Feodar Protar Cabin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Feodar Protar Cabin
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | St. James, Michigan |
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| Area | 9 acres (3.6 ha) |
| Built | 1860 |
| Architectural style | Log cabin |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000604 |
| Added to NRHP | March 16, 1972 |
The Feodar Protar Cabin is a special old log cabin found on Beaver Island in Michigan. It is located near St. James, Michigan. This historic cabin was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Today, the Beaver Island Historical Society runs it as a museum. You can visit it to learn about its past.
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Who Was Feodar Protar?
Feodar Protar was born in Estonia. He was a very interesting person. People say he was inspired by the writings of Leo Tolstoy. He moved to Dresden and later came to the United States in 1870. This was after his wife passed away.
Protar traveled for a while with an actress named Fanny Janauschek. In 1882, he bought a German newspaper in Rock Island, Illinois. He started to run this newspaper.
How Protar Came to Beaver Island
In 1887, Protar was on a trip in Lake Michigan. A big storm forced his ship to stop at St. James, Michigan on Beaver Island. He loved the island right away. For the next five years, he spent his summers there.
In 1893, Protar decided to move to Beaver Island for good. He chose a log cabin that an Irish settler had built around 1860.
Protar's Life as a Doctor
Feodar Protar soon saw that the island really needed a doctor. So, he started studying medicine. Even though he wasn't officially licensed, he began helping people as a doctor. Protar lived in this cabin and practiced medicine until he passed away in 1925. He never left the island again.
Remembering Feodar Protar
In 1928, Protar's neighbors put a special bronze plaque on his grave. It said, "to our Heaven sent friend in need, Feodora Protar, who never failed us. In imperishable gratitude and adoration. His people of Beaver Island." This shows how much they appreciated him.
The cabin became a bit run down over the years. But in 1971, it got a new roof and porch. The Beaver Island Historical Society now takes care of the home. They use diaries written by Protar to help them.
What Does the Cabin Look Like?
The Feodar Protar Cabin is a one-and-a-half-story building. It is about 32 feet long and 16 feet wide. The walls are made from white pine logs. These logs were cut flat and fit together with flat notches at the corners.
Some parts of the cabin are covered with narrow wooden boards called clapboards. The roof has wooden shingles. Inside, the cabin walls are covered with vertical pine boards. Many of the items inside the cabin today belonged to Feodar Protar himself.
