Some early Log Houses in the Killarney and Argyle areas

Early log house in the Argyle district. Photo belongs to Pat Dearsley. 

Tom Hamiltons log house in the Killarney area. Provincial Archives of Mantioba. K1/1/1

Noble Lawrance log house in the Argyle district. Provincial Archives of Manitoba. N21387.

The first buildings the settlers erected were often log structures. These were either built using squared logs and dovetailed joints or round logs with saddle and groove joints on the corners. The chinking between the logs was made up of clay and grass or moss and sometimes the houses were whitewashed inside and out. The roof was commonly made of poplar poles and sods which tended to leak in heavy rains. This roof would be replaced as soon as the settler could afford it with wooden shingles. Poplar shingles were cheaper and more readily available but tended to curl up in the sun, cedar ones were preferable but more expensive.
Some houses had earthen cellars and their internal organization was simple with cooking, eating and sleeping mostly all taking place in one room.
Below is a drawing made by John Christopherson of his father´s Hernit´s first log house near Grund in Argyle. The circular shapes are stoves, the elongated ones against the western wall are beds and the other shapes are a tables. The eastern part of this building was a later addition to the first house.