In 1940, John Oleson, sole surviving Civil War veteran in Waseca County, donated original hand-hewn logs from a cabin on his property and the A.F. Sponberg family of Otico Township also donated original hand-hewn logs from a cabin that was built in 1858 by Samuel Anderson, a very early Waseca County settlers. The cabins were dismantled and transported to the courthouse grounds where the best of the logs were used and one cabin was reconstructed as a pioneer dwelling on the lawn of the courthouse. A block annex was built behind the courthouse to accommodate the growing collection of the society, but it proved to be inadequate space. By the mid-fifties the society was in need of more space and the county needed the area to expand. The cabin was moved to the fairgrounds and enclosed in a cement block building dedicated as Hodgson Hall. John also contributed funds to move and rebuild the cabin. John never married and was over 90 years of age when he died. Waseca business: Goodspeed Photography.
