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Several young people have been learning a lot about something very old the past few weeks as a result of a joint effort between the Kasilof Regional Historical Association and the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge's Youth Conservation Corp.

"The project was to dismantle Abe Erikson's trapline cabin and move it to the Kasilof Regional Historical Association museum grounds," said Gary Titus, KNWR historian and cabin manager.

Erikson maintained a large fox farm operation in the Kasilof area around the 1930s, and he had several structures associated with the operation, including a large 13-by-30 foot log cabin, which was moved to KRHA museum a three years ago for restoration.

"We just finished it last winter," Titus said.

The most recent Erikson structure moved between June 30 and July 3 was a small, 9-by-10 foot, trapper cabin that has, for several decades, resided in the "Slackwater" area, just down stream from the boat launch at the end of Tustumena Lake Road.

"It's very unique because it was built out of old fish trap timbers, as opposed to log. It's the only one I know of that's made this way," Titus said.

Unfamiliar with cabins constructed of these materials, Titus began interviewing old-timers to glean information. Long-time Kasilof resident Herman Hermansen was able to provide a little oral history.

"He worked on fish traps for Libby's cannery as a young man," Titus said.

According to Hermansen, each trap had around 110 driven pilings made of 70-foot fir poles brought in from Outside. Pilings were driven about 10 feet apart and connected to each other on the top end with poles or planks that were spiked in. Chicken wire was then stapled to the pilings.

Planks were made of spruce -- 40-feet long, 4-inches wide and 8-inches deep -- which was cut and milled in Ketchikan. They were set each spring and pulled in the fall, but locals salvaged the planks, as Hermansen could prove. His home on Cohoe Loop Road is built of stacked planks.

As to how and why the planks came to be incorporated into the Erikson cabin, Titus said he's not sure, but he had a better idea of when they were used.

"The structure was built sometime prior to the 1930s," he said.

This information is based on the diaries of Andrew Berg, a Finnish immigrant who lived in Kasilof for many years while working as a big game guide, game warden, trapper and commercial fishermen. In an entry dated Aug. 17, 1933 when he wrote "Left Jensens early came thru fine had lunch at Abs shak at moose horn came acrost penninsula ran into a rain squall went in to big house stay over night."

With the addition of Erikson's trapper cabin, the number of restored structures at the KRHA museum is now five. Titus said while he oversaw this recent project, it was the YCC kids that did the bulk of the work.

"The kids did everything. They learned how to mark it, how to label it, how to move it by taking down each board carefully, and how to get it back up," he said.

Since 1974, the KNWR has maintained a successful YCC program made up of high school students between the ages of 15-18. The teens, an equal numbers of young men and women chosen through a random selection process and receiving minimum wage, take part in resource conservation projects and environmental education activities annually.

This year's YCC crew was composed of Jake Cheek, Dom Eubank, Tyler Johnson, Mike Horton, Lara Olsen, Kim Cabot, Kahlia Johnston and Casee Penrod. They were led by Ryan Beltz and Christa Kennedy. Dave Stimmel also volunteered. Titus said they all did a great job moving the cabin.

"It went up better than I thought and it looks much better than it did sitting on the ground at Slackwater. Everything is tight and level now," he said.

Later in the year the KHRA museum restoration crew will carefully restore the cabin to its original condition, which will include replacing the two bottom planks of the walls and the floor, all of which was rotted from resting on the ground, according to Titus.

He added that when the project is completed it will not just preserve a piece of the Kasilof region's history, but by being at the KHRA museum it will also assist in the interpretation of that history for locals and tourists alike for many years to come.

Joseph Robertia can be reached at joseph.robertia@peninsulaclarion.com.