Boerjan Log House
1006 Chestnut Street, Osage, IA
Before Renovation
After Renovation
Probably the best known log house remaining in the county today is the Boerjan Log House, presented to the Mitchell County Historical Society by John and Marie Boerjan, on whose farm it was located. This fine example of a native log house was built by, we speculate, the Gilbertsons in the late 1850's, and was used by tenants of the Gilbertson family, visitors, and in more recent years it rented as a place of abode. Thoughout it's history wood siding was added, plaster walls created inside, an addition was added and the current stairs were located inside the addition. It was occupied until the late 1940's. The Historical Society moved it, from its' original location on the John Boerjan farm, south of St Ansgar, to the Mitchell County Fairgrounds in 1965 for preservation and display. Prior to the move, the siding was removed, the kitchen room torn off, and the plaster walls inside removed. A two story house was not as common out here on the prairie as the typical single room cabin.
In 2018 a restoration project was undertaken to repair and improve the Log House. Much of the work has been completed with new roof, new siding, new chinking, new doors and windows, all in an effort to re-create the Log House as it originally would have been built.
Visit and experience a family life with the simple furnishings and comforts depicting a pioneer home in the founding days of Mitchell County.
Early beginnings...
A short picture history of the Log House from St. Ansgar to Osage.
Owners and Residents through the years (Click Here)
Owners:
1854 - Government Grant issued to Gilbert Gilbertson (Gulbrand Gulbrandson)
1855 - 1969 - Nels Colbertson
1869 - Christian Mortensen -
1875 - Carl Mortensen
1881 - Lars Moe
1890 - Anna & Julia Moe
1894 - Hans K. Lane
1901 - Daniel Nack
1920 - August Boerjan
1957 - John Boerjan
1964 - Given by the Boerjans to Historical Society
1965 - Moved to Mitchell County Fair Grounds
Residents:
1854 - 1869 - Guest House for friends and family of Gilbert Gilbertson's family.
1869 - 1881 - Christian Mortensen (Carl hanged himself in 1880)
1881 - 1891 - Gilbertsons rented to hired help
1891-11892 - Charles( (Karl) Miller. Arther Miller and Mrs. Intorf, brother & sister of Mrs. Joe Dean were born there with the log House as it is today without siding and without the later kitchen addition.
1893 - Christian Christensen family liver here, later moving out, telling the owner, Julia Moe that it was haunted
1894 - Nels Mathiesens, parents of Link, Pete, Andrew and Emma, lived here one year
1895 - 1896 - Unknown
1897 - William Tesch family. Tesch daughter, Mrs. Edge born
1898 -1901 - Unkown
1901 - Hans K. Lane
1902 - 1917 - Unknown
1917 - 1918 - Peter Klein family. Children Mrs. Emil Back and Nick Klein (Osage). Nick was 8 years old
1918 - 1919 - Henry Nack family
1920 - John Moran
1920 - Dominick Caes (friend of the Boerjans)
1922 - Nels and Mina Larson, Mina a daughter of Gilbert J. Gilbertson
1923 - Leo Patten, Gilbertson’s hired man
1924 - 1941 - Herbert Gutmann family 17 years while working for Gilbertsons
1942 - Harvey Meyers family
1942 - 1947 - Avery and Mary Halvorson (Mary was a niece of August Boerjan)
1947 - 1964 - Empty then donated to MCHS by John & Marie Boerjan family