Lowell's Blog
Updates from the road

 

Most of our friends know that Frankie and I have been looking for a cabin in the Prescott woods for the past year. We were close to buying two cabins before finally purchasing our historic Groom Creek cabin. Purchasing an old cabin in poor condition turned out to me a huge challenge. We started the process in late March and after moving to a second mortgage company we finally closed the property July 11th. Last minute complication forced us to work with the seller and replace all the steep 12 x 12 roof shingles. We finally moved Homie (our 5th wheel) to the property July 5th to work the final closing details. After closing we’ve spent the past weeks stabilizing and gutting the interior for the expansion and remodel we will be doing.

 

Buying the cabin we thought it was built in 1954 as the selling indicated. But after spending time in the cabin and talking to the neighbors we’ve discovered a much more extensive history. The property sets on the old Chicago mining operation. The cabin below us was where the original mine office set.  With our neighbors Al and Evelyn’s inputs I’ve dug in the internet to piece together the following history. Details are still to be discovery but here’s what we know now.

 

It all starts with Isaac Singer inventing the sewing machine in the 1850’s

 

Isaac Singer was born October 27, 1811, in Pittstown, New York. In 1850, he invented a sewing machine that operated at 900 stitches per minute. In 1857, he partnered with Edward Clark to form I.M. Singer & Company. By 1860 it was the biggest sewing machine manufacturer worldwide. They incorporated in 1863, under the name Singer Manufacturing Company. Singer died July 23, 1875, in Torquay, England.

 

Edward C. Clark created the huge Singer company partnered with Singer. He massed a huge family wealth. Remember the name Clark.

Edward C. Clark or Edward S. Clark (December 19, 1811 – October 14, 1882) was a founder of the Singer Sewing Machine Company, along with his business partner Isaac Merritt Singer. Together they began investing in real estate in the 1870s and built The Dakota, an apartment house at 72nd Street and Central Park West in New York City, which was completed in 1884 and was where John Lennon was shot.

E. M. Clark purchased and reopened the Chicago Mine in Groom Creek in 1901.. Read the Prescott Evening Courier right. Note that one of the mine shafts was named Empire hence the name of the street the cabin sets on.

 

 

The photo below taken early 1900 is the Durky Camp of the Chicago Mine. This site would be near our cabin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right is a photo also taken in the early 1900 of some the the mine workers. Note they’ve included their donkey in the photo.  During the mine exportation they built a thick rock explosive shed that is now our cabin’s rock foundation. Some the the workers right probably built it.  I’ve not been able to find out when the mine operation was closed.

 

Enter the Clark name again…

 

To power the sewing machine market it took great threads and needles. Another Clark family member partnered with the JP Coats thread company to form Coats and Clark. In 1937 the Coats and Clark  company took the explosive shed and used it for a foundation to build a family honeymoon cottage creating our original cabin. This would have been the cabin without the back deck and the dormer and probably no indoor facilities.

 

 

 

Above, some of the Coats & Clark thread label designs and a 1939 worlds fair design collection. Below the old stone foundation and the inside original timbers today. The end view.. Subtract the front deck, dormer and back porch  and you have the 1937 version of the cabin they called a cottage.

 

Recently tearing up the old floors we found newspaper between the floor and subfloor dated 1951. That confirms the cabin was remodeled in 1951 when the back porch was added and probably indoor facilities. The front deck and dormer were added sometime later and were not done with any quality workmanship.

 

That’s real history that we were totally unaware of as we worked hard to purchase our cabin in the woods. The original explosive foundation is over 100 years old. We hope to preserve much of the cabin’s old history and charm. Stay tuned for our next update on the work we’ve done over the past 3 weeks since taking ownership. As you know we always name our homes and vehicles and surfacing all this history only seems to make it more difficult to come up with a name for the cabin. Suggestions?

 

Until the next update