Chapter 17

The Seneca

... is a sportsman's lodge suitable for year-round occupancy. Overnight guests are housed in its wide screened porch or the separate bunkhouse.

WHERE'S A PLACE on Michigan's famed Au Sable River where in bygone days two huge cedars fell into the water, forming a V. Currents cutting under the logs dug a hole in the soft bottom, creating a protected pool along a shaded bank. Large trout frequently found this pool and claimed it as their own. Tailing in the cur­rent, they waited there for the riches of the river to drift in.

Harry T. Ward, a Lansing engineer and manufacturer's agent for steel, found this pool on one of his many fishing expeditions on the Au Sable. He noted the pool in­variably was good for one big trout per trip. Within two weeks after one fish was taken there, another would find the V and wait there until Ward came along again.

When Ward decided the time had come to build a fishing cabin on the Au Sable, he picked a site on the south bank of the river across from that favorite pool of many memories.   At that point the level jack pine plains edge close to the river and then fall off on a gentle slope to the water's edge through a grove of birch and poplar, cedar and balsam, spruce and pine
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The cabin, about five miles east of Gray­ling, is situated on the brow of the slope about 100 ft. from the water's edge. A walkway of two-inch cedar planks, chemi­cally treated to resist rot, drops from the front door of the cabin in seven easy stages to the river. At the water's edge is a land­ing stage a dozen feet square, supported by metal pipes driven into the bottom, where Ward can sit on a summer's evening and watch the trout rise to a fresh hatch on the river.

Overall dimensions of the cabin are 26 by 30 ft. An eight-foot screened-in porch across the front provides an airy, protected observation platform and auxiliary sleep­ing quarters for summer guests.

Walkway drops from house to landing stage. Pile of brush is pro­tection against ice jams. After construction, bull­dozer was used to push fill around foundation. Rear  patio is  concrete.

More than half the main house is devoted to a 12½x25 ft. all-purpose room, with a fireplace dominating one end and a dining area off the kitchen ell at the opposite end. A bedroom and spacious bath are along the rear wall.

The cabin features a partial 10 by 10 ft. concrete block basement under the kitchen-bath corner which houses the pressure pump and gas hot water heater. The basement also acts as a storage room for fishing gear, tools, and odds and ends.

All studs and joists are on 16-in. centers. The framework was covered with three-fourth in. (actually 25/32nds) rigid insula­tion for year-around occupancy. Outside finish is 1x8 in. western cedar paneling in horizontal courses. Interior finish is ran­dom width Ponderosa pine paneling.

The fireplace was built around a Heat-form unit with interior finish of Tennessee limestone and exterior finish of red brick. These finishes were used because fieldstone is scarce around Grayling, which is in an area of sand moraines left by glaciers.

Front wall facing river is all windows. Wooden dowels over windows hold trout rods. guns. The couch opens to double bed.

Living room fireplace has a raised hearth combined with auxiliary draft to keep ashes from   drifting   down   to   floor.

Kitchen and bathroom hare plastic foldaway doors to conserve space. Note the gas-fired heater on wall area between.

Parallel work surfaces In kitchen save steps. Here Mrs. Ward pre­pares sandwiches on built-in cutting board.

The fireplace has two interesting features:  an auxiliary draft to prevent smoking, and an outside-loading woodbox. The auxiliary draft vents air from the airspace beneath the cabin into the fireplace opening. The woodbox loads from the outside, making the logs easily available from the inside through a pair of cupboard doors to the right of the hearth.

Interior furnishings and design of the kitchen are the work of Mrs. Ward. For her color scheme she followed the forest tones—brown, yellow, green and red— with muted floors in a neutral beige. Kitchen, bath and bedroom are floored with plastic tile while the big main room and porch are carpeted with Manila hemp in natural color.

Partial basement under kitchen-bath corner houses the pump and water heater. The pump maintains   pressure.

Concrete block founda­tion    is   for   a   summer Bunkhouse to ccommo­date eight guests. A breezeway will connect it to side door of porch.

The hemp carpeting comes in 12-inch squares. Extra squares can be added with needle and cord to fit around corners, and squares are used also for end table covers and hot pads. The loosely-woven hemp is self-cleaning. Sand works through, and an occasional sweeping of the floor underneath the rug takes care of things during busy weekends. The small step-saving kitchen features two-way cooking elements. There is a gas stove for those emergencies when electric power is off. If gas service should be in­terrupted at any time, there are an electric frying pan, roaster, coffeepot and toaster to take care of things nicely.

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