"MARTINS CABIN"

As I remember it, about a dozen of we young bucks built the cabin on upper Saguache Creek where Trough Gulch connects. I think we started about the 1st of June -  it took us 13 Sundays and we completed the project by Labor Day. This was in 1946 - nearly all of us had got home from the service in the Fall or winter of 1945.

Orville “Pop” Martin had a 99 year lease on the acreage and he turned Johnny and the rest of us loose to do the job.

We picked a spot where good straight aspen grew and started felling green trees with axes. Some guys cut trees - others peeled them. (No chain saws, David)

[Photo: Cecil Hall in plaid shirt, my dad, Sid Hall with fishing creel, my daughter Nancy, looking at trout

We carried flat rocks for the foundation and laid those heavy green logs up - a few logs each workday. “Pop” furnished all of the material and his jeeps and trailers transported all of the lumber, windows roofing, etc.

My dad and most of the “old timers” always called Orville “Fat” Martin. That is what I grew up knowing him as.

At that time (1946) Orville and Eddie Hazard were partners in the Chev. garage, implement company and the Saguache Hotel.

When they put gas range in the Hotel - we took the big old wood and coal stove to the cabin. It took engineering, but we got that big heavy brute over that rocky road, all in one piece!

About that time “Fat” sprung for a generator so we were really living it up. We had electric lights so we had some great poker games after supper.

We drove a sand point down - attached a pitcher pump -  put in a sink (and our dreams had nearly become true.)

We soon brought up tables, chairs, a radio. I made 2 double size bunk beds at home and we took them to the cabin.

I don’t think we had a special “house-warming” party – it really wasn’t necessary ‘cause whenever we were together, we had a party.

I am going to list the guys I remember that worked on constructing the cabin -  I have probably missed some. The first ones on the list were the regulars. The ones down the line were part-timers.

Johnnie Martin, Charlie Hall, Cecil Hall, Bob Fennell, Carl Jones,  Sheik Salaz, Keith Kent, Bill Burch, Jim Pilkington, Woody Frye, Bill Vahrenkamp, Sid Hall, Orville Martin. As I look over the list, I realize that I am the only one still alive. We had fun guys!!!!