Farmers and Ranchers Flashcards
What materials did families use to build houses on the Great Plains?
Families used sod, held together by the roots of prairie-grass, to build houses.
How thick were the walls made of sod?
The walls made of sod were three feet thick.
What was used for the roof of sod houses?
The roof was made of tarpaper covered with a layer of sod.
Why was the Great Plains mostly uninhabited by people of European descent?
The densely packed earth made it difficult to establish large settlements.
What technological advances allowed for larger settlements in the Great Plains?
Advances in technology allowed for deep well drilling and new windmills to pump water.
What is the High Plains or Ogallala Aquifer?
The Ogallala Aquifer covers 174,000 square miles beneath 8 western states.
What farming machinery innovations occurred in the late 19th century?
Farmers used steel-tipped plows that could loosen tightly packed topsoil.
What challenges did earlier plows face on the Great Plains?
Earlier plows, made of iron or wood, broke when encountering tough grass roots.
