Dugouts were a common type of structure on the Kansas frontier from
the mid-1800s through the early 20th c. The first residence built on many
family land claims were dugouts. Few of these dugout residences have
been investigated archeologically, but a number have been recorded
across the state. Dugouts were also constructed at stage stations on
isolated routes to provide a safe haven, and on many frontier military
posts as temporary housing until more permanent buildings of adobe,
stone, or wood could be erected. Two dugouts at Fort Ellsworth (near
present-day Kanopolis, Kansas) were excavated as part of the Kansas
Archeology Training Program, a cooperative effort between the Kansas
State Historical Society, the Kansas Anthropological Association, and the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kansas City District, in 1996. One was a
residence, but the other dugout contained the remains of a large brick-
arched bake oven. The report on the Fort Ellsworth dugouts, being
compiled by Bob Ziegler (Army Corps) should be available later this year.
Dugouts were usually located along a stream bank. They often had a sod
or limestone wall facing the stream with a door and possibly a window.
Some had short sod or limestone walls along one to three sides of the
excavated area to extend the height of the walls. Most dugouts had only
one room, but some had two or more. Most had dirt floors, but evidence
(vertical nails and grommets) suggests that canvas tarps were often
stretched across the floor. Tree branches, sod, prairie grass, and soil
were used in layers to form the roof. Some reminiscences suggest that
canvas tarps were suspended beneath the ceiling to limit the amount of
dirt and rain that sifted down through the roof. More than one account
also suggests that the tarps helped at least slightly to keep out burrowing
rodents.
Marsha K. King
Special Projects Archeologist
Kansas State Historical Society
6425 SW 6th Ave.
Topeka, KS 66614-1099
(785) 272-8681, ext. 253
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http://history.cc.ukans.edu/heritage/kshs/kshs1.html
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