About a year ago, I took on the ambitious project to write a non-fiction book about South Dakota’s real women homesteaders. The amount of research required to write this type of book is tremendous. I spent the better part of 2025 researching prospective candidates for the book. These women must have staked a claim and worked that claim.
Now, I’m in the writing phase of this “work-in-progress.” There’s still much to be done.
But I wouldn’t be where I am today without help from friends, acquaintances, and new friends. New friends like Korey and Tana Jackson, their cousin Lori DeBane, and Tana’s aunt Betty. Korey is a devoted researcher. He’s spent considerable time digging into stories about family members from days gone by.
Korey has supplied countless documents, while Lori graciously allowed me access to an entire box of letters to and from her great-grandmother. We spent a fascinating afternoon with Tana’s Aunt Betty, listening to stories about her family history.
Genealogy groups have also helped fill in the blanks for some of the immigrant women. This documentation helps paint vivid pictures of what it was like to move to Dakota Territory during the 1800s and early 1900s.
I’m continuing to look for stories about South Dakota’s women homesteaders. If you have an ancestor who came west – or know someone whose great-grandmother or great-aunt homesteaded, I’d love to learn more.