Since his wife passed away in 2001, 93-year-old Jack English has been living in a rustic cabin in the woods.
The cabin is far away from any form of civilization. In fact, English has to walk five miles to get to the nearest road. While that may seem like an inconvenience to most, he says that’s the main reason he bought the property.
English was attracted to the property when he first visited it as a young boy. He says first stumbled upon it when he was just 11. He had come there to hunt with his neighbor. English says he is most compelled by the fact that the property doesn’t change; it is still the same as the day he first visited.
He built the cabin where he now lives 36 years ago. He gathered the materials to build the residence from the woods surrounding it. Most of the cabin was finished within two years, but English says there’s still work to be done.
His wife, Mary English, knew he had always wanted to live in his cabin in the woods, but the couple had other responsibilities that didn’t allow them to move there.
During the latter part of her life, his wife had ovarian cancer. During her last visit to the hospital, she told him that he should go out into the woods and live in his cabin if it was what he wanted.
English has tried to keep busy during his years spent in the woods. He spends a lot of his time making violin bows, which is something he says is not a simple task.
He says he doesn’t like swarms of people, and the cabin is a nice place to escape from the turmoil of everyday life. English has enjoyed life in his cabin, and he hopes to live out the rest of his days there.