Have you ever wondered what it must have been like for South Dakota’s early settlers? Life was much simpler, but it certainly wasn’t easy. Visit this historic little homestead to see how people lived and worked in 1909.
Edgar Brown and his wife Alice came to the South Dakota prairie in 1909 to stake their claim on these 160 acres.
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They built this sod house, which still stands today. It’s one of the few remaining sod homes in the country, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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According to The Homestead Act of 1862, the family had to pay $18, then build a house, plow the acreage and live there for five years. At the end of the five years, the 160-acre property was theirs.
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The home was built right into the side of a hill. Some of the walls are made of sod, which actually acted as insulation from both cold and hot weather.
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This is the original main room of the cabin, which is where the family gathered, prepared and ate meals.
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Can you imagine preparing all the meals for your family on this stove?
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The bedroom is certainly not luxurious, to say the least.
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The shanty portion of the home was built on, and provided the family with more space. It’s a little fancier, with nicer furniture and wallpaper on the walls.
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The barn provided a home for cows, horses and farm equipment.
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The chicken coop was also built as a sod house, right into the hill.
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The root cellar is also built right into a hill. It provided cool, dark storage for root vegetables.
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The home’s water source was this hand pump and trough in the yard.
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Here’s the family’s bathroom. The toilet is a hole in the bench, with a pit underneath; the toilet paper was a Sears & Roebuck catalog.
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To really get into the pioneer mindset, try on a pioneer outfit and wear it during your visit.
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You’ll find the Prairie Homestead Historic Site at 21070 Sd Highway 240, Philip, SD.
Citallwic/Tripadvisor It’s open from May through October, seven days a week. It’s just $5 admission per person; children nine and younger visit for free.
If you’ve ever visited Prairie Homestead, tell us what you thought of your trip!
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It’s open from May through October, seven days a week. It’s just $5 admission per person; children nine and younger visit for free.
Here’s a historic lodge that was built in 1909, and you can stay overnight there.
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