When Patrick J. Towle took a disliking to the syrups offered for sale in his St. Paul, Minnesota grocery in the 1880's he decided to create his own. In 1887 he introduced his Log Cabin Syrup formula with a maple flavor he felt his customers would enjoy. He named it in honor of his childhood hero and true American icon, President Abraham Lincoln. President Lincoln grew up in a log cabin, deep in the wood of Kentucky – hence the brand name ‘Log Cabin’, chosen by Mr. Towle to honor Abraham Lincoln. It became an immediate success.

    An April 1917 Ladies Home Journal ad depicting Log Cabin Syrup products shows a one lb. tin selling for 25 cents, a 2 lb. for 50 cents and 5 lb. going for $1.

    In 1927, the Towle Maple Syrup Co. joins forces with General Foods.

    The log cabin-shaped tins were discontinued shortly after WWII began, but there appear to have been some circulated, plain tins w/o cartoons, sometime during the late 1940's, early 1950's.

Here is a sampling of some of the Log Cabin syrup tins: