Vandals in Leetonia

Well over the weekend Melvins place got hit by vandals and thieves. They stole some scaffolding and pulled the posts down holding a roof over his camper. They also pushed his outhouse down the hill. This kind of behavior is inexcusable no matter how you feel about someone you don't do this kind of damage.

This isn't the first time Melvin's place has had damage, but it has been a long time since the last incident. Anyone with any information about the person or person's involved in this should call the State Police.

When you are up keep an eye out for anyone not where they are supposed to be. Mountain girl,
Paula, logging out.

We dodged the Oct snow bullet

Crispy start to the morning at 25 degrees, but very little snow. We are just North of the line of heavy snow that hit others and I am not at all upset about that. Our temps will go above freezing today and I am guessing the small amount of snow we have will go with it.

Since I am digging a footing tomorrow for a frost wall I am perfectly happy to see we are looking at decent temperatures and a little drier weather for next week.

It is always a push to get the last few things done before "real winter" hits and the ground is frozen hard. So for anyone worried about their camp, never fear, the woods are clear. Mountain girl, Paula, logging off.

Top of Maynard School

My mother will scream when she sees this post, she is afraid of heights. However, mom notice I do have my safety harness on! For the rest of you we finished painting the outside of Maynard School and by the looks of the weather just in time. The last part to be painted was the bell tower. I had hoped to get a picture of the bell, but without removing wood panels it was impossible to see much of the bell. On the very top of the bell tower was a wood pillar. I am sure something was on top of it at sometime. I am guessing either a weather vane or lightening rod, the first seeming the most likely.

Our power went off in the middle of the night and I had to get up before it got light of course lately that just means before 7am. I had a kerosine lite bowl of oatmeal to start the day. Fortunately the power out was solved by 7:30am so Lee didn't have to deal without power all day. It appears the problem was somewhere in the Cedar Run area.

We are under a winter storm warning for tomorrow. Estimates ranging from 1" to 10" are floating around. In looking at the weather map it appears we may be on the edge. So I am hoping for the closer to 1" amount. I still have a foundation and small addition to get up and under cover before the big stuff comes. I will let you know if we get anything of significance tomorrow. Mountain girl, Paula, logging off.

Snaggle Nose LIVES!

Snaggle Nose was first injured in June of 2009. None of us thought he would make it past the first hunting season and yet here he is over two years later. Dutch one of the township road workers took this picture during this summer of the bear right in our front yard. Snaggle Nose was in pursuit of a female bear at the time and didn't seem to care that the men watched him. Somehow he must be able to smell in order to track a female and keep from being shot. Unlike humans who might feel a bit intimidated if half their face was torn off old Snaggle Nose still makes other smaller bears flee in fright at the sight of him. And appears to be quite the lady's man.

I often wondered what the other bear looked like that Snaggle Nose tangled with. He is truly one amazing animal to have not only survived but prospered after an incredibly hard fight. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

Cedar Crest Finished

First picture is fireplace(creates atmosphere), second picture wood burning stove(creates heat), third picture wood shed, and last picture Cedar Crest.

From 1991 log:

July 4^th

Ken, Arlon, Butch and Low put in side windows was raining all day, had crab cakes, fried potatoes, pepper cabbage. Showered went to Frank Bering camp to sleep.

July 5th All 6 guys started cementing between logs got side towards Cedar Run finished about 7:30. Ate supper took our baths at Lee Pines. We pitched horsehoes and went to bed darn tired.

My summary of the rest of building:

By the end of July all the chinking(cement between logs was done). In August they concentrated on finishing work inside cabin. Slate floors were done. Bunk beds assembled. Appliances installed and the wood stove installed. On Labor day weekend the first shower was taken inside the camp. They declared the camp complete on Sept 8^th and got back to doing what they have always done at camp, fishing, hunting, and telling stories.

Hopefully, in the future I will get some of the in process pictures. But this is truly a story of taking a bad circumstance and turning it around into a special memory to share with generations to come of the summer Cedar Crest came back from the ashes. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

Spring hopes eternal for Cedar Crest work continues

4th Blog in series about Cedar Crest

As typical with weather in the Spring here in Leetonia, Cedar Crest had the on and off again battle with rain hindering progress. I decided to compress the work during the month of April as much was repetitive.

 April 7^th-April 29^th. Chimney work started. A lot of rock moving, rain and it appears a few people not feeling too well. Most of this time spent getting walls up and preparing logs for floor joists. 

May 5^th-May 31^st.

Stone work continues on stairway and back side of cabin. During the month the floor joists are put on and the decking finished. The cabin second floor is framed up and logs put between sections. By the end of May they are now battle with black flies and humidity.

June 8,1991 Actual log:

Ron, BJ & Bob  Got in about 1:00am Arlon and Josh in after 3am up at 8 am.

Unloaded both trucks of Aspenite then started cutting rafters and setting Joists got rafters set by 1:00 PM ate Lunch and back to work. First, filled Gables with aspenite and pulled roof level. Put Braces on then finish gables with rough Pine boards. Took down boom and pine tree that held it. Bob, BJ & Ron finished around 9:00pm…..—Arlon—

*My understanding is that the pine tree that held the boom became part of the ridge pole for the building.

Cedar Crest gets a roof.

June 16^th, 1991

Guys rallied and worked hard getting ¾ of roof on cabin looks real good. Filled in logs in the top front and back.

June 17^th, 1991 finished all the roof today also did the floor up stairs and started the front porch roof.

June 18^th, 1991

Finished porch roof with boards. Will put roll roofing on at end of week. Put log strips over 2x4 plates. Started filling in behind old chimney and started putting up new chimney. Sanded some on aspenite floor. Dug up pump and took it to Germania to be checked. Put in 2 more stair steps(Their stairs are all stone so each step took a quite a bit of time).

The rest of June they got the chimney fixed, the pump working, put in a shower, finished railing on stairs. By the end of June things were definitely getting tightened up and weather-proofed.

All things considered they did a great job getting this work done only on weekends. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

Cedar Crest rebuild continues weekend 2

Third blog in series about Cedar Crest

For anyone who dreams of building a log cabin, I am betting none of your dreams have rain and mud in them.

 Friday March 22 1991

Second Weekend Clean up (It rain all weekend)

Bob B.J Ron Ken

Left my house about 2:30PM Friday afternoon. Stopped in Allenwood for gas arrived at Lee Pines Camp at about 6:30. Had trouble with cook stove finding the damper. So the cabin got filled with smoke after 1 ½ hours the smoke cleared and Ron started his world famous chile. The cooking takes very little time (Ha Ha) only 3 hours. After eating Kenny went to bed Ron and Bob took all of B.J.'s money.

The next Day everyone was up and working on the final clean up of the cabin. Ron saw 2 big Jake Turkeys on the way over to out camp. Have one large load before breakfast. Got back and had a great breakfast took a nap. Went back and loaded up the final load of scrap. Bob and Kenny took the load over while Ron & B.J. dug a trench to put up the new staircase wall…… Mud, Mud, Mud , Mud. ----Ken---

Weekend of March 28^th – 30^th (condensed )

Butch, Ken, Dennis, Ron, Bj, Paul, Paul Jr. Dave, and Arlow. All stayed at Lee Pines while working that weekend.

Friday, March 29^th 1991 Went to work on Cedar Crest at 8:00 am. Put temp service  pole in set up cribs and started masonry. Got most of wall on east side of camp laid up and part of back wall. Put plates in the front wall to start logs. Hauled rocks to face block but still need more. Weather held but they want 100% chance of rain tonight and temp to drop to 20’s. Ken La Gree let us eat breakfast at 2PM. We had lunch at 8:30PM the men decided to just skip the 4:00am supper.—Arlon—

Saturday March 30,1991 Arlon got up abt 1am to go to bathroom and saw Wallies place on fire. Arlon, Paul Mogel, and Sons had fire under control til fire dept arrived. The body got up late Sat morn. ABT 9:00 am ate Late Breakfast and late start. Got down to camp ABT 10:30 am finished back wall masonry---Dennis---

Sun March 31, 1991Up at 7:30am ate breakfast then off to work. Dennis, Paul and Butch cleaned camp Ken go measurements fo 1^st logs then started figuring out for windows and getting tools together. The rest went to set logs. Arlon measured, Ron cut and the coolies(B.J., Paul Jr & Dave) loaded. All in all, great weekend. Got lots done. ---Arlon---

Cedar Crest Reconstructing

Second blog in series about Cedar Crest

I am leaving words and grammar alone as much as possible to maintain the authenticity of this log.

March 9,1991

Sat March 9, 1991

The roads finally thawed enough to allow entry to camp. No one has been there since Dennis and Linda were up Christmas Day. Although, someone made it in far enough to steal our lawnmower.

We talked with Don Harris in Marshlands about the logs for camp: Cost $325 per truck load. We then went to see Bravo Buttons to get a building permit. He lives about 3 miles from Don. The permit cost $7.50. It was $5.00 for first thousand and .50 for each additional thousand and we valued construction at $6000. We then went to see Jack House of Morris who owns a sawmill. He already had the lumber cut that Daddy ordered. We couldn’t have gotten a nicer lumber for twice the money and he was cheaper than any mill I’ve seen down home. He also helped us by letting us get rid of the junk and debris from camp.

-Amber & Ken

Day One March 16^th, 1991

Left house at 7:00 am on Sat. 16^th of March to clean up ruble from burned camp. Ron and B.J. went in Ron’s Jeep. Bob and myself went in 67 Chev Truck.

Stopped to eat in Jersey Shore; arrived at Camp about noon. What a mess loaded the large junk in the truck, Bob and I took the junk to Jack House’s sawmill. Paid Jack for lumber and unloaded the junk. We brought some lumber alone back to camp.

Went to Lebo Camp to spend the night. Heated up the bean soup went to bed in a feather bag. 10degrees when we got up at 6am. Had bacon and eggs, that Bob made. Went back to camp filled the truck with more junk. Ron and BJ had everything clean in front of foundation. Bob Overholtier was the first man to drive thru the driveway(So what) We all went to unload it at the sawmill. We got gas in Morris. Unloaded the truck and loaded some scrap wood. Stopped at Morris Hotel for hamburger went back to camp. Put up cables at driveway. Made deer steaks over fire. Packed up left about 5:00pm Sun. March 17^th for home. ---Ken—

And the fun is just beginning. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

From the ashes Cedar Crest

The picture is not Cedar Crest is a stock picture of burnt cabin. In the late 1980's- 1990, Leetonia was plagued  by a series of theft and arson. This is the story of one camp's journey in their own words back from the ashes. 

Epitaph

Although most logs start at the beginning, it is with sorrow that this log shall begin at the end:

On December 23, 1990 the crazies, who were on the loose for several weeks in Leetonia pillaging the camp, climaxed by burning Cedar Crest and six other camps in the area.

Although they destroyed thousands of dollars worth of property, they accomplished little for there was more to Cedar Crest than the building where we slept. The spirit of the camp can not be destroyed by fire, or flood, or the crazies themselves, so long as we have our memories.

Some day I will be telling my grand children how my grandpa died on Fahneystock Mt. and how my father took me fishing at Rattlesnake Rock, and Joe Benardo’s son Tony will be telling his kids how he shot his first buck in the dam hollow across from camp.

But now is the time for change, and like the legendary Pheonix, Cedar Crest shall rise from the ashes. No Cedar Crest has not been destroyed it’s just gone through some major changes and this is the story of those changes and the memories not yet made.

(Signed) A.R.S.

I will continue to post this journey each day as recorded by Cedar Crest members. I remember the fear these few drug crazy people introduced into our town and am glad its time is past. Hope you enjoy this as much as I do. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.