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The temperatures in the summer would range above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Drought, storms, and tornadoes were other obstacles thrown at them by Mother Nature. To top it all, there were times when swarms of grasshoppers would wipe out entire crops in just one day. It could cover your sod house and trap you there until the thaw in the spring. A steel beam rod-breaking plow is on display in the museum.
Objects in History
Sod is an effective way to achieve immediate erosion protection in areas of sheet flow and low concentrated flows with velocities less than 5 feet/second. In 1872, the Dominion Lands Act established a means of distributing lands in the West to settlers. In exchange for a $10 fee and their agreement to establish a habitable residence on the land within three years, potential settlers received 65 hectares.
Hollywood Hills – Space for the entire family
Even with all these challenges, life on the prairie wasn’t all a series of misfortunes. Life was rewarding enough for those who fought and worked hard. The soil was rich and perfect for farming, once you manage to turn the ground over. It was all about having the right survival skills and the determination to make it. Those who managed to ride out the five years ended up thriving in a new environment.
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A gap, left at the top above the frame, was filled with rags or grass, which allowed the sod to settle without crushing the glass panes in the window. Pegs, driven into the sod through holes in the frames, held them in place. A variety of materials were used, depending on the location and the finances of the builder. Cedar logs, when available, were used as ridge poles because they were rot-resistant and strong.
Sod House Theater's 'Table' is dinner and a show at its most literal — and uplifting - St. Paul Pioneer Press
Sod House Theater's 'Table' is dinner and a show at its most literal — and uplifting.
Posted: Tue, 20 Sep 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Despite the primitive building materials, the thick walls of the home protected its owners from the heat and cold. Since wood wasn't usually available, for warmth settlers burned buffalo and cow chips — basically, dried manure — as well as hay twisted into bundles, said Travel South Dakota. Your sod goes directly from the farm to your home or business. This was the second required step for building the sod house. Once the floor was cut and the settlers decided on the dimensions of their new house. Cutting out the floor provided many advantages for the settlers.
Records of that time showed that the most ingenious settlers would build the sod house so that the dugout became an extra room in the house. The average time to build a sod house was between two and three weeks. The land was practically treeless and there were few rocks and stones. The lack of natural resources of wood and stone forced the Homesteaders to live in makeshift accommodation, called sod houses (soddies), using turf, or sod, to build their houses.
Notable sod houses
It was done by cutting down into the earth about six to twelve inches, leveling the ground out. One would have to wet it and tamping it down with a post or any other flat and heavy object so that the dirt would compact. In laying the sod bricks, the builder placed them lengthwise, making a wall two feet thick. The process was reversed every few layers — the bricks were laid lengthwise and then crosswise to bind the walls, and to make them solid. Sod House Museum seeks to preserve Oklahoma’s only remaining sod house and interprets the early-day lifestyles of a pioneer, from the establishment of the Cherokee Outlet in 1893 to 1920. The museum encloses the original sod house which is the key exhibit.
Sod Houses
Dugouts were small, dark spaces dug into the side of a hill that could be made quickly and were much warmer and drier than tents. Many people built a sod house right in front of the dugout and then used the dugout as another room. This was one of the most challenging parts of building the sod house. Adding the roof the right way required patience and experience, but also help from neighbors. They had to pay attention and ensure the roof slanted a bit so that it would not get soggy when it rained. Once the location of the sod house was picked you had to start with the first step in the actual building of the sod house.
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In order to deal with this issue, the settlers used to hang sheets from the ceiling. It helped them separate sleeping areas from the public spaces. Furniture was a luxury for many of them and everything from closets to shelving was mainly built on the spot, right into the walls. If the pioneers followed these steps, the resulting sod house was a sturdy construction. It was strong enough to withstand heavy rains and winds.
They were cool in the summer, warm in the winter and good shelter from the wild prairie weather. The fact that they were basically made of dirt made them virtually fireproof. Windows were the most expensive part of a sod house and were difficult to install. After setting the frame into the wall, the builder continued to lay rows of sod around it.
Farmers soon learned that they should only cut as much sod as they planned to use in one day. Sod quickly dried, cracked, and crumbled if not used immediately. Most farmers cut sod from the area where they planned to build their house. Doing so provided a flat surface on which to build and helped protect the house from prairie fires. Removing the grass from the area also helped keep insects, snakes, and vermin from burrowing into the house. For example, dirt floors were found in the majority of the early sod homes.
KUVR - Sod House Library Project - Rural Radio Network
KUVR - Sod House Library Project.
Posted: Thu, 04 Aug 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]
At one time, thousands of sod houses dotted the plains of North America. This two-room soddy, built by Marshal McCully in 1894, is the only remaining sod house Oklahoma that was built by a homesteader. McCully took part in the largest of Oklahoma’s land runs when the Cherokee Outlet opened for settlement at noon on September 16, 1893. McCully first lived in a one-room dugout, hollowed out of a ravine bank. He built the two-room sod house in August 1894 using blocks of the thick buffalo grass blanketing Oklahoma’s prairies. Sod was cut with a spade or a plow and then rudimentary bricks were created.
Similar to what a stonemason or brickmason today might build a wall with heavy pavers or narrow cinder blocks. Wooden door frames were set in place as the wall construction began. Window frames of wood were positioned when the wall reached the proper height. Sod was laid around the sides and on top of boards placed above the window frame.
When it came to entertainment and relaxation, things were kept simple. A few handmade toys and dolls for the kids and a few special items for the grown-ups was all they had. It would brighten up the sod house and make it look like a real home.
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