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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.
Life on the Prairie
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.
Living in a sod house
The extreme summer heat, with temperatures hitting over 120 degrees, and the season's drought, tornadoes, fires, floods, and grasshoppers made farming difficult. One 1886 blizzard, according to Our Story, became so bad that "horses and cattle died when their breaths froze over the ends of their noses, making it impossible for them to breathe." Summer brought endless days of heat when the surface temperature could exceed 120 degrees. Periods of drought, rainstorms, tornadoes, swarms of grasshoppers that could destroy fields of crops, and never-ending wind also challenged settlers. Mrs. O.C. Bell remembered the sod house experience with less fondness.
Who lived in the sod huts?
Most sod houses were about 16 feet by 20 feet and had only one room. Furniture was kept to a minimum due to the lack of space. Many people slept on pallets that could be moved out of the way during the day. Crowded conditions meant that some household objects, like sewing machines, were kept outside when the weather was good, and had to be squeezed inside when it rained or snowed. Because tents or the top of a covered wagon provided little comfort or shelter from the prairie's wild weather, many settlers began by building dugouts.
What was a disadvantage of building a home from sod?
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.
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First, they didn’t have to carry the bricks over long distances. And second, this left a free vegetation zone around the sod house and would prevent wildfires from getting to it. The average sod house required between 2500 and 3000 sod bricks. Once the sod house was completed they would reuse the dugout for storage or stock.
Approximately 3000 bricks were required to build a 16 x 20 foot house. Freshly cut sod bricks were laid root-side up in order for the roots to continue to grow into the brick above it. Over time, the bricks in fact grew together to form a very strong wall. McCully hitched his team to an fourteen-inch sod plow and split the grass into long rows.
Building a Sod House
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.
You were required to have a wider base for the sod house in order to have a strong and solid foundation. The sod house would settle significantly over time as the sod dried out. Since weather was harsh, the homesteaders had to find some protection against the elements, until their sod house was built.
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When finished, the sod house was close quarters, but during Dakota winters it was very warm inside. Dirt constantly sifted down from the ceiling, making it almost impossible to keep clean. Rain or melting snow caused water to work its way through the roof and walls and run in trails along the floor, turning it to mud. The first one is a two-minute video of sod house history. Sod homes, or "soddies," featured earthen floors and, often, roofs as well ...
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.
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.
When the bricks reached the top of the window frame settlers left off two layers of brick and laid cedar poles over the gap. The resulting space, stuffed with grass or rags, protected the windows from breaking as the house settled. Building a sod house was a lot of work and often took many weeks, especially if the settler's nearest neighbors were too far away or unable to help. The top layer of soil on the prairie contained strong grasses. They sank their roots down into the soil in a tangled mess that held onto the dirt well. By cutting blocks out of this sod they could make long rectangular building blocks from which they could build their homes.
Each piece was required to be 18 inches wide X 20 inches long by six inches thick. It is important to mention that each piece of brick weighted in at around 50 pounds. When they had to cut the sod bricks it was important to work smart and save time. The land was for the most part barren of trees and larger vegetation.
If you everhave any questions for us or would like to see more information on a particular landscaping topic, head on over to the contact page to get in touch. Get care instructions to ensure your lawn is healthy and beautiful. As with any new home, once the construction is ready, the last part you need to take care of is the finish work. One of the first steps would require stretching a light colored sheet across the ceiling. We go beyond in every project in order to make the experience simple and carefree for the homeowner.
The next step was to finish off the walls by scrapping them smooth. We’re an end-to-end firm that goes beyond in everything we do to make your construction and remodeling experience as carefree as can be. We’ve put over two decades of hard-earned experience to good use, making sure your journey with us remains carefree during the project and beyond.
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