Hard work defined homesteading life. Farm women had many tasks and responsibilities. They cooked, made candles, preserved food, made clothing, and oversaw the health of the family. Some worked the fields and tended livestock, too. At times women also took the harvest to town or bought supplies. They frequently had many children who, when old enough, would work on the farm. Children helped in the fields and with livestock, as well as with the housework. Often farm life kept children so busy that they did not attend school.

Towns popped up out West along trains stops and near successful mines. These towns were called boom towns. Some people would ride the train to the boom town to work and then ride back. Men would work in mines looking for gold, silver, and oil. Women in boom towns set up shops and restaurants. Some women made good money providing clothing and food for the farmers and miners. These boom towns were often abandoned as soon as the mines dried up.