A Pioneer Home

An original log cabin - part of the Old Aurora Colony Museum complex - gives an idea of early life in our area.My dear mother and I enjoyed touring the little cabin and we often commented about how different their lives were from ours today.

The Steinbach cabin was built in 1875 to house George and Katherine Steinbach and their five children. The cabin was originally built on the bank of the Willamette River, about four miles north of Aurora. It is built with cedar logs and chinked with mud and straw. The Steinbachs lived in the cabin for seven years. It is one of three surviving cabins from the colony. The pieces of furniture within the cabin are original colonial artifacts, a portion of which were used by the Steinbachs.

The kitchen 'sink'. . .

A stove used by the lady of the house. . .

Kitchen storage and. . .

Useful gadgets and serving pieces give a glimpse of life in a pioneer kitchen.

Fredrick Miley, Mrs. Steinbach’s father, came to live with the family at a later time. To accommodate his needs, a lean-to addition with a separate entrance was added. This turned the cabin into what we now call a duplex. (You can see the addition and 'Grandpa's' entrance in the first picture above.) Originally there was a wall at the back of his room that separated his living quarters from the rest of the family. In that wall was a door that allowed him to enter and join the family in the main cabin. The wall has been removed to allow more efficient tours of cabin. A lovely old bed is displayed in 'Grandpa's room'.

A little wood stove kept 'Grandpa' warm. A washstand. . . And chamberpots under the bed. . .Provide all the comforts of home.

It is hard to imagine the challenges and struggles faced within the walls of this little pioneer home. No matter how hard their lives were, I'm sure there was laughter and singing. And the joyful voices of children. Sweet children. What more could a family ask?