Collier Homestead Activity Page

Homesteading was hard work for the entire family. The Homestead Act of 1862 allowed the head of the household to claim land to build a home and farm. If done within 5 years, the deed or patent to the land was granted with a fee for filing the claim being the only payment needed.

The Collier family moved from Kentucky to homestead at the Buffalo in 1932. Sod and Ida Mae lived at the homestead for about 30 years.

 

Use this word list to complete the captions for the Collier Homestead photos below.

mud	roof	pantry	arch
fireplace	logs	water	iron
rocks	fruit	gutter	heat
recycled

 

The side of a log cabin. The cabin is built on top of stacked stones.

NPS Photo

Sod felled trees and used a broad axe to square the
_ _ _ _ to build a home for his family. He found
_ _ _ _ _ in his fields to build the foundation and put
_ _ _ between the logs to seal all the spaces.

 

Left: A cistern. Right: Rusted gutters along the roofline of the cabin.

NPS Photos

The family never had water piped into the house. A well is drilled until it gets to the water table. A cistern holds the water that is put in it. If rainwater collected by the _ _ _ _ _ _ didn’t fill the cistern, the children had to haul _ _ _ _ _ from a spring.

 

Left: Wooden shelves on a wall inside the cabin. Right: Metal roof on the cabin.

NPS Photos

The family grew vegetables and _ _ _ _ _ trees. The children helped dry and can this food to store for the winter on shelves in the _ _ _ _ _ _. Some fruit and vegetables was dried on sheets on the _ _ _ _ of the house.

 

Left: An outside corner of the cabin where the logs from both walls come together. Right: A stone fireplace.

NPS Photos

It was a long way to any town and money to buy new things was scarce. If something could
be _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ or reused, it was. Pieces of _ _ _ _ from a wagon wheel rim were used to frame
the _ _ _ _ for the living room fireplace and strengthen the corners of the shed.

The _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ provided _ _ _ _ and served as stove for cooking for many years.