1869 Log Cabin built by Herman Sudbeck

Image building a home with logs, prairie hay, mud, and water. That is just what the ancestor of Cedar County resident, Lloyd Sudbeck did for his family when they settled in America. 

The Herman Sudbeck family included his wife Maria Boken and their nine children: Frank, Ferdinand, John, Joe, Little Herman, Bernard, Anna, Steve and Magdalena were living in Oldenburg, Germany in the 1860s. Like others living there, they were forced to endure land seizures, unemployment, and lack of available goods due to the failed German Revolution of 1848. In addition, farmers were experiencing low crop yields due to poor conditions. Prospects in the Unites States seemed bountiful, so when emigration restrictions eased in Germany, they made plans to come to America.  

The older children, Frank, Ferdinand and John, ventured the trip in 1867. Their journey was not an easy one. Those fortunate enough to secure passage on a steam ship without months of delays were packed onboard and tried to find space wherever available. Only the very wealthy could afford a private space, the multitude were crammed together to make the best of the long journey. Some died along the way, and many became ill. The three survived the ship voyage but Ferdinand died during the remaining journey in New Vienna, Iowa. 

Two years later, Herman and Maria took the journey with their younder children Joe, Herman, Bernard, Anna, Steve and Magdalena. On arrival they settled a quarter mile west of Bow Valley where Herman built this cabin. The kitchen area has a chimney exhaust for cooking. The bedroom on the main floor has a trap door to the cellar that was once used as a hiding area from Native Americans, a place for cold storage and an entry to a rock well below. Upstairs was a large open bedroom.  

The cabin was donated to the museum and moved in 1983. In 2023, Lloyd Sudbeck began the restoration and stabilization of the cabin. Thanks to a grant from the Cedar County Tourism Board, contact the Cedar County Historical Museum for tour information.

Homestead Act

    In 1962 president Lincoln passed the Homestead Act to "to elevate the condition of men, to lift artificial burdens from all shoulders and to give everyone an unfettered start and a fair chance in the race of life." This led to the rapid settlement of U.S. western territory by allowing any American, including freed slaves, to put in a claim for up to 160 free acres of federal land. 

    Homesteaders had specific instructions to receive ownership of the land.  They had to build a home on the land, a minimum of 10 by 12 feet in size, and it had to include a glass window. If they made it five years, living on the land, farming and improving the property, the land claim would be theirs.

    Log cabins became a quick and easy way to build a home on the western plain.  Trees were cleared from the land, stripped of their bark and then squared, notched and placed in an interlocking pattern. Once in place, settlers would "chink" it — pushing sticks and wood chips into spaces between the logs, and then pasting in a simple cement, made of earth, sand and water, or even clay.

    A stone fireplace would also be put into the home. The floor was usually dirt or gravel and required daily raking. Most places on the frontier had one room, which became the kitchen, bedroom and living room. Some did have lofts, for extra space.

, Cedar County History Book Committee. Cedar County 140 Years. Hartington, NE. 2023.

Interview with Lloyd Sudbeck. Meirose, Julie. Performed by Lloyd Sudbeck. USA. 2023. Recording.

The Truth About Life In Log Cabins for Old West Families, Grunge.com. Accessed December 24th, 2023. Read More: https://www.grunge.com/337050/the-truth-about-life-in-log-cabins-for-old-west-families/..

Pinkster, Matthew . Homestead Act: 1862 Dates and Definition, HIstory.com. Accessed December 24th, 2023. https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/homestead-act.