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Sod House
Prairie Museum of Art and History
Colby, Kansas
August 2015 |
The sod house on the grounds of the Prairie Museum of Art and History in Colby, Kansas was built on site by volunteers. I was particularly interested in the exhibit because
my maternal grandparents built and lived in a sod house.
I always wondered what sod houses might look like on the inside and was surprised when I walked into the display house.
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kitchen area of the one-room sod house
Colby, Kansas
August 2015 |
The display home was cozy and inviting. I'm sure the depth of the windows is due to the thickness of the sod walls. While the display house had wooden floors, I assume many of the prairie homes had dirt floors.
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bedroom section of the one-room sod house
Colby, Kansas
August 2015 |
The sod house on display was one room and had few furnishings: a single bed, a bookcase, a trunk, a small dining table and chairs, a cook stove that also heated the house, a small pantry cabinet, and a washing machine.
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my maternal grandparents with their children
Edgemont, South Dakota
circa 1912 |
I'm guessing from the photo of my grandparents that they had a loft area for the children to sleep. Their soddie looks quite a bit bigger than the exhibit in Colby, Kansas.
The Prairie Museum of Art and History has an
Online Sons and Daughters of the Toddies Database with a gallery that is fun to browse.
Did any of your ancestors live in a sod house on the prairie?
What a history you have with your family. I so enjoy reading about it.
ReplyDeleteMine have not, but I love visiting these old sod houses. They just fascinate me, there are a few in Minnesota that we have seen.
ReplyDeleteHow cool that you have that photo!! What would they think of our lives today, oh my!
ReplyDeleteNot that I know of -- although perhaps those who lived in Butte Montana might have --. I'm glad to see there was something over the sod on the inside... I was thinking dirt walls. Interesting info.
ReplyDeleteNone of my family lived in a sod house as far as I know, but it would be fun to dig deeper and find out for sure. How amazing that you have that photo!
ReplyDeleteThat is a way cool look at a sod house. I also enjoyed seeing your old photo. I agree the houses must have been cozy...I have herd about animals/reptiles also making the sod their home along with the settlers family and waking up in the winter when the sod house warmed up...:)
ReplyDeleteI think my Irish grandma certain ly lived in a sod house. Very cool. I imagine the immigrants brought their sod house ideas with them!
ReplyDeleteSo cool! That photo of your maternal grandparents is great!
ReplyDeleteWonderful photo Nancy! Pictures I've seen of my grandparents home where my Mom and her brother grew up looked like shiplap siding. It was on the beach in Little Neck, Virginia. The contrast of the sod home in SD and the one room beach cabin are an exciting slice of our country's history!
ReplyDeleteI've long been fascinated with sod houses. Thanks for the peek inside this one. Love the family photo. Classic!
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