The Shane Cabin

Linda and I stayed in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for two nights so we could explore Grand Teton National Park.  After seeing most of the popular sights we left the crowds and drove to the Gros Ventre River Road.  Here we found a cluster of three log buildings popularly known as the Shane cabin.

This is an old homestead with a remarkable history in popular culture.  It started In 1916 when Luther Taylor homesteaded here.

Extra care was made to make the cabin comfortable.  The inside of each log was flattened, insulated with newspapers, whitewashed and covered with layers of decorative wallpaper.  The marks of the ax or adze can still be seen, but the paper covering is gone.  Through a window we could see one of the outbuildings.

In 1948 the property was sold to rancher Andy Chambers and his son Roy, who rented the cabin out for a couple of years.  The cabin had been vacant for a while when it was used in the 1953 movie "Shane" and has been abandoned since then.  The black and white photo shows the other remaining outbuilding.

This beautiful view of the Grand Tetons was probably one reason the cabin was selected for the iconic western movie, thought by many to be one of the best ever.

Now the cabin is returning to the earth.  The roof and floor are gone, and the cabin’s floor joists balance on a few remaining foundation rocks.  No one has tried to preserve the site and there isn’t even a sign to describe its wonderful history as a homestead and then a movie star.

Please be aware that these photos are copyrighted.  They must not be used without my permission.

Abandoned buildings near Chesterfield, Idaho

Chesterfield is a well-known restored agricultural ghost town in southeast, Idaho. Our photos of the town can be found here:  http://www.hisandhersphoto.com/ghost/hhchest.htm. I recently spent a day with photography friend Bruce Grayum exploring lesser known abandoned buildings in Gem Valley not far from Chesterfield.

The big surprise was this wonderful old school, "Hatch School 1915" according to the sign.  I thought I knew the area pretty well but had no idea this was here.  The schoolyard is used for farm equipment and hay storage now.

The snow is about gone so the fields surrounding this log homestead are being prepared for planting.

Many farms were abandoned because of the harsh winters, strong winds, and the shortage of water in dry years. Equipment like this disc harrow was sometimes left behind.

These windows were part of a much newer, shingled house that even had electricity and running water at one time.  The ruins of a nearby log cabin gave us a clue that this house was the second one on this site.

An old Diamond T truck lies abandoned near the shingled house.  The photo was converted to black and white using a filter function in my Pentax K20D camera. I'm sure there is more to be found and photographed in beautiful Gem Valley, Idaho.