Elijah Fish Log Cabin Historical Landmark
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Lansing Man, 84, Log Cabin He Was Born In Still Endure
By Robert C. Gehl, LaCrosse Tribune Staff WriterUnderneath the boughs of pine trees there stands an old rough-hewn log cabin in an attractive setting up north of Lansing along Highway 182. We found Dan Love, 84, of Lansing at the conclusion of a story that began at this cabin, which stands on the spacious front lawn of the Lloyd Colsch property. Dan Love was born in the cabin on January 13, 1884.
Mrs. Colsch got the story started by relating that the log cabin is well over 100 years old and was built by John Fish Sr. for his daughter, Mary Melissa, and her husband, Abner Love. The cabin was purchased by Albert Luedkte in 1891 and by Leo Colsch in 1921. Leo Colsch, in later years, built the nearby two-story house now occupied by the Lloyd Colsch family. Mrs. Colsch says that “someday we would like to restore it as a museum.” (Note: see the Love Family Album for photos)
She also suggested we contact Dan Love of Lansing, who was Abner and Melissa Love’s son, for further information. Dan recalls, too, that the log cabin was built for his parents, but he believes it was constructed about 1875.
Abner Love, of Yankee origin, was born at Bad Axe, while Melissa was of Irish descent and was born near St. Croix. They were married in Lansing and lived with her parents on the John Fish Sr. farm for a time before her father erected the cabin several miles to the north.
Abner and Melissa had nine children -- four boys and five girls -- of whom one son and three daughters were born in the cabin. Dan says he was born in the cabin January 13, 1884, and that the family moved out of it and into another log house in the area when he was only about three months old.
In any event, Albert and Eva Luedkte in 1891 bought and moved the cabin, where they reared three children, although none of them was born here. Albert and Eva spent their remaining years in the cabin, and both died in it. Leo and Nellie Colsch moved in in 1921. The couple had three girls and two boys.
Dan Love and Hallie Yeoman were married October 21, 1909, in Waukon. Hallie was born to John and Mary (Bennett) Yeoman September 21, 1893, on the John Edgar farm just south of the log cabin which was Dan’s birthplace. Dan, by the way, worked on farms and was a carpenter and painter during his working years.
Dan and Hallie had seven children, all of whom are living. They are Earl of Ogden, Utah, Lloyd of Mesa, Arizona, Vern of Coffee Creek, California, Ray, serving in the Army on Okinawa, Mrs. Ralph (Edna) Kumm of LaCrosse, Mrs. Lois Sweet of Waukon and Mrs. N.L (Gladys) Pope of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Of the nine children in the family of Abner and Melissa, only Dan and a brother, Charlie, 79 of Minneapolis are still living. Surprisingly, perhaps, Hallie recalls the log cabin better than does Dan, despite the fact that it was his birthplace. Hallie recalls how she used to go to the cabin to visit when she was a little girl and how “grandma” Luedkte used to “give us lumps of brown sugar or a piece of coffee cake, or whatever she had.”
~source of article & photos at top: LaCrosse Tribune, LaCrosse, Wisconsin, 1968 or 1969
~contributed by Errin Wilker
~Daniel Norman Love died May 5, 1969 and is buried in Oak Hill cemetery, Lansing
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Elijah Fish Log Cabin (2774 Hwy
26, New Albin, Iowa), is a one-and-one-half-story log cabin
built ca1858 by Elijah Fish. The cabin was last occupied
in 1943. The cabin is located a few miles outside of
New Albin on the property of Lloyd Colsch. It sits on land
surveyed by Nathaniel Boone, son of Daniel Boone. The 13 acre
homestead has been owned by the Colsch family since 1922.
Elijah N. Fish was born November 25, 1816 and died September 9,
1893. He and his wife Jane are buried in Holy Cross cemetery,
Iowa twp.
Below are photos of Elijah Fish log cabin, taken by Errin Wilker
04/23/2007
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~photos of the Elijah Fish log cabin & historical marker were taken by Errin Wilker 04/23/2007
