Mower County transcript., 1913-08-06
PIONEER RELIC j..
TAKEN DOWN
The Old Log House on the Fur
long Farm Will be Preserved
in Our New State Park-NOt.
able Event.

Last Wednesday afternoon about
forty citizens went out from Austin to
the old J. j. FurlOng farm at Concord
three miles east of Austin to take down
the log house built by William Furlong
in the spring of 1857 The original
house was 16x16 made of burrsoak logs
cut in the neighborhood and these are
we'll preserved after standing for 56
years. Subsequent additions were
made to this, but these have been re-
moved leaving atbe Origtnxt which was
taken down on Wednesday. The logs
were carefully numbered so that they
can be put back in their original posi-
ton. These will be. stored and pro-
tected and later will be put together in
the new Horace Anstin state park in
Austin when the grounds are put Ia
condition. This will preserve for pos
terity relic of pioneer days common
enough fifty years ago but now passing
out of sight and mind.
William Furlong and his family wife
and seven children, came from Upper
ary, Ireland, in 1852 and located in Del.
aware county, Penn, on farm. In
1854 they came west to Galena, ILL.,, and
in the spring of 1857 they came to
Mower county and entered the Dorth-
west quarter of section eight in Win.
dom township. Here the log house was
built. 1t was quite rOOmy home for
that time and neighborhood parties
and dances were frequently held there
The ceiling of the rooms was so low
that 1t is said that tall men bumped
their heads when dancing. John Fur
long was lad eight years old when the
family struck this county. Three Of
his older brothers went to the war later
and he had to rustic to help at home
Johns mother died July q, 1872 and
his father March "a, 1879. John bought
out the heirs so he became the sole
owner of the homestead. In 1875 he
bought the adjoining quarter on the
north of Aaron s. Everest at $12. so an
acre or $4,000 for the quarter. He
broke 40 acres in 1876 and put it into
wheat in 1877, the big crop year. 1t it
had not been for that crop he would
have gone bump as the next years crop
was not worth cutting. Mr.. Furlong
has continued to improve this farm
and few years ago it won the prize of
$1,000 offered by J. J. Hill! for the best
farm in the First Congressional dis
trict. About 1892 the new house was
built and tAe barn in 1896. Mr.. Fur
long SOl0 CQ0 1dFu IWO years dSO ouu
moved to Austin in March, 1912.
Last Wednesday at the meeting at
the old farm he made an address giving
many "reminiscences of the past Sc
wears since the family located there.
There we're many hands to make the
work of taking down the old house
easy and expeditions. An abundance
of lemonade was supplied and the
Austin company greatly enjoyed the
outing. We give a view of the men at
work Wednesday. John Furlong is on
the box in front and most of the others
NAV be easily recognized, bankers, law
vers, editors, and others. Among those
present were: 5. A. Smith, K. R. Muir
DIV, w. D. Bassler, P. A. Reilly, 9. ID
Belden, j. E. Malloy, Jos. Mahacek
Amos Mahacek, J. L. Torrens, j. L.
Mitchell, Mr.. and Mrs. G. L. West, Mr..
Mrs. J. II. Frazier, Frank Ryan. A.
Hotson, John Murphy. w. j. Bell, Ar
thur Murphy, Art Warren, o. J. Sim.
mons. F.G. Sasse, S. Anderson, Geo.
Anderson, G. r. Varco, Harry West
G. H. Decker, n. F. Banfeld, Richard
Banfield, Arthur Bantield. II. Drost, G
Schleuder, J. keenan,, Blanche Christie,
Addie Keenan,, ]. j. Furlong, Frank
Cronon, kayman Fawcett Of Roches'
ter, Paul Hayes, Albert Hayes. I