Sagebrush Homesteads tells of a childhood spent on some of the last semi-arid acres claimed by homesteaders in the Columbia Basin. Laura T. Lage (1896-1985) opens her tale in 1906 when, as a child of ten, she arrives with her parents to begin a new life near the fledgling town of Othello, Washington. Like their neighbors, who live less than a mile away in any direction, the Tice family invests far more in the shallow, thirsty, "blowdust" soil of Eastern Washington's Adams County than its precarious promise warrants. Although their life is hard and resources are scarce, Laura finds much to be thankful for and her attitude is decidedly cheerful--even optimistic. Soon, the 1909 completion of the Milwaukee Railroad's western division gives some of the failing farmers new reason to stay, and the region's young people find employment and hope in the Milwaukee's restaurant, roundhouse, and work gangs. But in 1914, Laura realizes she must leave her father's farm to get a decent education and make her own living. Lage penned her regional pioneer classic a half-century later, after she returned to the once-parched farm and observed sprouting crops irrigated by the new Columbia Basin Project. The visit inspired her to record her memories--a wealth of homestead lore, humor, and despair. This WSU Press edition is an unabridged reprint of the original 1967 text, and includes the 1999 introduction by the Othello Community Museum's Gladys C. Para.

Lage, Laura Tice

Pullman, Wash.: Washington State University Press

United States, United States of America

Pullman, Wash, Washington State, 1999

First Edition, PT, 1999

First Printing, 1999

Originally published: Yakima, Wash. : Franklin Press, 1967.
Includes index.

The Pioneers Who Took Up Homesteads On The Raw Sagebrush Land Of The Great Columbia Basin Were Men And Women Of Real Fortitude And Courage. Their Struggles To Make Homes And Raise Crops, With The Great Scarcity Of Water Which Then Existed, Is An Epic To Match That Of Other Earlier Western Pioneers. The Author Was A Child Of Ten When The Joseph W. Tice Family Moved To A Homestead North Of The Present Town Of Othello, Washington. Other Homestead Lands Nearby Were Being Rapidly Taken Up. She Retained Vivid Memories Of Those Early Years, And She Recounted Many Of The Experiences Of Her Parents And Other Homestead Families Between The Years Of 1901 And 1916--jacket. By Laura Tice Lage. Originally Published: Yakima, Wash. : Franklin Press, 1967. Includes Index.

"The pioneers who took up homesteads on the raw sagebrush land of the great Columbia Basin were men and women of real fortitude and courage. Their struggles to make homes and raise crops, with the great scarcity of water which then existed, is an epic to match that of other earlier Western pioneers." "The author was a child of ten when the Joseph W. Tice family moved to a homestead north of the present town of Othello, Washington. Other homestead lands nearby were being rapidly taken up. She retained vivid memories of those early years, and she recounted many of the experiences of her parents and other homestead families between the years of 1901 and 1916."--BOOK JACKET

271 p. : 22 cm
Originally published: Yakima, Wash. : Franklin Press, 1967
Includes index

2024-07-01