Sod Home
A man stands in the doorway of a sod home on his farmstead
Sketch of first schoolhouse
Immigrants Flock to Iowa
Come to Iowa
Immigrant Transportation
Pioneers Travel in Groups
Early Travelers Face Danger
Pioneers Leave Civilization
Sod Houses
Interior of Settler Cabins
Pioneer ChildrenSod House
Living
in a house made of dirt doesn't sound like the best situation, but some of
Iowa's early European settlers did just that. They lived in houses made of
sod! They were usually temporary homes, and sod house dwellers made the most
of their unusual situation. The arrival of the railroads brought about changes
in many areas and housing was one area that saw improvements. For those who
lived in sod houses, the changes were welcomed with anticipation.
Learning to Adapt
The Homestead Act of 1862 encouraged
people to go west. European-American pioneers who settled in northwestern
Iowa found that the land offered few trees to build log cabins and frame houses,
and lumber was too expensive.
Determined
settlers adapted to their environment. They built inexpensive sod houses.
They cleared and cut the prairie sod into long strips. They laid the strips
on top of each other, leaving space for windows and a door. They made roofs
out of sticks, boards and sod. Some sod houses, called dugouts, were dug into
the side of a hill.
Interior Decorating
Most sod homes were small and no
matter how often families cleaned, the insides were damp and dirty. When it
rained and the roof leaked, the floor became muddy. Pioneers shared their
"soddies" with rodents, bedbugs and other creatures. Families tried
to make their temporary homes pleasant. They plastered walls and hung curtains.
Furnishings were sparse. Beds were made from poles and ropes. Boxes, originally
used to transport a family's belongings, made tables and chairs. Cast iron
stoves provided heat and a place to cook. Since there was little wood on the
plains, pioneers burned prairie hay, cow chips and corncobs.
Railroads Bring Change
After the railroads came to Iowa,
lumber was more affordable and settlers abandoned their soddies for sturdier
frame houses.
While the idea of living in a house made of dirt doesn't appeal to most people,
early settlers in the Iowa country were used to sacrifices. Unusual housing
conditions were one of many problems faced by early settlers. Along with the
hardships they faced came hope for a better future. Soddies were viewed as
a temporary inconvenience. And as with many of the problems faced by early
pioneers in Iowa, new technologies and scientific advances helped to make
life better.
