PIONEER LIFE

The first settlers who arrived into the Oregon Country did not waste much time--they got right down to business. The pioneers chose sites in the wilderness to build their homes. A wilderness is an area of land that is not yet lived in or settled. They had to chop down trees, and using whipsaws, they sawed the trees in half. They then cut small pieces out near the end of the logs. These cuts held the logs into place when they stacked them to build their log cabins. The pioneers had to fill up the holes between the logs. Mud and dirt as well as small sticks were used to fill these openings. When the logs were being put in place, the settlers would cut openings for the doors and windows. The roof was made from the bark of trees. Sometimes the floors had wood planks laid down but most of the time the early settlers had dirt floors.

The furniture of these log cabins was very simple. Tables and chairs were made from logs. Beds were stuffed with straw and corn husks, and these beds and were built into the corners of the cabin.

A homestead was where the pioneer lived as well as farmed. Everyone had to work on the homestead. The children fed the chickens, gathered eggs, milked the cows and tended (worked in) the garden. They also rode horses to drive the cattle to fields where they could graze. Wood had to be chopped for the stove and for long, cold winters. Girls usually helped their mothers make and mend clothes, do the wash, and clean the house. In their spare time, boys worked in the fields. Women and men both worked all day from morning until night on the homestead.

Directions: Read the questions and answer them in complete sentences.

1. Describe the activities on a homestead.
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2. How did pioneers spend most of their time? Why?
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3. What do you think pioneers on a homestead did in their spare time?
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4. How is life different now? Do you think it would have been easier to live during the times of the pioneers or today? Why?
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Last modified on: February 1, 2004