If Those Cabin Walls Could Talk...

I mentioned in my last post that our Little Blue House was a brothel. We do not know how many years that it was in business, but we do know that Eva's girls worked in two cabins situated on the property, near the house.

Eva was a gold rush madam. After the gold rush, she continued this line of work, as I suppose there was still high demand for this type of service...

Eva was also a well-respected member of the community, and from preliminary research, she may have cared for injured or sick people in the town. I will be sure to tell you more about Eva in the near future. I have spoken with two people so far who met her in her elder years.

The Cabin at the Back of the Property

This cabin, as you can see, is falling down. The reason it is going back into the earth, aside from its great age, is that it has a wooden roof. The roof was shingled in wood, as opposed to tin, which was common at the time, and which has proven to be very resilient and long-wearing. The roof and walls are falling in. There is a root cellar underneath the cabin, with access to the left of the door.

The Cabin Nearest the House

This cabin is in much better shape than the other one. It has a tin roof, which is made up of small pieces of tin, like tin "shingles." This kind of roof may be found on buildings of this vintage (early 1900s) throughout town. The cabin is as dry as a bone on the inside. It is now a woodshed, and it appears to be a favourite hangout for the local mice.

I must take some more photos of these cabins. It's fascinating to think about the goings-on there over the years. My husband and I both agree that restoring this cabin is a long-term goal. We will see how it fares over the winter. We would love to restore it as a one-room guest cabin. I can see a simple bed, a vintage washstand, a chair, and perhaps a dresser. There should be a kerosene lamp; that would give it the right ambience. A small vase of fresh flowers in the summer. A restoration such as that would honour the cabins history, and the memories of the girls who worked there.