From Homesteads to Hand Tools: These 16 Vintage Photos Show What Pioneer Life Was Really Like

Written by Rachel Schneider on June 23, 2025

A black and white photo of covered wagons pulled by teams of horses or oxen, traveling across a dry, dusty landscape with several people riding on and walking beside the wagons.

Pioneer life was tough, plain and simple. Families worked outside sod homes, women in long skirts prepared meals, and kids grew up fast with responsibilities greater than the ones adults have today. Whether it’s Stagecoach Mary holding her ground or settlers taking to covered wagons in search of land, these pictures offer a peak into the lives of pioneers.

1. Settlers Taking a Rest Along Their Travels in 1870

A sepia-toned photograph depicts a group of covered wagons, people, and horses gathered on a flat, open landscape with scattered trees and distant buildings, suggesting a historical wagon train encampment. — zadraaa / Reddit.com

2. Pioneer Family in Loup Valley, Nebraska, in 1886

A black-and-white photo of a pioneer family standing beside a covered wagon pulled by two horses on a grassy plain. Two adults, two children, and a baby pose near the wagon, with open land stretching behind them. — Reddit__PI / Reddit.com

3. Great Plains Settlers

Two men in old-fashioned work clothes and hats stand on a barren field. In the background, a horse-drawn wagon and a small building are visible. The photo appears to be old and in black and white. — UserDeleted / Reddit.com

4. Stagecoach Mary

A Black woman in a long dress and headscarf stands holding a rifle, with a dog lying at her feet. The background shows an ornate painted backdrop resembling a porch or veranda. The photo has a sepia tone. — neuda17 / Reddit.com

5. A Family Outside Their Dugout Home in Oklahoma Territory, 1900

Five people pose in front of a rustic wooden cabin with a sod roof. A boy stands in the center with a bicycle, flanked by two women and two men. The scene appears old-fashioned, likely from the late 19th or early 20th century. — Janiththa / Reddit.com

6. Native Chiefs Heading to Washington D.C. To Ask President Grant To Honor the Fort Laramie Treaty and Keep the Black Hills

A sepia photograph of five Native American leaders, four men and one woman, dressed in traditional and Western clothing, posed formally in a studio setting with a painted backdrop. Their names are listed below the image. — UrbanAchievers6371 / Reddit.com

7. Seth Kinman, One of the Earliest Settlers of Humboldt County, California, Sitting on a Chair Made Out of a Grizzly Bear That He Gave to President Johnson in 1865

A bearded man wearing a fringed outfit and fur hat sits on a chair draped with a bear hide. He holds a rifle and a pipe, with another rifle and an ax resting beside him. — UserDeleted / Reddit.com

8. Mormon Pioneers Coming Off Big Mountain Into Mountain Dell in 1847

Black-and-white photo of covered wagons pulled by oxen on a dirt trail, with people riding in the wagons. Text on the image reads: "The Mormon pioneers coming off Big Mountain into Mountain Dell. July 1847. — Library of Congress

9. The Shores Family Near Custer County, Nebraska, in 1887

Five African American individuals, including a baby, pose in front of sod houses on a grassy yard. Two men stand, three women sit. Barrels and a horse-drawn wagon are visible in the background under a clear sky. — robotaeronaut / Reddit.com

10. Couple in El Reno, Oklahoma, Territory Between 1889 and 1907

A sepia-toned vintage portrait shows a young man standing next to a seated young woman. Both wear 19th-century clothing. The photo is labeled “El Reno, Okla. Terr.” and has handwritten script at the bottom. — Agreeable_Tank229 / Reddit.com

11. Settlers Escaping Violence During the Dakota War of 1862

A large group of people, including children and adults, sit and stand in a grassy field with blankets and belongings. Some are near a horse-drawn cart. The image appears old, in black and white. — marquis_of_chaos / Reddit.com

12. Family in Pursuit of Land in 1886 During The Homestead Act

Black and white photo of a pioneer family with two horses and a covered wagon on a grassy plain. A man, woman, and child stand beside the wagon loaded with supplies under an open sky. — onepersononeidea / Reddit.com

13. Olive Oatman in 1857, When She Was Set Free From the Mojave Tribe by Local Settlers

A black-and-white portrait of a young woman with center-parted, wavy hair, wearing a buttoned dress with patterned cuffs. She has vertical chin tattoos and a solemn expression, seated against a plain backdrop. — KazCarpent / Reddit.com

14. The Three Eldest Ingalls Sisters in South Dakota

Three young girls in old-fashioned dresses, one seated and two standing, pose for a black and white vintage portrait. The girls have long hair and solemn expressions against a dark backdrop. — UserDeleted / Reddit.com

15. There’s a Cow on the Roof!

A black-and-white photo of a family with children and adults sitting and standing outside a sod house. Two horses stand on the right, and a cow is on the grass-covered roof. A table with dishes is set outside. — Ranking76Podcast / Reddit.com

16. Settlers Outside Their Sod House in Aberdeen, South Dakota, in 1892

A black-and-white photo of five people and a dog standing outside a small sod house on a snowy, barren landscape, with basic wooden windows and a sloped roof. — justaladwithahurley / Reddit.com

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