For a miner staying in the north through the long Yukon winter, a log cabin was essential. Wood was plentiful, and a cabin could be built using simple tools such as axes and augers. Early cabin builders stacked logs horizontally, with notches at the corners. A rock hearth on a dirt floor provided heat, and a square hole cut in the roof to let out the smoke. As soon as the fire went out, the cabin became cold again, and smoky! These cabins were usually abandoned in the spring when the owner moved on to another creek.
By the time the settlement of Fortymile had been established, cabins had become more permanent structures.
