Four of these families are still residents of the county and with the increase in the families can buast of being the only nationality which now has more representatives than they had at the time the county was organized.

The pioneers probably endured more hardships than fell to the lot of their brothers who settled the middle and eastern states. While they had no forests to clear or stones to remove in order to make a home they had but little to build that home with. Ninety-seven percent of the houses which sheltered the first settlers were erected out of native sod. The typical settler usually arrived in a covered wagon, with a crate of chickens tied on behind, leading a cow, together with a breaking plow, a spade, axe and a few primitive tools. Upon arriving at the place he had selected for his homestead, he usually unloaded his wagon, removed the wagon box, left the wife and children to get along as best they could there while he, with the running gears of the wagon, went to the Pine Ridge, fifty miles away, to secure ridge poles, some rough boards and fire wood. Accompanied by one or two neighbors who assisted in loading the logs and doubling teams up steep hills, they returned after a few days. Then, hitching on the breaking plow he turned a quantity of sod which he cut into three foot lengths with the spade, carried and erected the walls of their future habitation, placing the ridge poles upon this, covi red with a layer of boards or poles, upon which he placed a layer of sod with the grass side down, thus forming a rude shelter from the elements. The same process was followed in a sod stable erected to shelter the team and cow. lie usually had to travel several miles ring or neighboring stream and haul water in a barrel for household use until such time as a well could be put down.