Joseph Olson Family Cabin - Clifton, TX
Posted by: 
WalksfarTX
N 31° 46.574 W 097° 35.127
14R E 633941 N 3516504
A placard in front of the log cabin referenced in the information. The cabin was moved here and is part of the Bosque Museum display.
Waymark Code: WMWNTF
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 09/23/2017
Views: 2
A New Life in Texas
Joseph Olson left Norway with his family - wife Anna Karina, daughter, Anna Marie 8 years, sons Ole Mikkel 6 years, Jacob 4 years, and Torborg 1 year, in May of 1858. They traveled to America, landing in Quebec, Canada after 7 weeks at sea.
Taken from Jacob Olson's Memoirs and Recollections, 1937:
"Marie had gotten Texas fever and eventually my parents were smitten also... It was a difficult trip... [we finally arrived at] Norman Hill, Bosque County in an oxcart packed with 3 families... [we stayed with] bachelor Ween... we got a room under the conditions that mother would cook for him and wash his clothes. We stayed there for 7 years. During that time my father got 160 acres of land, where he built a log house. This house was 14 x 15 feet. The spring of 1867 we moved to our... house. They [Joseph and Anna] stayed there until they died."
Jacob, second son of Joseph, inherited the farm and the cabin. The farm remained in the possession of family members until it was sold to Ray Byford. Mr. Byford decided he could not preserve the cabin and donated it to Valley Mills Heritage Society. The unrestored cabin remained in Valley Mills until 1982, when Mr. and Mrs. D.R. Orbeck became interested in its history and offered to move it back to Clifton. Bosque Museum accepted the cabin in 1985 and began fundraising efforts to restore it.
The cabin was restored using the same materials and methods used by Joseph Olson in 1866. A split juniper roof was constructed to simulate the original roof and wood from local live oak and juniper trees were used to replace the rotted exterior logs. The restored house contains pioneer furnishings donated by local families.