Historic Cabin Re-Dedicated In Cache County Town

NEWTON, Utah – Growth seems to be inevitable in Utah.

Almost everywhere you look, new homes are going up.

Even in the small Cache County town of Newton, you can see new home construction in some areas.

“It’s a town that people want to live in. It’s friendly and peaceful here,” said longtime Newton resident Junius Hansen.

However, it’s an old cabin in the center of town that’s been getting a lot of the attention lately.

Not just because it’s old, but because it’s new, too.

“I’m very grateful and thankful it’s sitting here,” said Hansen while looking at the cabin.

There was no way Hansen was going to miss the re-dedication ceremony for the cabin Friday evening.

He grew up in it and was excited to see the cabin after it had been moved to its new location and re-built by volunteers.

“My father and mother moved in here when I was a year old,” said Hansen with a smile. “It means a lot to a lot of people. I didn’t realize how many were so close to it.”

Some people might look at the cabin and say it’s just an old wooden building that could’ve easily been forgotten.

However, in Newton, it’s more than just four walls.

It’s history.

“My great-great-grandmother Johanna Larsen was a really strong independent woman,” said Heidi Hodgson, who helped organize the project and ceremony.

The cabin is named for Larsen, who moved to Newton from Denmark for a better life and built the cabin more than a hundred years ago.

“There’s a quote that I love that says history must be touched to understood and I want them to touch it,” said Hodgson. “I want them to think about living their whole life in a 400 square foot place.”

It’s the kind of life hard to imagine now, which is another reason for residents to rebuild the cabin.

Seeing it helps connect the town to its past and remember the struggles of those who came before us.

“We sacrificed and we went without. And we were a happy family,” said Hansen. “And that’s just the way it is.”