In search of a better life, settlers came to middle America by the tens of thousands. Thanks to the Kincaid Act of 1862, squatters could claim up to 160 acres of land if they agreed to cultivate the soil and live on the parcel. To survive, many resorted to building sod houses using the very turf they were farming as raw materials.
Despite their enthusiasm, failures were legion and the consequences were catastrophic. Indeed, many paid for their mistakes with their lives. To walk the very same paths that the early settlers would have traveled, one has to wonder if they had any idea what they were in for.
Because of the harsh realities of life on the great plains, there are still vast territories that average less than six people per square mile.
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