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Michigan Towns Select Towns
I wondered much who this 'Sam' was that every one called ' uncle,' and who had such an abundance of timber; but, I soon found it customary for emigrants scantily supplied to make use of that growing on lands which belonged to government, and which was called in western phraseology, ' Uncle Sam's' land. Our seasoned lumber and shingles had to be brought from Gull Prairie, some thirty miles distant. The difficulty, too, of getting brick, lime, and other building materials, made it much easier building castles in the air than in reality. A few warm, sunny days had shrunk the boards that covered our dwelling to such a degree, that in spite of all the battening that could be done, the rain, which was very frequent, poured in upon us most o unmercifully. Every fair day would behold beds, bedding, wearing apparel, etc., spread out to dry. This state of things was not to be endured much longer, and we accordingly held a consultation, which resulted in a determination to build a log cabin after all. All hands were now in requisition, and in less than a week logs were out, hauled and rolled together, and we had a log cabin completed that would lay all those of 1840 in the shade, and was much more appropriate in point of usefulness. It was altogether more commodious than our ' shanty,' and had one merit not to be overlooked by myself, to-wit: a real door, made of boards, with wooden hinges, latch string, and all. We had now no reason to wish to avoid seeking our friends, as the arrival of a couple of loaded teams from Detroit had furnished us with all the necessary apparatus for living in a comfortable manner.
Michigan
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