Hand falling timber

If a pioneer could find a block of vacant, non-reserved land he liked, the next step was to stake out his claim and make a written application to the government.  If the government approved, a Certificate of Pre-emption was issued. 

Now came the hard part – clearing the land of heavy timber to create a homestead.

Many pioneers used an axe or 2-man crosscut saw to fall the trees.  These trees were often two or three feet in diameter – sometimes bigger.  What a workout it must have been!  Horses, oxen or even dynamite was used to pull or blast the tree stump and roots from the ground.

Soon a house would be built with a small crude garden spot.  Each year the pioneers would clear more land – creating larger and larger fields to cultivate.