The original dwelling on the 320-acre homestead established by John F. Kelley and his brother, Major Joseph N. Kelley in 1872. Major Kelley had been in Washington Territory since 1870 as a United States Army officer and as a territorial Native American agent. John F. Kelley arrived in the Farmington area of Eastern Washington from New York in 1871. The cabin is believed to have been occupied from 1872 until the early 1890s, built in the same year that Whitman County was established. The cabin is the oldest building in the Oakesdale area and is one of the very few pioneer-era log cabins extant in Whitman County—and one of the best-preserved. The basic, functional design of the cabin, the adz marks on the wall logs, and the dovetail-fitted ends of these logs all render the structure a good example of early pioneer-era construction and architecture. The walls, foundation stones, rafters and door—all handmade—attest to the basic building skills of pioneer settlers. Additionally, these parts of the cabin give a clear indication of the types of tools brought by and utilized by these pioneers.