The Dust Bowl was a dark and dreary time for many Coloradans. Between 1862 and 1934, the federal government granted 1.6 million homesteads to Americans under the Homesteading Act of 1862 and 1909’s Enlarged Homestead Act. With promises of a tree-filled oasis, families who moved west hoped to reap the benefits of the farming boom. Their luck changed as they found themselves in the middle of one of the largest environmental disasters to hit the plains. This Colorado Experience episode follows one Colorado family who moved west only to find themselves in the middle of one of the largest environmental disasters to hit the plains.

Colorado Experience is a historical documentary series produced by Rocky Mountain PBS celebrating the people, places and events that shaped the state. Podcasts in this playlist are derived from the second season of the Emmy Award-winning history series.

Learn more and watch full episodes online at www.rmpbs.org/ColoradoExperience