Hessie Cabin: dynamite, mines and trap doors

Built in 1874, the cabin has been an icon of mining culture, but 150 years of its floor joists sinking into the earth has made it more of a hazard than an accurate representation of the area. USDA Forest Service photo by Daniel Snyder.

COLORADO-Rocky Mountain weather at 11,000 feet twists the landscape into almost unrecognizable forms-a fact Forest Service archeologists came to appreciate during a recent cabin renovation on Roosevelt National Forest.

The team had no idea they were looking at the remnants of a buried dynamite box until they discovered what was inside. USDA Forest Service photo by Daniel Snyder.

The dilapidated Hessie Cabin, built in the 19th century, was a recent recipient of Great American Outdoors Act funding, which is injecting money into heritage projects on public lands across the country. Thanks to this bill, Forest Service Archeologist Dan Snyder, his team and HistoriCorps volunteers were able to spend two months dismantling, renovating and rebuilding the log cabin located near historic Eldora, Colorado.

"People have been visiting this place since they were a kid, and it's always been this run-down cabin," said Snyder. "Mining history is essential to this community. Walking through this wilderness, that's inescapable. That history is present on the landscape at every turn. In that way, restoring this cabin is important to keeping that character on the ground."

Miners moved into the area in the mid-1800s and likely were the initial architects of Hessie Cabin-and responsible for the hidden cache discovered beneath the floorboards. Contained within a crumbling dynamite box, the crew uncovered a long-forgotten stash of rough ore (valueless gold) wrapped in disintegrated burlap.

However, for Snyder, the momentum this project developed for future heritage projects far outweighed the value of any treasure buried beneath Hessie Cabin. "Showing photos and telling this story around the district has led to numerous people approaching me about similar mining cabins that we could collaborate on; it's an exciting time for historic preservation," said Snyder.

The cabin is now 95% complete awaiting a heating system and plans for future use, possibly as an interpretive site. USDA Forest Service photo by Daniel Snyder.

The discovery is also helping guide future use for the renovated cabin.

"This cabin will be most beneficial to visitors if we keep it open to the public as a possible interpretive site," said Matt Henry, recreation manager, Boulder Ranger District. "We're exploring sustainable opportunities to use the restored cabin as an educational tool that complements the culture of the area and encourages stewardship by all."

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