07/17/2026
An 1893 Penny & a Cabin I’ll Never Forget
This old 1893 Indian Head penny isn’t valuable because of what it’s worth—it’s valuable because of where I found it.
I found it while working on a cabin owned by Tim, a man who built a respected plumbing business and earned the respect of everyone who knew him. Sadly, Tim is no longer with us, but I’ll always remember working with him.
The project started as a simple siding job on a family cabin by the lake. What made it even more interesting was learning that the building hadn’t always been a cabin. Years before, it had been a bait shop. At some point it had been converted into a slab-on-grade cabin, but over the years the surrounding ground level had built up until the exterior grade was actually higher than the concrete slab. That explained a lot of the moisture problems we were finding and made the project much more challenging than anyone expected.
As we got deeper into the work, we uncovered extensive rot and structural damage. What was supposed to be a siding job quickly became framing, replacing windows, repairing hidden damage, and doing whatever it took to make the cabin right. Every time we opened another wall, there seemed to be another surprise waiting for us.
One of the coolest things we found was that the walls had been insulated with old newspapers. We spent time reading the headlines and looking through the advertisements. There were cars for sale for just a couple thousand dollars. Holding those old newspapers felt like opening a time capsule and gave us a glimpse into the history of the building long before it became the family’s cabin.
There were moments when Tim and I didn’t see eye to eye on how the project was going. I stepped away from the job for a month or two because I couldn’t ignore the problems we were finding. I wasn’t willing to cover up damage that should have been repaired.
Eventually, we talked things through, rebuilt the trust, and finished the project together. In the end, everyone was happy, and the cabin was repaired the way it should have been.
Those are the kinds of customers I appreciate most. Sometimes they become more than customers—they become family friends. Projects like that are built on honesty, trust, respect, and doing the right thing, even when it’s the harder path.
I don’t know where this penny is today, but I know exactly where I found it—at that old bait shop turned family cabin on the lake.
I remember that summer well. It was unbelievably hot. My tool batteries were overheating—some even began to melt. Saws would shut down while we were cutting out rotten wood, but we kept pushing forward until the job was done.
Looking back, I’m grateful to everyone who made that project possible—Tim and his family for trusting us, and every one of the guys who worked beside me through the heat to bring that old building back to life.
Sometimes the smallest things, like an old penny from 1893, become reminders that this work isn’t just about building houses. It’s about preserving history, earning trust, and leaving something better than you found it.
Thank you, Tim. I’ll always remember that old bait shop, the penny, the newspapers in the walls, and the summer we brought your family’s cabin back to life. 🖤
