1Lois Jane Pettey.
The cabin was seventeen by twenty feet in dimension, with a floor, loft and a fire place. When the cabin was built, it was intended as a dwelling for the Pettey family who had traveled from Ashtabula County, Ohio. The family included Father- John Pettey, Mother Huldah Macomber Pettey and children: Abner, Samantha, Delia, Alcinus, John Clinton and Marvin. After living in the cabin for one year, Mr. Pettey and the boys erected a larger structure for his family. This house boasted two rooms, a living room-dinning room kitchen, and a double bedroom. The frame house was not built until 1856. After the second cabin was built, the structure was used as a school house. The children who attended this school sat at desks around the edge of the walls. The holes of pegs that held the desks may still be seen around the edge of the walls. The pupils sat on rude wooden stools, the teachers desk was a small wooden table at the front of the room. The school was heated with an old fashioned box stove. The first teacher was Nathaniel Twining. The log cabin was kept in repair by Lewis Pettey, son of Abner and Mary Ann Emery Pettey until it was moved to Aztalan State Park where it is on view for all to see. The stout, rough logs that went into the walls have decayed but slightly during the one hundred and sixty years since they were fitted together. An indication of the sturdy construction of the building is the fact that the original roof was removed in 1925. The modern roof will be put to a tremendous test to withstand the elements as well as the first one. After John Pettey’s death in April of 1868, Abner bought the land from his mother. Huldah. Lewis in turn, bought the land from his father Abner after is death, 18th of August, 1895. Lewis kept repairing the little cabin as long as he owned the land. He sold the land to his nephew Wave White and it was Wave who donated the cabin to Aztalan State Park. We found this information about the cabin from the Wisconsin State Journal and the Waterloo Currier."
"This log cabin was layed-up by Abner Pettey and his cousin Joseph Ghastin about 1843. It was the first house in the Town of York, Dane County, Wisconsin. [Note: this was accompanied by a photo of the cabin.]