Renee trindle , director of the Sod House Museum
ETOWN : TOURING NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA to the house site in a wagon . Each sod brick weighed about 40 to 50 pounds , depending on the moisture content , Trindle said .
McCully traveled about one mile north of his house site to collect the sod because his ground was too sandy , she said . Each morning , only enough sod was broken and cut into blocks for use that day , because the sod blocks were easier to handle when the moisture content was high . Construction of the walls involved two to three staggered blocks deep creating a wall depth of 2 or 3 feet , and the sod blocks were laid grassy side down . With the third or fourth layer of blocks in place , a crosswise layer was installed to add strength to the wall . Unlike many other sod houses , McCully plastered the walls with alkali clay .
“ The plaster was the main reason the house has survived so long ,” Trindle explained . Wood-plank frames were propped in place for the door and windows , and the wall construction continued until it reached about half its final height . Interior wall surfaces were scraped to provide a more attractive surface and to help ensure a finished wall that was as vertical as possible . When the walls were finished , support poles were placed at each end of the soddy . Poles were attached to form rafters . To complete the roof , layers of sod blocks were positioned on top . Shortly after McCully brought his new bride to the home , he gave her the choice of a new floor or roof . She chose a floor , but he ended up installing both so the sod house had a tin roof . Both of these improvements helped to keep out insects .
Trindle said the importance of the sod house to the history of Oklahoma and the country is without question . The shelters had a primary role in fulfilling the nation ’ s westward expansion .
“ The settlers had to have shade and a way to be protected from the environment or they would not have survived ,” Trindle said .
After McCully staked his claim in 1893 , he first lived in a
“
The plaster was the main reason the house has survived so long .”
Renee trindle , director of the Sod House Museum
Right : Marshal McCully , builder of the dwelling at the Sod House Museum .
Drawn by Warren
Little
Left : A stone marker displays information about the Sod House Museum .
Photo by BILLY
HEFTON
dugout in a ravine . The next year , he built the sod dwelling . It took about a half-acre of sod with densely packed roots to create all the bricks of grass . The McCully sod house was built for less than $ 5 , with the addition of windows costing $ 1.25 more .
While most sod houses were meant to be temporary dwellings , the McCully family lived in their sod house until 1909 , when they built a large two-story frame house . The sod house was used for storage until 1963 . The soddy was acquired that year by the Oklahoma Historical Society .
Today , museum visitors can walk through the furnished sod house and imagine what life was like for early settlers . The house is the museum ’ s main feature , with exhibits that interpret the early-day lifestyle of pioneers including collections of period pieces , tools , housewares and farm equipment and even a cellar . Artifacts portray the daily activities of life on the prairie . Museum grounds include an additional building displaying horse-drawn equipment and period farm implements . Events in 2024 will celebrate the dwelling ’ s 130 years .
Trindle said she is appreciative of the museum ’ s volunteer group , which is important to the operation and creation of exhibits . The museum is open 9 a . m . to 5 p . m . Tuesday through Saturday and is closed on holidays . Entrance fees are : adults $ 7 , seniors $ 5 , students ( 6-18 ) $ 4 , children 5 and younger free .
The Quilting Workshop meets on the second Saturday of each month at the Sod House Museum from 9-11 a . m . and costs $ 5 to participate . Participants can learn to create appliqué designs , traditional block patterns , original designs , crazy quilts , landscape designs and paper piecing . New members of any skill level are always encouraged to attend . The group creates a quilt to auction as a fundraiser . Proceeds directly fund Sod House Museum renovations . For information , call ( 580 ) 463-2441 or email sodhouse @ okhistory . org .
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