870s, and lived in the area on adjacent farms for many decades. This cabin is typical of log construction of the time and the area. Other homestead cabins still exist, finding new life as storage buildings and the like. The logs were originally sealed with local clay, which has now been replaced by a more stable mortar. The logs are undoubtedly hand hewn Ponderosa Pine, harvested in the valley. The Wagner property remained in the family until February, 1958, when Mr. and Mrs. Marion Davis purchased it. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz They eventually donated the cabin to the Stevensville Historical Society and it was moved to Fort Owen in 1973. When it arrived at the Fort, it was floorless and had a rough partition separating the areas right and left of the door. The roof was replaced with board and batten construction and the windows were reinstalled. The Wagner cabin is representative of a type of cabin that was found throughout the Bitterroot Valley in the late 19th and early 20th century. My/Donor Information: SUBSCRIBE TO THE GHOST TOWNS AND HISTORY OF MONTANA NEWSLETTER! Renewal? Y/N Send a Gift to: NAME____________________________________ NAME___________________________________ ADDRESS__________________________________ ADDRESS_________________________________ CITY______________________________________ CITY_____________________________________ STATE__________________ZIP________________STATE_________________ ZIP________________ Yearly subscriptions are $19.95 (published monthly). Please make checks payable to Ghost Towns & History of MT, LLC and send with this clipping to 715 Oak ST, Anaconda, MT 59711
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