By Louise Bement, Lansing Town Historian
And Dan Veaner, Editor, Lansing Star.com
August, 2010
The North Cabin is so called because it was built by a member of the North family in the early 1800's. It is the only log cabin still standing in the Town of Lansing and it has led an interesting life. It originally stood on a corner of the Military Lot # 71, this lot being in size 600 acres. The lot was originally patented to Captain Elias Van Benschoten in payment for his services in the Revolutionary War. But as with many other veterans of the war, Captain Van Benschoten did not want to come to the frontier of western New York Sate to tame the wilderness and so he sold his lot to John Lawrence, a large land owner and speculator in New York lands. Thomas North bought this lot from John Lawrence and built the cabin on the southeast corner of the lot at the junction of what is now Searles Road and the old Conlon Road. Thomas North's deed to the property was dated April 5, 1799 and he paid $1800, or $3 an acre, which was the going price of the land at that time.
These pictures were taken shortly before the cabin was disassembled in Auburn. Shortly after the logs were transported to the Town of Lansing by the Lansing Highway Department. Eventually they were restored near the entrance to Myers Park in Lansing. Photos courtesy of the Town of Lansing.
