Welsch, Roger L. Sod Walls: The Story of The Nebraska Sod House.

There are also some other interesting things to see in the local town at the pony express relay station and the local museum on the same street. "Comstock family proud of efforts in renovating soddy". And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: Contrary to popular belief, sod houses weren't simply shacks made of mud. The final occupants of the house were the family of William Dowse, Jr., who remained there until 1959, the year before his death. History of Custer County, Nebraska.

Retrieved 2011-10-22. You can … Hours Monday - Friday: 9:30 am - 4 pm CLOSED Saturday and Sunday.

Sod House at Windlass Hill, Ash Hollow State Historic Park, Nebraska ID: JG5R32 (RF) Morrison family in front of sod house in Custer County, Nebraska in 1886. When Nebraska pioneers began putting down roots in the area, they found a dearth of materials with which to work. Moreover, several of the sources that give the later date also state that William Dowse, Jr. was the last occupant (e.g.

|  New Mexico [8][9] It has also been suggested that the idea of building with sod came from European immigrants, either Russian-Germans, who are known to have built rammed earth dwellings in the Plains, or immigrants from the British Isles, particularly from Ireland, where turf houses were built with stone foundations and frames to support the turf. [44] A fence was built to exclude cattle from the house. [34][38], The durability of the house was tested in the early 1940s,[39] when a tornado struck the farmstead.

[45] The porch walls were re-shingled, and doors and windows were replaced. Most of the original soddies in Nebraska have since been reclaimed by the earth, but this one is still standing strong. Nebraska Capitol Gift Shop. However, these earth lodges were circular in cross-section, and built upon heavy timber frameworks. At that time, concrete was applied to the lower portion of the exterior sod walls: boards were placed against the wall and concrete poured into the space between board and wall, then allowed to dry before the boards were raised and the process repeated. In the following year, he married Sarah Wagner, who was born in 1854 in Auglaize County, Ohio. Two years later, wood tongue-and-groove flooring was installed. [32] In 1871, their oldest child, William R. Dowse, was born. [3], The Homestead Act of 1862 was a major factor in opening the Great Plains to white settlement. Browse photographs by city name or subject: Colorado  |  Ellis, Karen Kuhns. Plumbing was never installed. Trees were scarce on the prairie but, native grasses sent roots deep down into the soil which made prairie sod a useful building material. A Sod House in the Sandhills Nebraska 325 grants on the old trail often had to stop while the buffalowere crossing the road. [10], A simple sod house could be built in about a week, and for a cost of less than five dollars. The property was originally acquired in 1884 by Kate Prescott, under the provisions of the Timber Culture Act of 1873; it is not known whether Prescott had built a dwelling on the parcel.

As one of few surviving original structures, it allows us to look back in time at how early Nebraskans made use of the materials available to them on the prairie.

There is no admission fee to tour the house; call ahead for guided tours or information: 308-628 4370 or 308-628-4231. They repaired the home and furnished it with pioneer-era objects like furniture, decor, and a cast iron stove.

[5] However, as settlers moved further west, they encountered the treelessness that had led Major Stephen H. Long, exploring the region in 1820, to label it the "Great American Desert". [18], The sod houses of Custer County are particularly well documented, owing to the efforts of Solomon Butcher. Butcher often had his subjects pose with … "Second Heritage Meeting Maps Out Future Projects". Masters thesis, University of Georgia, 2008. Were there July 24 2019.

The eastern quarter of Nebraska was also well supplied with timber. The sod house was set up like it would have been originally. Open May-Sep, daily, 9am-3pm. [38], In 1986, the house was listed in the National Register of Historic Places, under the name "William R. Dowse House". What a great find! It was built in 1900 and continuously occupied until 1959. She has worked as a writer and editor since 2007.

A steep stairway led up to an unfinished attic. In 1981, descendants of the original occupants decided to restore the house to its former state. Under the provisions of the Act, settlers could obtain title to a quarter-section (160 acres, or 65 ha) of land for a nominal fee, provided that they built a house, made certain improvements, farmed the land, and occupied the site for at least five years. The project was spearheaded by two of the Dowse sons, Philip and Curtis, and supported by the Comstock Community Club. [42], In about 1981, descendants of William and Florence Dowse decided to restore the house. In 1915, the muslin ceiling was replaced with plaster. In May 1982, the house was opened as a museum. The dimensions of these depended, among other things, on the strength of the builder—the blocks were dense, and had to be sized so that the builders could lift them.

Barrett, Elizabeth. Don't miss the life-size sculpture of a bison and American Indian on horseback made from barbed wire. Footings were rarely laid, due to the cost or unavailability of material. Butcher's photographs are now owned by the Nebraska State Historical Society. "Dowse Sod House". Closed on New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving. Get more stories delivered right to your email. Blocks were laid with the grass side down, in a one-course common bond; the walls were battered, measuring 27 inches (69 cm) thick at ground level and 20 inches (51 cm) thick at the top. Love to see places of history like this where you can see how pioneers that settled the area lived at first.

Privacy Policy | © document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); The Archway. All prairie grasses were not alike for purposes of construction sod; the best were those with a strong and dense root network to hold the blocks together. Nebraska, Gering, Scotts Bluff County, [35][43] In the course of several years, over $6,000 was raised for the project. 20–21, 66.

Throwback Thursday Photo, Pumpkins on the Prairie The Garness family pose in front of their sod home in Custer County for Nebraska photographer Solomon D. Butcher in 1887. [5], There is no consensus among scholars regarding the origin of sod construction on the Plains. Collections home page. [36][41], After the departure of the last occupants, the house stood neglected for over two decades. The house was built in 1900 and occupied until 1959; in that time numerous improvements were made, including a new ceiling, a wood floor, an addition, electrical wiring, and exterior concrete reinforcement.

Gaston, W. L. and A. R. Humphrey. Love Nebraska?

Here you can see the upper portion of the wall that was protected by the roof eaves and therefore did not need to be covered with concrete. To build a soddy, bricks were laid in a staggered pattern up to the desired height. A single window faced eastward from the kitchen-hall. Nebraska, Broken Bow, Custer County, more. Reference number obtained by searching the. A number of contemporary photographs show occupied sod houses adjacent to frame barns and outbuildings. William Dowse did not homestead the site. "The sod houses of Custer County, Nebraska". Howard, Robert M. "Dowse Efforts Preserve Traditions That Might Be Lost To Present-Day Attitudes". [4], Settlers in the regions east of the Missouri River had found ample trees with which to build log houses. Preferred species included buffalo grass (Bouteloua dactyloides), slough grass (Spartina pectinata), and big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi). [46] In the 21st century, the Dowse Sod House is promoted as a tourist destination by the village of Comstock[47] and by the Nebraska Division of Travel and Tourism.[48]. In 1982, the house opened as a museum. Lincoln, Nebraska: Western Publishing and Engraving Company, 1919. Sorry, there are no tours or activities available to book online for the date(s) you selected. After the last of the Dowse family left the home in 1959, it stood empty for many years and was left at the mercy of the elements. [36] After occupying a crib in his parents' bedroom, each son moved up to the attic room, where they slept on straw ticks. [34], The new house was located northwest of the homestead of the senior Dowses. 315 Platte River Drive, Gothenburg, NE, 69138, 315 Platte River Dr, Gothenburg, NE, 69138, 301 West 1st Street, Gothenburg, NE, 69138. Allan, Tom. With nothing to bar their entrance, cattle passed through the house, leaving a foot (30 cm) of manure on the floors. To bind the wythes and increase the stability of the wall, every second, third, or fourth course was laid crosswise. [7] As late as 1940, a sod house was built near Dunning, Nebraska. I've heard stories of my family's early history in Nebraska where, Northwest corner of I-80, Gothenburg, NE 69138-2235.

U.S. National Register of Historic Places, National Register of Historic Places Focus website. The weight of the roof helped to keep it from blowing away in strong winds, and the insulating power of such a roof helped to moderate temperatures within the house. Series 1 - By State Browse photographs by city name or subject: Colorado | Kansas | Minnesota | Montana | Nebraska | New Mexico North Dakota | Oklahoma | South Dakota An itinerant photographer, Butcher conceived the idea of creating a photographic history of pioneer life in Nebraska. [7][14] Leaky roofs were also a problem; to protect the inhabitants and the interior furnishings from falling water, dirt, and vermin, it was common to make a ceiling of a white muslin sheet tacked to the walls. "Nebraska National Register Sites in Custer County". The original grasshopper plow used to cut the sod bricks was put on display. To build a sod house, you needed the right kind of grass — grass that had densely packed roots that would hold the soil together. Phone Number (402) 471-2062.

Series 1 - By State Fire damaged the roof and shingles were blown off, allowing leakage; all of the windows and doors were broken or destroyed. Site includes a sod house, a barn housing photographs and memorabilia, and wooden windmills in an old farmstead setting. History of the National Register of Historic Places, National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dowse_Sod_House&oldid=971052327, Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Nebraska, National Register of Historic Places in Custer County, Nebraska, Short description with empty Wikidata description, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 3 August 2020, at 22:15.

Our sod house is freely available for viewing year-round.

The walls also withstood prairie winds better than framed walls; even sod houses struck by tornadoes generally survived with no worse damage than the loss of the roof, leaving the walls standing. We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. Built is 2008, the Archway’s replica sod house gives visitors an idea of what life was like for the first settlers of European descent in Nebraska territory. |  Manuscript index  |  Special Some were sod houses, dugouts, or wooden frame, but they were the first shelter the pioneer men and women had when they homesteaded on the Great Plains prairie.

Enter your e-mail address for things to do, restaurants to try and much more! Two windows faced northward: one from the kitchen-hall, one from the bedroom.

[23], Before the sod blocks were cut, the grass was mown short or burned off. It was built in 1900 and occupied until 1959. One, at the end of the eastern projection of the L, led into the kitchen-hall. Description   |  Top  |  Manuscript index  |  Special For sale signs. The red barn museum is locked up.

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