In 1887, Sadie Donally immigrated to the United States from Canada, eventually settling in Montana. She married Laughlin McDonald in 1893, with whom she had daughters Alice and Lauchie. Tragedy struck the family when Laughlin died in a mining accident. Sadie married miner and homesteader August Swanson in 1899, and by 1904 they had completed this two-story log farmhouse. August harvested the logs locally, squared the sides, and tied the corners together with square notches. Not long after moving in, Sadie gave birth to daughter Edna, in the living room, completing the Swanson family. In 1910, August described the house on his final homestead application as “one of the best residences in this part of the country.” The hub of the family’s daily life, the home buzzed with activity as the girls progressed through school. All three girls eventually married and left the farm. Edna and her husband Clyde Smith returned with their twin sons, and by 1940 August had moved into the small cabin. Clyde added the one-story, hipped roof addition in the 1940s.The Smiths operated the farm until 1987.
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