The Homestead Act of 1862 turns 150
Families filing homestead claims were required to prove 5 years of residence and make improvements to the land.
- “Turning over first sod on homestead.” Sun River Mont. By Lubkin, November 5, 1908
- “Hancock homestead. Settler from Benson, Minn.” Little girl feeding chickens against background of house, buckboard wagon, and ridge of plateau, Sun River, Mont. By Lubkin, June 23, 1910
- Residence of G. L. Rule Feb. 18, 1898. Have lived here since Sept. 1893.” Family stands in foreground; sod building and cabin in background, Arizona Territory
See the rest of our series commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Homestead Act »
Homestead certificate for Daniel Freeman - 150th Anniversary of the Homestead Act
Daniel Freeman was the first American to file a homestead claim for land under the Homestead Act of 1862. The act required a series of steps, such as improving a plot of land and living on it for five years, before the homesteader could gain ownership of the 160 acres he claimed. Daniel Freeman initiated his claim on January 1, 1863 and received his ownership certificate January 20, 1868.
(See our “celebrity” Homestead Proofs from Almonzo Wilder and Virgil Earp for other examples.)
See the rest of our series commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Homestead Act »
via DocsTeach (Use the DocsTeach app? You can find Homestead Act activities under the “Rise of the Industrial US” topic.)
The Homestead Act of 1862 turns 150
Prospective Homesteaders try to stake their claims:
- “First train [and wagons] leaving the line north of Orlando For Perry [OkIa. Terr.], Sept. 16, 1893.”
- Anadarko Townsite, Okla. Terr., August 8, 1901. Tent city in the cornfield
- “Holding Down A Lot In Guthrie.” By C. P. Rich, ca. 1889
- “Looking For A Town Lot.” Guthrie, Ind. Terr. [Oklahoma], ca. 1889
The Homestead Act - passed 150 years ago today:
Act of May 20, 1862 (Homestead Act), Public Law 37-64, 05/20/1862
Passed on May 20, 1862, the Homestead Act accelerated the settlement of the western territory by granting adult heads of families 160 acres of surveyed public land for a minimal filing fee and 5 years of continuous residence on that land.
Read more at Our Documents
Don’t miss our series of posts commemorating the Homestead Act’s 150th Anniversary - including this railroad advertisement which proclaims with little irony that the open land is former Indian Territory.
Also - if you’re in Nebraska, you can see the Homestead Act now on loan for display at the National Park Service’s Homestead National Monument.
(via todaysdocument)
Drawing for Kiowa, Comanche, Apache and Wichita Indian Lands: Oklahoma, 1901. The tops of the freighter cars furnished seats for some 30,000 people who witnessed this drawing
The Homestead Act of 1862, which provided the basis for land giveaways such as these, turns 150 years old on May 20.
“In Line At The Land Office, Perry, Sept. 23, 1893. 9 o’clock A.M. waiting to file.”
From the Bureau of Land Management series: Opening of the Cherokee Strip in Oklahoma Territory, 1893
The Homestead Act of 1862, which provided the basis for land claims such as these, turns 150 years old on May 20.
In 1932, home economists championed this thrifty couple’s use of home canning to provide fruits and vegetables for the family throughout the year.
Negro Family Budget of Canned Fruits and Vegetables, Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Bryan Expert Canners in Their Community, 05/19/1928
“Indian Territory That Garden of the World, Open for Homestead and Pre-Emption”
Sunday, May 20 marks the 150th Anniversary of the Homestead Act, passed on May 20, 1862. It greatly accelerated settlement of the western United States, providing 160 acres of free land to qualified citizens, but this often came at the expense of displaced Native Americans.
via DocsTeach (Use the DocsTeach app? You can find Homestead Act activities under the “Rise of the Industrial US” topic.)
Homestead proof for Virgil Walter Earp
Virgil Earp, the brother of more famous Wyatt Earp, followed his family West in the 1860s after his service with the Union Army during the Civil War. He participated in the Gunfight at the OK Corral in Arizona Territory in 1877 and filed this homestead proof at the Prescott, Arizona, Land Office on April 11, 1900.
Homestead Proof Testimony of Almanzo Wilder, 09/12/1884
Dated September 12, 1884, this is the homestead proof of Almanzo James Wilder, husband of “Little House” author Laura Ingalls Wilder. His claim for land in De Smet, Dakota territory, notes a 12’ x 12’ frame house with two doors, one window, and a cellar, a two stables.
June 23, 1910 - Little girl feeding chickens on the Hancock Homestead, Sun River, Montana
Act of May 20, 1862 (Homestead Act), Public Law 37-64, 05/20/1862
Passed on May 20, 1862, the Homestead Act accelerated the settlement of the western territory by granting adult heads of families 160 acres of surveyed public land for a minimal filing fee and 5 years of continuous residence on that land.
Read more at Our Documents
