Late 19th to Early 20th Century "Grasshopper" Sod Plow

 This plow was used to dig up sod for sod houses and other sod buildings. From the 1880s to the early 1900s, many settlers on the North American prairie took advantage of the prairie sod that contained the densely packed roots of several grasses to construct solid buildings for themselves and for their animals. By using “grasshopper” – sometimes called “breaking” – plows, settlers could dig up long strips of sod about 12 to 14 inches wide and 3 or 4 inches deep. Cutting up those strips into shorter sections, the settlers would stack their sod root-side up to build up the walls of the sod buildings.
 By stacking the sod in two rows side by side, and by stacking it both lengthwise and crosswise, the settlers could make very sturdy structures that could protect their inhabitants from the elements. By using wood posts, settlers would add door frames to allow for easy access to the buildings, and possibly window frames to allow for more sunlight as well as fresh air. Those settlers would also use wood to build the roofs.
 Each sod house was custom made to the conditions of the soil and the environment, and each varied with regard to quality of construction. Some sod houses may have lasted a year or two before being torn down. Others stood for several decades. One sod house in particular, the only known two-story sod house built in Nebraska, was erected in 1884 or 1885 by Isadore Haumont. It was demolished in 1967.

Notes

You can read more about “grasshopper” plows and the construction of sod houses, including Isadore Haumont’s two-story house, on the Nebraska Studies page here.