Publisher's Synopsis
Scorching heat. Bitter cold. Relentless wind. No trees. Scarce water. That's what settlers faced in 1879 on the Kansas plains. Four generations of the Crawford family survive and eventually prosper during 120 years of farming the Kansas prairie. Tales of hardship, humor, and grit merge with details of the enormous changes in mechanization, economics, and political forces as the country transitions from a mostly rural nation to a mostly urban one. Crawford's personal story coupled with his research on the evolution of farming from the homestead to the recent prairie fires describe the birth and transformation of his family farm.After their trek from Pennsylvania, with a stop to earn money in Kansas City, the family took possession of their Kansas High Plains homestead. Moving out of their canvas covered wagons they started their home. Self-reliant homesteaders, Harmon and Candus Crawford, dug a well and cut prairie sod to build their fir
