Peter Krajiek was the first Bohemian to settle in the Black Hawk area.  He was related to Mrs. Shimerda and he makes arrangements to sell them his homestead.  At the beginning of chapter three, Jim's family goes over to greet the new family and take them supplies to help them through the winter.  Jim's Grandmother says:

"If they're nice people, I hate to think of them spending the winter in that cave of Krajiek's," said grandmother.  "It's no better than a badger hole; no proper dugout at all.  And I hear he's made them pay twenty dollars of his old cook stove that ain't worth ten."

After he sold them the land Peter slept in the dug-out barn with Mr. Shimerda, the two boys and the oxen.