Those crews would need places to eat and sleep, so they took them along. They built river rafts called wanigans, and there would be two; a floating bunkhouse wanigan and a cookshack wanigan.

Madsen recreated what the wanigan looked like from his own research and talks with two men who had been on the last drive out of Bigfork in 1927; Ted Pederson and Vic Lofgren. It would be appropriate, he thought, to keep the history of the log drive alive in the place where the drive started and the wanigan was originally built.

Others agreed. Both local individuals and businesses donated to the project and last year a concrete pad was laid near the Scenic Byway kiosk at the north end of Bigfork.

This year the construction began. Danny Johnson and Dale Olson used local full dimension popple and birch from Dave Gabriel’s lumber mill to put together the 24 foot x 12 foot structure. They did such a good job that occasionally, Madsen said, he had to remind them that the original builders would not have been so careful and a few crooked edges were needed.

A circa 1900 stove, barn door trolley door hardware and heavy rope were donated. A wooden sink was built. Bunk mattresses were filled with hay. Furnishings were received. the outside was bleached to speed the weathering process.

The wanigan is now open during the day for visitors. And the history of the log drive is displayed on a stand outside the door.