Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family came to De Smit, South Dakota on a government giveaway. The government gave homesteaders 160 acres in the Dakota Territory to stake a claim. All they had to do was have 10 acres planted. Then build a house and live on the farm for five years and the land was theirs. Pa Ingall built half a house the first year the second half of the house the second year and built a second room addition on the third year. He spent $16.00 in fees to register the land and it was his. I am not convinced that the Ingalls had it any worse than anyone else for that period, its just that Laura wrote a series of books about their family and living on the homestead. Now their homestead is now a tourist attraction. Fact the Burvee family was the first registered residents of Kingsbury County. And their shanty is 50 feet north of the dugout (Ingalls first living quarters).
To view any picture on a larger scale just click on it.
Then click your browsers back button to return.