Hyrum & Emmalyn Shelton Home

610 North Center

At first glance, the Hyrum and Emmalyn Shelton Home looks like a traditional log cabin. But look a little closer, and you'll discover something unusual. Rather than logs, the house was built with wooden planks more than four inches thick, notched together at the corners much like a log home.

The house is believed to have been built around 1879 by Hyrum Shelton, with help from his brothers, particularly John, who was involved in cutting and hauling logs to the Reynolds Sawmill in Wanship. Hyrum had filed for a federal land patent on 60 acres in northern Midway, and the family constructed a modest three-room home with a large attic. Both Hyrum's mother, who came from Tennessee, and his wife's Swiss-born parents were familiar with plank construction, which may have influenced the building of the home.

The house became home to Hyrum, his wife Emmalyn Sulser Shelton, and his mother, Abigail Harris Shelton. Hyrum supported his family through farming, mining, and day labor. When he died in 1901, Emmalyn was left to raise their eight children. Despite the challenges she must have faced, she remained in the home for most of the rest of her life, living elsewhere for only four years before her death in 1930.

There is some mystery surrounding the home's location. According to one account, the house was moved to its present site during the winter of 1923. Others maintain that it was built there originally.

At some point, the original planks were covered with clapboard siding, which helped protect the structure over the years. During a later restoration, the owners removed the siding, replaced deteriorated planks, and updated the interior. When additional living space was needed, they built an addition connected to the original house by a short breezeway, allowing the historic structure to remain distinct.

Today, the Shelton home offers a wonderful example of how an old building can be adapted for modern living while retaining the craftsmanship that makes it special. More than 140 years after its construction, those thick, carefully notched planks are a reminder of the ingenuity of Midway's early settlers.