Pioneer Mothers Memorial Cabin Museum

History of the Pioneer Mothers Memorial Cabin          

          The Pioneer Mothers Memorial Cabin Museum is located within the Champoeg State Heritage Area, overlooking the Willamette River. The OSSDAR began construction of the cabin in 1929 and finished in 1931.  It was dedicated on June 14, 1931. Built to honor early pioneer mothers, the cabin is constructed of peeled hand-hewn logs with a massive stone fireplace at one end of the main living room. The cabin has a sleeping loft and two small bedrooms.  It is a replica, much enlarged, of the type of log cabin erected by early pioneers.

                  
         
          It contains many interesting articles contributed by descendants of as many as 40 pioneer families.  These items were carried across the plains by covered wagon and by boat down the Columbia and Willamette rivers. One such item is a collapsible Hudson's Bay heating stove that was brought to Oregon in 1838 by Father Blanchet for use in the Catholic Mission in St. Paul, Oregon. There is also a collection of guns and muskets which date from 1777 to 1853.  

          Other items include a fine example of a hair wreath - popular parlor art of the 1850s - as well as several feather and yarn wreaths are on display. The fife played at Lincoln's funeral and a slice of the tree under which George Washington took command of the American Army in 1775 are other historic items available for view. There are also lovely pieces of china and glassware as well as fine old furnishings from pioneer homes.        

This cabin is dedicated to all pioneer mothers who made so many sacrifices to establish their new homes in the Northwest country. To see it gives one a feeling of life as it was lived in the early days of Oregon.

The Daughters of the American Revolution

The Pioneer Mothers Memorial Cabin represents just one of the museum properties in Oregon that are owned and maintained by the Oregon State Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution.  They also own the Newell House Complex next to Champoeg,, the Caples Museum Complex in Columbia City, and the Schminck Museum in Lakeview.
Newell House Champoeg	Caples House Columbia City	Schminck Museum Lakeview

             The DAR continues to contribute many hours to the management and maintenance of all their historic properties.  You can find out more about these additional museums at the:

OSSDAR Website