The Ranche on the Oxhide: A Story of Boys' and Girls' Life on the Frontier

In the spring of 1866 a veteran from Vermont and his family set out for the newly opened lands of Kansas, drawn by the promise of a hundred‑acre claim and a fresh start after the war. The journey takes them from the bustling river town of Leavenworth across rolling prairies, through dense forests of towering elms and cottonwoods that seem to whisper ancient stories. Along the way the children—Joe, Rob, Gertrude, and Kate—are thrilled by the sight of red squirrels, blue jays, and the wild, untamed scenery that lies far beyond their New England home.

When they finally stake their claim, the Thompsons begin the hard work of turning raw prairie into a homestead, felling trees, raising a log cabin, and learning to live off the land. Their days are filled with the sounds of prairie chickens, the rustle of prairie schooners, and the occasional warning of distant indigenous warriors defending their hunting grounds. Through humor, determination, and the simple pleasures of frontier life, the family discovers both the beauty and the danger of their new world.