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Panora’s first structure needs a new roof

Jun 30, 2026 | News

By Susan Thompson | Times Vedette

This was the house Hugh “Pop” Teale Sr. and his wife, Minni, owned in Panora. An attempt to wire the house for electricity led to the discovery of a log cabin behind the siding on the front half of the house.

The history of the small log cabin at the Guthrie County Historical Village on the south edge of Panora goes back 175 years. A fundraising event during the upcoming Panorama Days celebration will help ensure it continues to be available for future generations to enjoy.

In 2000, the cabin received a new wood shake roof, but those shingles have met their life expectancy, which is reportedly 15-20 years in humid climates like Iowa. A campaign to raise $10,000 for the cabin’s new roof is underway.

On Friday, July 31, the Village will host an open house at the log cabin. The Village normally closes at 4:30 p.m. but will remain open until 6:30 that day, offering free admission and free root beer floats. A brief program will begin at 5 p.m. at the log cabin.

Hayrides will run between the Panora Town Square and the Village from 4:30-6:30 p.m. A tractor pulling a wagon will make the short round trip every 10 minutes.

Freewill donations will be accepted to help cover the cost of the cabin’s new roof. 

In 1851, an early settler to the area named Michael Leinart used his team of oxen to move some cottonwood logs from an old cabin located near Panora.

This log cabin has been at the Guthrie County Historical Village in Panora since 1978. A fundraising campaign to replace the cabin’s deteriorating wood shake roof is underway with a special event planned for July 31 at the Village.

In 1852, Abraham Hirsch, a 37-year-old Frenchman and merchant, purchased the logs from Leinart and built the log cabin.

The following year, Hirsch partnered with fellow merchant Thomas Turner to open Panora’s first general store in the cabin.

By 1936, the property had changed hands nine times. Hugh “Pop” Teale Sr. and his wife, Minnie, purchased the property in 1941.

Frank Teale of Lake Panorama is the grandson of Hugh Sr. and Minnie Teale.

“My dad, Hugh Teale Jr., was helping Grandpa wire the house for electricity,” Frank says. “They couldn’t get wire threaded behind the interior walls to put in outlets. After several attempts, they discovered the front half of the house was actually a log cabin behind the siding.” 

After researching the property’s history, the Teale family determined the log cabin was the first permanent structure in Panora.

In October 1977, the cabin was donated to the Turn of the Century Museum, now known as the Guthrie County Historical Village.

This plaque is displayed on the front of the log cabin, which was discovered hidden behind the siding of a small house owned by Hugh Teale Sr. Research by the Teale family showed the cabin likely was the first permanent structure in Panora.

“Mom and Dad were both very active in the museum and knew the cabin needed to be saved,” Teale says. “When Grandpa died, they moved the front part of the house, with the cabin inside, to its current location. They were not sure of its condition and didn’t want it to fall apart on the two-block trip.” 

In 1978, the cabin was placed where it currently sits and was restored by volunteers.

Donations for the log cabin’s new wood shake roof will be processed by the Guthrie County Historical Village Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that funds restoration projects at the Village.

Online donations via PayPal can be made at www.thegchv.com. Cash donations can be mailed to GCHV Foundation, 206 W. South St., Panora, Iowa, 50216.

Donations also may be dropped off at the Village, which is open May 1 to Oct. 15. Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 pm., and 1-4:30 p.m. Saturdays and holidays.