Sod Houses and Structures And a bit of the Homestead Act

Homestead Act 21 years or older Head of household Citizen or intention to become one 160 acres of land for free (except a filing fee) Must live on and improve the land for five years to make the land officially yours you could also claim land to plant trees (Timber Culture Act) Little House on the Prairie example

Well Ma I will soon have a house done I have the walls all up the door frame in the pole up in the middle the ridge pole on and the rafters up now I have the roof to put on yet, and a window to put in and the floor to level off and then it is ready to move into it is 14 by 16 ft inside the walls are 2 1/2 ft thick I have worked a little over 9 days at it & hauled the sod {Begin deleted text}ad{End deleted text} and done every bit of the work alone no one even coming to look at me work till yesterday afternoon Mr Ferguson our nearest neighbor came over to look at it and pronounced it a good job and done quickly it took two of them 9 days to build his house. Bachelors Hall Neb' Fillmore Co Apr' 13th 1873 Dear Wife and Baby

Some come here and put up temporary frame houses thought they could not live in a sod house This fall they are going to build sod houses so they can live live [sic] comfortable this winter a temporary frame house here is a poor thing a house that is not plastered the wind and dust goes right through and they are very cold A sod house can be built so they are real nice and comfortable build nice walls and then plaster and lay a floor above and below and then they are nice Uriah is going to build one after that style this fall The one we are in at present is 14 by 16 and a dirt floor Uriah intends takeing it for a stable this winter I will be a nice comfortable stable Fillmore County Neb June 16th

Sod Barns

Sod Schools

Sod Post Office, built in 1913, still being used in 1962