ROCHESTER - This is a picture of the post office at Rochester taken about 1910. Standing proudly in front of the sign are the Kennedys. This place is typical of the construction in the boom camps - board and batten, single walled construction. Hot in the summer and cold with frost on the walls in the winter. Wide planks, usually 12-inches-wide were nailed vertically. This technique saved on putting in so many two by fours for support. The battens, the narrow pieces, were nailed vertically as well covering the spaces between the larger boards. This type of construction went up quickly, provided shelter from the worst of the weather, but, from experience, it was not comfortable!
Inside the inhabitants nailed up anything that could remotely be considered insulation - cardboard boxes carefully taken apart, newspapers. In one old camp I even saw several old maps nailed across splits in the boards. (I wish I had saved those maps now!) All of this effort made to try and keep the place a little warmer.
Some of these boom camp constructions were given a finishing touch, muslin tacked across the boards and wallpaper glued to the muslin. Not much insulating value there either, but it was a lot prettier!
- Compiled by Barbara Powell
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