42 Nebraskaland • April 2024
uilding sod houses, especially when the wind blows, is
not quite as pleasant as being out buggy riding with
a girl," wrote 20-year-old Swedish immigrant Rolf
Johnson in 1876. "One's nose, eyes, mouth, ears and
hair gets full of loose dirt. OK! It's bad!"
Living in Phelps County, young Rolf was learning soddie-
building skills shared by many Nebraskans of his era. They
all faced a similar challenge — how do you build a home in
a place with few trees, and where imported lumber is either
unavailable or too expensive?
As with the earth lodges of Native peoples such as the
Pawnee, sod houses were a clever adaptation to local
conditions. Building one required not only a lot of hard work,
but also planning, skill and neighborly cooperation.
First, you had to fi nd good sod from which to cut bricks.
A sod house may look like it's made of dirt, but each brick
is held together by a tough, dense network of prairie grass
roots binding the soil. The savvy home builder searched
bottomlands near the water table for places where the roots
grew together in a mat. Roots were toughest in fall, but
builders rarely had the luxury of choosing the season.
Cutting sod required a team and a plow. It was best to use a
"cutting" or "grasshopper" plow that turned the sod over in a
long, neat ribbon that could then be cut into bricks. Plowing
virgin sod was hard work — people spoke of the tearing sound
the plow made as it sliced through the roots. It took about an
acre of sod to build a 12-by-14-foot house.
Rolf Johnson told of cutting bricks that were "2 feet long,
12 inches wide and 4 inches thick," which were then hauled
to the construction site. Putting up walls required at least
two men, so it was common for neighbors to help each other.
Bricks were laid grass-side down so each layer could be
trimmed level.
Walls were usually two or three sods thick, staggered like
regular bricks (but without mortar), and every third or fourth
layer was laid crosswise to hold the wall together. Door and
By David L. Bristow, History Nebraska
'B
Building
a Sod House
A breaking or "grasshopper"
plow, distinguished by its
adjustable rods. Such a plow
turned the sod over in a
smooth ribbon for better sod
bricks. HISTORY NEBRASKA, 8902-1
