Sneed Log Cabin
category : Pioneer Life
In 1838, Joseph P. Sneed crossed the prairies on horseback to bring his family and the Bible to a new home in Texas. He and his young wife Achsah Harris Sneed first settled in Port Sullivan. Eleven years later they packed their things and moved to the Cross Roads community, about 30 miles north of Cameron. As a circuit-riding preacher, Sneed was on the road much of the time, so he built a home for his wife and another for their servant and companion, a black woman known as Aunt Frances. Sneed died in 1881, 21 years after his wife, but before he died he deeded the sturdy log cabin to Aunt Frances along with five acres of land.
The Sneed Plantation continued to thrive. Other members of the family went into the cotton and cattle business and in the early 1900's the plantation supported a commissary for the farm hands and their families. When the Sneed family sold the plantation, the Log Cabin was deeded to the Milam County Historical Commission for a tax write off.
The original side walls and inside beams are the backbone of the 15-foot square building. The beams are hand-hewn logs, made by chipping or cutting all the bark away to fashion a square board, about five inches on each side. The half-hewn logs which form the outside walls are logs, originally about 10 inches wide, split, then flattened on round side. The corners are joined in square notch corners, the ends cut to resemble a horizontal "T" then laid on top of each other and pegged together.
The restoration of the cabin since it has been moved to the Museum grounds has been done to restore and preserve it. The floor, porch and roof have been replaced with treated lumber. The chimney was built of matched iron ore stone given by the Citizens National Bank of Milam County from the old Oxsheer Smith Farm. Milam County Pct. 1 Commissioner V. W. Hauk, Travis Morren and O. J. Tomasck assisted in moving the stone to the cabin site.
Sonny Raymond of Cameron furnished brick and assisted Charles Brady in laying and finishing the fireplace and chimney. Milam Transit Mix furnished the cement slab for the chimney.
After moving the cabin to its present location, Judy McDaniel, member of the Historical Commission, asked Charles Brady to rebuild the cabin, so with volunteers; Edmond Templer, Carl Grothe, William Wand and Sonny Raymond, replaced all materials except the logs and two beams. The stones for the fireplace were given from the Oxsheer Smith farm by Goodhue Smith. Milam County Precinct #1 moved the stones and Charles Brady laid them in the old style with the mortar at the back. Charles Brady crafted the furniture.
Address: East side of Fannin between Main and Gillis Streets
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