What do you think of when you think of homesteading the
West? I think of families or lone men. However, in Marcia Meredith Hensley’s
book. STAKING HER CLAIM: WOMEN HOMESTEADING THE WEST, I learned that many lone women
became homesteaders.
I read the Women of Paragon Springs series, by Irene Bennett
Brown, and loved the stories of women making their way West to set up their
homes. What I didn’t realize, though, was how true-to-life Ms Brown’s stories
were.
Available from Amazon HERE |
Ms Hensley’s book relates many women settling in Wyoming
Territory. And why not? Wyoming was far ahead of the rest of America in
recognizing a woman’s right to vote and other basic rights. But other of her stories
take place in Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Idaho, Colorado, and Utah.
As you can imagine, these women set out for the West for
various reasons. Some were ill-equipped for the hardships. Others flourished in
their new enterprise. Ms Hensley
includes letters written back East by some of the women homesteaders telling of
their experiences. Fact or fiction?
“On the whole, women who wrote about their experiences
homesteading alone told positive stories. . . Although homesteading was
difficult, they achieved success and had many enjoyable adventures as well.
Women could do most of the work themselves, but, if necessary, they could count
on help from neighbors, family, or one of the many men in the vicinity.”
Sod house in Kansas |
Only about one in three women who homesteaded actually
succeeded. In a 1921 article about her homesteading experience in Utah, Kate
Keizer includes a section titled “Not All Roses” in which she cautions that for
the typical homesteader without much money “the first two or three years are
usually accompanied by privation and hardships.” She lists difficulties such as
the high cost of freighting supplies in and having your claim contested if you
were absent very long. Her greatest torments were the hordes of rabbits and
prairie dogs that destroyed gardens in spite of scarecrows, guns, and poison.
Looking back on her homestead experience, Dr. Bessie
Rehwinkle tempered her account of the exhilarating experience of becoming a
Wyoming landowner with the admission that “it is not as easy or glamorous as the
storybooks about the westward trek of the covered wagon often picture it. It is
a slow process and a hard day-to-day struggle, and only the strongest are able
to survive.”
Dugout on the Oklahoma Prairie Do you suppose all six women and the baby lived in that dugout? |
The Homestead Act was in force from 1862 through 1976 (with
a ten year extension for Alaska). Statistics provided by the National Homestead
Monument suggest two million people attempted to earn a patent on land through
the Homestead Act. Ms Hensley theorizes that 200,000 of these were women, of
which 67.500 may have proved up on their claim.
I suggest reading Marcia Meredith Hensley’s book for fascinating
non-fiction accounts of women homesteaders who were successful. For fictional
accounts, nothing beats Irene Bennett Brown’s Women of Paragon Springs series:
LONG ROAD TURNING, BLUE HORIZONS, NO OTHER PLACE, and REAP THE SOUTH WIND.
What about you? Would you have attempted to claim you land
alone?
3 comments:
Caroline, What a great bit of knowledge to share. I had no idea that women alone could homestead, given they weren't granted many other privileges during the century. I doubt I could be a brave, but it's wonderful to know that there was some strong "stock" out there who were determined to have a home.
I have read many historical novels that talked about the Soddy Houses but to see pictures like this is amazing. I can't begin to imagine living in one. I read of not only the dirt, but bugs and mice and snakes! I know that lumber was scares and in reality they were efficient. But I will stick with my nice Rancher style home and know that I am blessed.
You just have to admire the tenacity of these hardy women! I'll have to get this book. Can't resist.
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