An appreciation for history: Bill and Judy Theis enjoy their reconstructed cabin

As fall begins, Bill and Judy Theis look forward to cozy fires in their cabin and spending time in the cooler months with family and friends. The cabin has become a sort of tradition for them during the last few years since they rescued it from demolition, and they have gained appreciation for the work that went into maintaining cabins during the years pioneers were settling the area. The cabin originally stood as a house a mile west of Bascom. "A guy was going to build a house and wanted to get rid of it," Bill said. "He was going to tear it down." As owner of Theis Construction, Bill said he bartered with the owner to dig a basement for his new house and haul away the debris in return for owning the cabin. The 18-foot by 28-foot cabin is the same size as the original, but has been reconstructed a bit differently. As he took down the cabin in 2000, Bill said he numbered the logs so he knew how to put it back together. He stacked the logs and parts in another building on his property and didn't get back to the project for a few years. "It got to be about 2005," he said, "and we decided we better get started on it." The Theises said they thought about putting it back in the woods, but decided it probably wouldn't get much use out there. So they decided there was room in the side yard. After pouring a foundation, Bill got the logs out and partially reconstructed the cabin. It wasn't finished when winter arrived, so they wrapped it in plastic to cut down on weathering. "It took about five years to get it finished by doing it in between (construction) jobs," Bill said. "I like to build things so I like to keep busy." During those years, Bill said the bark fell off of some of the logs, so he had to figure out how they went back together. He said the house apparently had been sided early in its life because most of the logs remained in good shape, but there were a few he replaced because they were rotting. "He's pretty laid back so he just figured it out," Judy said. At some point in the cabin's history, Bill said somebody had removed the fireplace, so he changed the re-construction. "I wanted to put a big fireplace in it and cook stew over the fire," he said. The fireplace was completed in 2010 after Bill laid some of the stone and then turned it over to Carl Schalk and family. "All of these stones the kids picked up off the farm here," he said. The Theises said their four boys and eight grandchildren sometimes enjoy the cabin during visits, and they get together in the cabin with friends – mainly during fall and winter. "It's cozy," Judy said. "I imagine what it was like to live back then." Judy said she couldn't imagine building the cabin in the days of horses with block and tackle. They used modern tools, a crane and construction equipment. "We had an Amish man make the windows," Judy said. "They're made out of sassafras." The furnishings are items they had collected or people had given them. A few things were purchased from antique stores, but most of it had been in storage. The wool rug in the main area had been Bill's mother's rug. The rag rugs were her aunt's and some were bought at an auction. The wildlife mounts on the walls are reminders of hunting trips. There's a whitetail deer hunted locally and another deer from Montana. There's a bobcat. The elk above the fireplace Bill said he got when there was 15 feet of snow on the ground. "That was quite and experience," he said. "His sons were there to help, thank goodness," Judy said. When they prepare food and entertain in the cabin, Judy said they try to keep it rustic by cooking and eating with period dishes and eating period food. Judy said she has a greater appreciation for the cabin because of the effort that went into it. "I'm glad we did it," Judy said. "It was well worth it."