Sod Roofs on the Cabins of Bluff

Sod Roofs on the Cabins of Bluff. . The cabins of Bluff were constructed from cottonwood trees that grew abundantly along the river banks. Each cabin's roof was constructed by covering tightly laid limbs, which spanned the cabin's central beam and the outside walls, with burlap, straw, and a thick layer of sand. The roofs provided good insulation, helping to maintain heat in the winter and protecting the inhabitants from the sun in the summer. However, as for keeping out water during a heavy rainstorm, the roofs were of little value. Describing the sod roofs, Albert R. Lyman recorded, "... roofed them with thick coats of sand. Which feathered out into a crop of runty sunflowers and stink-weed, if the weed-seed had time to sprout before the wind carried the sand away. But whether it raised weeds or blew away, it never turned the rain, which dripped dismally from it long after the sky was clear.", The Northeast Side of the Barton Cabin , Over time the Barton cabin was expanded. Adjacent cabins were connected with a framed breezeway, and a framed kitchen was added. The kitchen was removed during the restoration work.