1006 Chestnut Street, Osage, IA

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. 

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