Saturday, January 26, 2019


What do you imagine when you read or hear 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.




Prairies required sod houses or
dugouts due to lack of wood.

Cutting sod for a house

Inside a sod house


Having wood made a more acceptable home.


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. Another good series is Linda Hubalek’s fictional Trails of Thread series.


Caroline Clemmons' latest release is GARNET in the Widows of Wildcat Ridge Series. You can find the book on Amazon at 
For a complete list of her books, check her webpage at or her Author Page on Amazon.


  1. The determination, strength and resourcefulness of homesteaders is remarkable but for women, it goes beyond even these characteristics. Thanks for reminding us, Carolyn.

    1. Arletta, I would have made a terrible homesteader, but I admire those women who were able to succeed. What hard lives they had.

  2. Thank you for sharing the research and source for this fascinating post. Women can and did do just a much to settle the West as the men. (Is that the women's history researcher talking? *Smile*) Doris

    1. Doris, and many times, women moving west had no say in the decision made by their husband or father about leaving home to move to the frontier. I suspect many of them regretted their decision while others were happy to find a home they could own. Thank heavens for modern times even though I love reading and writing about history.

  3. Thanks, Caroline, for an interesting post. I had no idea that the Homestead Act last until 1976 including that extension for Alaska. In answer to your question, living in my present-day lifestyle, my answer is "no!" However, if I'd lived in the 1800's, I might have been far more adventuresome. LOL

  4. Cheri, if we lived in the 1800s, we would have had a different outlook, no doubt. We can't judge using our current lifestyle. I'm grateful for my modern comforts. I suspect (being the puny person I am) I wouldn't have made a good pioneer.


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