Prairie Homestead

Philip, SD

The Prairie Homestead and the Badlands Trading Post are both located at the North East entrance to the Badlands National park. The Homestead was restored in 1962 by Keith and Dorothy Crew. They started The Gasoline Station in 1973. In 1995 it was rebuilt. Both businesses are still operated by the Crew family.

The Prairie Homestead is one of the very few sod dwellings intact today. The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation's cultural resources worthy of preservation. In 1974 the Prairie Homestead was placed on this list. It is also an AAA approved attraction. This sod dugout was built by Mr. & Mrs. Ed Brown. They were early pioneers who came west looking for land where they could fulfill their dreams. When they reached the grassy prairies near the Badlands they filed on this 160 acres.

 

click image to Go to Prairie Homestead website
This was a very interesting place to visit to see how amazingly strong people had to be in the early 1900's as our country was expanding to the west to build a home and a life literally out of nothing in the middle of nowhere, it is truly amazing how far we have come in such a short time to the world we live in and take for granted today

Click image to see all pictures from our visit