Near Harrison in Sioux County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
The Innovation of Early Homesteaders
This sod house is a replica of one built at this site by Kenneth Pelren and Segard Anderson in 1930. Clay soil held together by a tenacious root system was plowed from the prairie and stacked in a manner similar to modern brick construction. This type of construction was typical of housing used by homesteaders on the treeless plains. The sod construction offered warmth in the winter, cooler temperatures in the summer and would not burn.
The Nebraska National Forest constructed this replica in 1984, and continues the upkeep so future generations can view a glimpse of the past.
A grasshopper plow was used to break the sod into strips 12 inches wide and 4 inches thick. The farmer used a spade to cut the strips into three-foot lengths (bricks) before they were loaded onto a wagon and taken to the site of the sod house construction.
Erected by Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Architecture • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1930.
Location. 42° 51.416′ N, 103° 35.002′ W. Marker is near Harrison, Nebraska, in Sioux County. Marker can be reached from Forest Road 902, 1.4 miles south of Toadstool Road, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Harrison NE 69346, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 14 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Grassroots (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Africa in Nebraska (about 400 feet away); Toadstool (about 400 feet away); Landscape in Layers (about 400 feet away); Yellow Hand Monument (approx. 8.6 miles away); Battle of Warbonnet Creek Monument (approx. 8.8 miles away); Fighting in the Buttes (approx. 13.6 miles away); Officers’ Row, 1909 (approx. 14 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Harrison.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 1, 2021. It was originally submitted on May 26, 2021, by Connor Olson of Kewaskum, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 229 times since then and 3 times this year. Last updated on November 1, 2021, by Connor Olson of Kewaskum, Wisconsin. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 26, 2021, by Connor Olson of Kewaskum, Wisconsin. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.