The man and woman on the right are my great-great-grandparents, James Wesley Goad and Olive Orabelle Wineland Goad, in front of their house in 1899, with his brothers, sisters, and their spouses.
Jim and Ollie Goad built a sod house about 1890 on their land three miles west, six miles north of Waldo, in Liberty Township. After it was completed, a steady stream of wagons was seen going to and from their home. On investigation, the sheriff found neighbors carrying Goad water home by the barrel. Many wells in early days produced only surface water, unpalatable and unsanitary. Jim and Ollie were happy to share with others less fortunate.
On Thursday, we came across a similar sod house at Ash Hollow State Park, Nebraska:
This soddie was built on 2 days in 1967 as part of the Ash Hollow Centennial Pageant, when a nearby sod house was reconstructed. On the prairies, other materials for construction were a good distance away. At Ash Hollow, the original homestead dwelling at this location had been built of stone.
Yes, there is stuff growing on the roof.
The inside was – well, it was a shelter from the elements.
How would you like living in something like this?
