200-year-old historic cabin makes way to new home at The History Museum

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - A piece of Michiana history was on the move Wednesday morning, quite literally.

Crews carefully picked up the 200-year-old Navarre Cabin and slowly trucked it to its new home at The History Museum.

The 14-foot log cabin only traveled a mile, but it took more than two hours as it paraded through the city, saying farewell to its old spot at Leeper Park where it sat since 1954, marking the fifth and hopefully final move.

“Now it’s being moved for a purpose. It’s being moved for the fifth time to The History Museum’s campus where it can be better preserved and utilized on a regular basis,” said Brian Harding, Executive Director of The History Museum.

The cabin was the home of Pierre Navarre, the first European settler in South Bend.

In 1895, The History Museum acquired the cabin saving it from demolition.

After years of trying, leaders were finally able to get the cabin rolling over to their campus, where they believe it will be better protected and better serve the community.

“Really helping individuals understand what it was like with seven people living in a building like this,” added Harding.

People lined the streets to watch it go by as it was led to its new home by Lykowski Construction which specializes in these kinds of moves.

Despite a few obstacles in the way like tree branches and traffic lights.

“We could’ve got here a lot quicker, but we took it very gentle, very slow,” said Tim Lykowski, owner of Lykowski Construction Inc.

The cabin arrived fashionably late to the campus just before noon.

It will be placed on the Homestead Site just west of the main entrance.

“It’s important, I think from a History Museum perspective. When we think about learning the past, that helps predict our future, helps us to have a better future, and a better understanding of it,” said Harding.

There, it will educate the community for generations to come.

“It will be here forever and my grandkids, my grandchildren, everybody can go in here and it’s just something else that The History Museum can add to their plate,” said Lykowski.

The cabin should be set in place by Thursday and open its doors allowing folks inside for programming by midsummer.