Kent McMillan, post: 388772, member: 3 wrote: You know that surveyor's office in 1894 Oklahoma Territory looks a lot like a prefab shed. I'll bet they just loaded it up on a wagon and hauled it to the next show when Round Pond petered out.
Possibly. In those days the "standard" in frame structures (that weren't post and beam) was almost assuredly what we call 'balloon' framing, as opposed to what I call 'platform' framing which is a modern invention of the twentieth century. Balloon framing utilizes an outside vertical stud that ran all the way from the sill plate to the top of the rafters. Both ceiling and floor joists were inserted up against each stud and nailed. Attempting to lift the structure at any point other than the outside sill plate can produce unwanted results. I'm not saying they didn't move small framed structures because I know they did; it just wasn't as easy as scooting an "Acme" storage shed around in the back yard. Modern platform framing lends a lot of good thought to constructing wood framed structures.
That's probably why modern framing developed. Folks got tired of their house falling apart from moving it on a wagon every time they had to "pull up stakes". However some more innovative Okies simply affixed wheels to their structures so they could move them about quickly every time a bill collector knocked on the door. These were the early versions of the ever-present Oklahoma "trailer house"....
I have seen some older photos of Okie boom towns with wooden facades on the building fronts...with the rear of the structure nothing more than a military surplus canvas tent. Another Okie adaptation to efficiently "getting out of Dodge" in haste.
Edit note: Notice in your second photo the altitude of the camera is some 20' in the air. There was either another two story building under the camera...or some fool hardy photographer climbed a windmill to snap the pic...because there are NO hills anywhere near that high in that part of the prairie.