Shelby County Historical Museum cabin preservation project nears completion

 SHELBY COUNTY  —The preservation of Shelby County Historical Museum cabins is nearing completion.
 The museum partnered with Heritage Woodworks, Inc. of Clemons, IA, to restore the McIntosh and Leland Log Cabins. The project began this spring, and included removing the chinking from between the logs, replacing logs and making dutchman repairs, stabilizing the structures, cobb blasting to clean the logs, treatment for weather and pests, repairing and replacing window and door frames, applying new chinking between the logs, re-framing and re-roofing, and replacing damaged interior chinking.
 Dirt work and paving was done to ensure proper drainage and accessibility around the cabins.
 Sarah McDonald, Shelby County Historical Museum Executive Director, said this is the first preservation project done to the cabins on this scale since they were moved to the current location in the 1970’s.
 McDonald said the project was funded largely by a memorial donation in memory of Gailyn and Linda Larsen, made by their children Jeffrey Larsen and Andrea Larsen Hayden and their families. “The memorial donation was supported by generous donations from over 100 local community members dedicated to preserving Shelby County history. We also received a grant for the project from the Hitchcock Family Foundation,” McDonald said. Each cabin will have an interior text panel honoring all project donors.
 Local partners also contributed effort, supplies, and knowledge to the preservation project, McDonald said, including Dave Ohlinger, Crees Garden Center, Kroger Hauling Service, Andrew Mitchell, Stowe Red-E-Mix, Baxter Lumber & Hardware, and Harlan Do it Best Hardware.
 Santa Claus will be among the first visitors to the reopened cabins, McDonald said. “We are excited to bring Santa back to the McIntosh cabin this year.” Santa will be at the Museum Thursday, December 12 from 5-7 p.m. for pictures, games, and snacks.
 McDonald said a dedication celebration for the cabins will be held in the spring.