Longstreet Cabin Restoration and Dedication

USFWS Photo

In 2004, Ash Meadows NWR received funding from the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act (SNPLMA) to rehabilitate the Longstreet Cabin, a historic stone structure built by one of the legendary gunslingers of the early West. Jack Longstreet arrived in Nevada in the 1880s seeking a fresh start from a shadowy past. His skill with a gun gave him a reputation as a dangerous man. Trouble seemed to follow him and he often found it convenient to avoid his enemies by living in remote places.

USFWS Photo

Longstreet took shelter at Ash Meadows in about 1895. He built his stone cabin into the side of a spring mound, ensuring access to fresh water if he ever had to barricade himself inside. Today the nearby spring bears his name. Though his residence at Ash Meadows was shortlived, he continued to visit his cabin until he finally sold the property in 1906. Longstreet epitomized the mythical Western frontiersman: self-reliant, strong-willed, and fair-minded. Speaking with a southern drawl, he championed the rights of the Southern Paiute – with whom he often lived-- and protected mine workers during disputes. At the time of his death in 1928 he was revered as a gruff but kind old man with many stories of his gunslinger days.

USFWS Photo

Longstreet’s cabin is a unique example of pioneer resourcefulness, built from local stone and incorporating a spring mound into its structure. When the rehabilitation project began, the cabin had collapsed and much of the wood had decayed. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) assembled a construction team including a builder, a stone mason, and a semi-retired FWS master carpenter to bring the cabin back to life. The primary goal was to be as true to the original structure as possible – to rebuild the cabin so that Jack would recognize it.

USFWS Photo

Restoration was completed in May 2005, and an Open House was held on October 22. An interpretive kiosk and board walk to the cabin will be constructed in the near future to introduce visitors to the man whose legend lives on at Ash Meadows NWR.