USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Sod houses, or “soddies, ” were a common style of dwelling built in the Prairies during the second half of the 19th century. Soddies were small structures cheaply built out of blocks of sod and rudimentary house fittings. Sod refers to grass and the soil beneath it that is held together by the grass’s roots.

Detailed explanation-2: -Without trees or stone to build with, homesteaders had to rely on the only available building material-prairie sod, jokingly called “Nebraska marble.” Sod is the top layer of earth that includes grass, its roots, and the dirt clinging to the roots.

Detailed explanation-3: -The sod house, or “soddy, ” was one of the most common dwellings in the frontier west. The long, tough grasses of the plains had tight, intricate root systems, and the earth in which they were contained could be cut into flexible, yet strong, bricks.

Detailed explanation-4: -Sod was a natural insulator, keeping out cold in winter, and heat in summer, while wood houses, which usually had no insulation, were just the opposite: always too hot or too cold. Another advantage of a soddy was that it offered protection from fire, wind, and tornadoes.