Fred McLard’s Log Cabin

Dick McClard - Fred McLard 04-29-2014Class of ’66 buddy Dick McClard and I were driving around after trying to locate the mass grave from the steamboat The Stonewall near Neely’s Landing this spring. We think we’re getting close, but it’s going to take some more looking.

Anyway, he suggested we go see Fred McLard’s log cabin. (That’s not a typo: those folks never could get the spelling of their names right. They answer to McClard, McLard, McLaird and MacLaird, among other things.) Dick’s on the left, Fred’s on the right.

Cabin lives inside barn

Fred McLard log cabin 04-29-2014At some point long ago, a barn was built around the log cabin. The farm is across the street from the New Bethel Church, close to the intersection of County Roads 532 and 525. It’s on private property, but Fred’s a nice guy and would probably give you permission to take a look if you knocked on his door.

The view across the fields from his house is just short of spectacular, too.

Photo gallery

Here are some detail shots of the cabin. Click on any photo to make it larger, then use your arrow keys to move around.

7 Replies to “Fred McLard’s Log Cabin”

  1. Why is the cabin inside the barn? Where did it come from, and why is the cabin inside the barn? Was it moved from some place else or was the barn built around the cabin? Does the cabin have something to do with Bethel, you know the one in the barn. Why in the world would you build a barn around a cabin anyway? So before Brune starts, why is the cabin in the barn?

    1. Terry, the same type of thing was done on my maternal grandfathers farm by his father. Apparently the family lived in a cabin initially and then built a nice house years down the road. Being good Germans, and not wanting to waste the building, a barn was built around the outside of it and the cabin was then used to store grain and other items. The roof of the barn was far better that of the original cabin so the contents of the cabin were well protected. A couple stalls in the barn abutted one of the cabin walls.

  2. That must be a common way of preserving them as there is one right outside of Patton that the Robinson family lived in.

    1. Paul, I would like to know where that is; my great, great, great grandfather was David Robinson and that would probably be his.

      Ken, could you contact Paul and share my contact information with him?

  3. Before MagnumPU Hopkins starts… Why is the Barn sitting on top of a Log Cabin? Were they trying to “hide for some reason?” Maybe Injuns? or Sasquatches? Or maybe those Yankee Carpetbaggers?
    Hold it….. just came to me…. that was the “hidden Headquarters” of the McClard Family Still & Rum Runnin Business. I’ve tried to tell everyone why Dickie didn’t hang around school much…. he had a job!! That is why he knows the country back roads of Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois like the back of his hand.
    And thank you Dr. S for pointing out which cousin in the picture was Dickie ’66… Jeeezzzz!! is there such a thing as “Identical Cousins” in those redneck families. Dick’s family tree doesn’t have many branches on it… their family motto is “what happens in the family…. stays in the family”. I never understood it…… until now.
    Brune Timeout.

  4. I did research on Tom Bellamy’s family years ago and found a connection to McClard back in the 1800s and Neelys landing. We used to drive out there and look at the old river hotel. It was very unique with the outside staircases on each side that separated the women from the men. The ruins finally were swept away by the flood of ’93. Toms’ grandmother was a Young and gr.grandmother a Strong all related to James Thompson, who bought land after the Louisiana purchase. I have pictures somewhere of McClanes chapel, Egypt Mills co. store, etc.

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