Log Cabin Motel changes Hands

The Log Cabin Motel has become one of the oldest historical sites in Pinedale. Originally Camp O’ the Pines,  it was built and owned by Walter Scott, (not to be confused with the Camp O’ The Pines that sat where the First State Bank parking lot is now) who also owned the Pinedale Cash Store and Scott Stage Company. He built the motel with the help of craftsmen and people who needed to pay off their debts at his store. Scott built eight cabins in an  U shape, with a bathhouse in the center. The motel also housed women from the surrounding areas who were waiting to have babies. Due to the harsh winters, it was almost impossible for the local doctor to travel to the ranches, so women would stay at the motel till their babies were born. Most people who stayed at the motel did their own cleaning. Some who could not pay their bill would do minor repairs and painting in return for lodging. In the 1930s, the cabins were remodeled so each contained two rooms, and indoor plumbing was added. Since then the motel has had numerous owners and actually changed hands in a poker game at one time. It has also had many different names: from the original name of Camp O’ the Pines to Skyline Cabins to Log Court. In 1987 Edward Carlson purchased the motel and named the establishment the Log Cabin Motel. Carlson and his two young children moved to Pinedale from Minnesota and have managed the motel since. Carlson, who had vacationed in Pinedale, always loved the small-town atmosphere and thought this was a great place to raise children. He watched the small town change in many different ways: different faces, the price of housing, and  fewer wildlife. Carlson had repaired and restored  the cabins and, in 1989, went to the state to place the motel on the register as an historical site and in 1993 the state did so.  Today, it is on the National Historic Registry, and all cabins are kept in the spirit of the Old West. In the past 20 years, Carlson has had many different people stay in the motel: vacationers, residents and newcomers. In 2001 Chico’s (a fashion design company) held a photo shoot outside the motel and the motel was featured in their catalog. Recently Carlson sold the motel  to Forest and Sofia Wakefield  who plan on keeping the motel the same,  including the name and the character of this historic motel.