No, this isn't the iconic Thomas Alma Barn that is visited by photographers from around the world. This is just up the street from that barn on his brother John's homestead. John's homestead is best known for his pink house, even though he also has a barn. The brothers arrived in Jackson Hole in 1907 and settled on two parcels of land. The log cabin in the foreground was built by John where he lived for ten years and then with his wife and family for another seventeen years (the famous pink house was built in 1934). John built the cabin in the background in 1945 for his son and his wife, but they only stayed in it for a year. It served as a bunkhouse after that. In 1953, he sold the property to Grand Teton National Park, but retained a life lease until his death in 1990 at the ripe old age of 103.
I wanted to make the first cabin the subject of this photo to show what it must have been like when John settled there in 1907. No electricity, water or any modern conveniences. I can't imagine it was an easy life, but who needs them when you have the Tetons as your back yard? Just think about this. Photographers flock to this area (known as Norman Row) to capture the amazing sunrises. John spent 83 years there and was able to see over 30,000 sunrises during his life there.