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88-526: The legal provisions of the Kinkaid Act were very similar to those of the Homestead Act . A claimant had to be at least 21 years of age (or 18 if the head of a household), a current U.S. citizen, or had to have started the process of becoming a citizen. Five years of residency was required to gain title to a claim, with exceptions made to account for years of military service. In 1912 the residency requirement

176-602: A 1915 report compiled by the Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Nebraska . It found that only 200,000 acres (81,000 ha) were remaining in the public domain within the boundaries of the Kinkaid Act, and no sites that had 640 contiguous acres available. A 1917 report from the Department of Interior reviewed the results from the first ten years after the Kinkaid Act, from 1904 to 1914. It found

264-404: A female householder with no husband present. 33.8% of households consisted of individuals and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.3 and the average family size was 2.9. 25.9% of the population was under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

352-524: A good initial experiment size for dry-land farming, and the act could be amended in the future if more land were needed. Kinkaid stated that the bill had three primary purposes: to get the lands into the hands of individuals and thus make the land taxable; to end the fencing and claim fraud controversies over the land; and to build up the communities in the region. It was a bill meant for "the disposition of sandy and arid lands in western Nebraska," which were too difficult to irrigate. It specifically applied to

440-696: A gradual decrease in this indigenous land. Many of these land-grabs occurred during and after treaty negotiations between indigenous tribes and the United States. Native Americans often traded their land in exchange for citizenship and civil rights. Due to the United States' economic power, these tribes had little leverage and millions of acres of land were transferred from their ownership. It was difficult for indigenous people to legally challenge this infringement because they lacked legal rights and legal standing. These treaties were used to naturalize and civilize Native Americans. As an indirect, de facto way to secure

528-524: A low fixed price of $ 1.25 per acre ($ 3.09 per hectare). To qualify, a person had to be either 21 years old or a "head of household" (such as a parent or surviving sibling supporting a family), a citizen or an immigrant declaring to become a citizen, and a resident on that land for a minimum of 14 months. To get permanent title to the land, the person had to accomplish certain actions, such as continue to reside on it or improve it for at least five years; they could not leave or abandon it for more than six months at

616-510: A male householder with no wife present, and 36.0% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age in the city was 39.8 years. 25.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 to 44; 29.2% were from 45 to 64; and 14.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of

704-415: A small family farmer: They get cows, so far as they are able, and they go into dairying – those that are able to buy cattle enough to go into the stock business do so. They plow what we call the valleys ... They raise cane a good deal for feeding, and in some places alfalfa. He estimated that the average Kinkaid homesteader had 15 to 40 head of cattle on 640 acres. Kinkaid's observations were supported by

792-490: A time. The Donation Land Claim Act allowed settlers to claim land in the Oregon Territory , then including the modern states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and parts of Wyoming. The Oregon Donation Land Claim Act was passed in 1850 and allowed white settlers to claim 320 acres or 640 to married couples between 1850 and 1855 when the act was repealed. Before it was repealed in 1855, the land was sold for $ 1.25 per acre. After

880-468: A total of 320 acres to a settler. The 1862 Homestead Act did not include indigenous peoples, so Congress passed the Indian Homestead Act to give Native family heads the opportunity to purchase homesteads from unclaimed public lands. This was under the condition that the individual relinquished their tribal identity and relations, along with the land improvement requirements. The federal land title

968-461: Is a city and the county seat of Box Butte County , in the western part of the state of Nebraska , in the Great Plains region of the United States. Its population was 8,151 at the 2020 census. Alliance is home to Carhenge , a replica of Stonehenge constructed with automobiles, which is located north of the city. It is also the location of Alliance Municipal Airport, the least-used airport in

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1056-575: Is possible for any citizen to obtain certain lands from the Federal Government for residence, recreation, or business purposes. These tracts may not usually be larger than 5 acres. A 5-acre tract would be one which is 660 feet long and 330 feet wide, or its equivalent. The property was to be improved with a building. Starting July 1955, improvement was required to be minimum of 400 sq. feet of space. 4,000 previously classified Small Tracts were offered at public auction at fair market value, circa 1958, by

1144-471: Is rather typical of the surrounding region. Under the Köppen climate classification , the town features a BSk climate, commonly described as a " Cold Steppe ", with winters just below the −3 °C (26.6 °F) threshold needed to be classified as a Continental climate, if it had enough precipitation to not be arid or semi-arid. The all-time record high for Alliance is 110 °F (43 °C), set in 1983, and

1232-547: Is the local parochial school , in association with Holy Rosary and St. Bridget Catholic Churches. St. Agnes is located within a historic building designed by noted architect William L. Steele . Alliance is served by the Alliance Municipal Airport , three miles southeast of the city, which it owns. In the 12 months ending in January 2021, the airport received 2,882 passengers, or an average of just 8 per day, making it

1320-672: The Dust Bowl of the 1930s. In 1916, the Stock-Raising Homestead Act was passed for settlers seeking 640 acres (260 ha) of public land for ranching purposes. Renewed interest in homesteading was brought about by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt 's program of Subsistence Homesteading implemented in the 1930s under the New Deal . In 1938 Congress passed a law, called the Small Tract Act (STA) of 1938, by which it

1408-599: The Lakota language , Alliance is known as čhasmú okáȟmi , meaning "Sand River Bend". Alliance is located at the western edge of Nebraska's Sand Hills . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 4.73 square miles (12.25 km ), of which 4.72 square miles (12.22 km ) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km ) is water. Located in the High Plains , Alliance's climate

1496-669: The Province of Canada in The Public Lands Act of 1860. It was extended to include settlement in the Rainy River District under The Rainy River Free Grants and Homestead Act, 1886 , These Acts were consolidated in 1913 in The Public Lands Act , which was further extended in 1948 to provide for free grants to former members of the Canadian Forces . The original free grant provisions for settlers were repealed in 1951, and

1584-598: The Sandhills of north-central Nebraska required more than 160 acres for a claimant to support a family, Congress passed the Kinkaid Act, which granted larger homestead tracts, up to 640 acres, to homesteaders in Nebraska. This act allowed homesteads within Forest Reserves (created from 1891 on) and National Forests (from 1905? on), responding to opponents of the nation's Forest Reserves who felt land suited for agriculture

1672-576: The Western Nebraska Observer of Kimball reported that there was a construction boom in Kimball County , which was within the territory of the Kinkaid Act. The North Platte Telegraph reported in 1906 that merchants had been having their most profitable months ever due to the influx of new residents. In her book Old Jules , a memoir about living in the Sandhills region at the turn of

1760-510: The public domain , typically called a homestead . In all, more than 160 million acres (650 thousand km ; 250 thousand sq mi) of public land, or nearly 10 percent of the total area of the United States, were given away free to 1.6 million homesteaders; most of the homesteads were west of the Mississippi River . These acts were the first sovereign decisions of post-war North–South capitalist cooperation in

1848-516: The 1866 law was part of the reason that within a generation after its passage, by 1900, one quarter of all Southern Black farmers were farm owners. Later Homestead acts only marginally benefited African Americans. Similar laws were passed in Canada: The Legislative Assembly of Ontario passed The Free Grants and Homestead Act in 1868, which introduced a conditional scheme to an existing free grant plan previously authorized by

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1936-571: The 1880s and 90s. The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 ended homesteading; by that time, federal government policy had shifted to retaining control of western public lands. The only exception to this new policy was in Alaska , for which the law allowed homesteading until 1986. The last claim under this Act was made by Ken Deardorff for 80 acres (32 ha) of land on the Stony River in southwestern Alaska. He fulfilled all requirements of

2024-469: The 5 years of residence or cultivation and that "no part of said land has been alienated [transferred or mortgaged], and that he [the homesteader] has borne true allegiance to the Government of the United States". If both parents died and all the children were under 21, an executor under state law could sell (for the benefit of the children, and not the estate) an absolute title to the land within two years of

2112-551: The Cowboy Ride: Cattle Ranching in the American West . Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. University of Nebraska (1915). Bulletin of the Agricultural Experiment Station of Nebraska, no. 147 . Lincoln: The Station. pp.  11 . kinkaid act. Homestead Act The Homestead Acts were several laws in the United States by which an applicant could acquire ownership of government land or

2200-893: The Great Plains. The area has become depopulated with the decline of small farms, and some towns have become defunct. Grazing Homesteads and the Regulation of Grazing on the Public Lands: Hearing Before the Committee on the Public Lands . Washington: Government Printing Office. 1915. p.  1 . kinkaid act grazing homesteads. Hooker County Historical Society (1989). Hooker County, Nebraska: The First 100 Years . Curtis Media Corp. p. 2. Kay, John. "Renaissance Survey Final Report of Logan County, Nebraska" (PDF) . Nebraska State Historical Society. Archived from

2288-667: The Homestead Act of 1862 was to reduce the cost of homesteading under the Preemption Act; after the South seceded and their delegates left Congress in 1861, the Republicans and supporters from the upper South passed a homestead act signed by Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862, which went into effect on Jan. 1st, 1863. Its leading advocates were Andrew Johnson George Henry Evans and Horace Greeley . George Henry Evans famously coined

2376-456: The Homestead Act of 1866 due to the ineligibility of Black citizens from applying. The " yeoman farmer " ideal of Jeffersonian democracy was still a powerful influence in American politics during the 1840–1850s, with many politicians believing a homestead act would help increase the number of "virtuous yeomen". The Free Soil Party of 1848–52, and the new Republican Party after 1854, demanded that

2464-407: The Kinkaid Act. In congressional testimony from 1914, Moses Kinkaid reported that the sentiment of settlers in the region was that most of the claims remained in the hands of individual families. He reported that the region's communities held many small festivals each year, where Kinkaid homesteaders would meet and display their agricultural products. He described the average Kinkaid homesteader as

2552-522: The Los Angeles Office of BLM. Settlers found land and filed their claims at the regional land office, usually in individual family units, although others formed closer-knit communities. Often, the homestead consisted of several buildings or structures besides the main house. The Homestead Act of 1862 gave rise later to a new phenomenon, large land rushes , such as the Oklahoma Land Runs of

2640-1090: The Northern Plains Transition Area . Ayer Publishing. Peffer, Louise (1951). The Closing of the Public Domain: Disposal and Reservation Policies, 1900-1950 . Stanford University Press. Reports of the Department of the Interior for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1916 . Washington: Government Printing Office. 1917. p. 157. Reynolds, Arthur (1949). "Land Frauds and Illegal Fencing in Western Nebraska". Agricultural History . 23 (3): 173–179. JSTOR   3740079 . Reynolds, Arthur (1949). "The Kinkaid Act and Its Effects on Western Nebraska". Agricultural History . 23 (1): 20–29. JSTOR   3739379 . Sandoz, Mari (1935). Old Jules . Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. Starrs, Paul (1998). Let

2728-460: The Oregon territory. This act followed the passing of the 1848 territorial organic act which allowed any white settler to claim a maximum of six hundred and forty acres. The Land Donation Act, however, also acknowledged women's property rights due to Congress allowing the donation of four hundred acres to settlers—land that could be claimed by heads of households—including women. This act differed from

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2816-483: The Sandhills region decreased by 10% between 1890 and 1900, and millions of acres remained in the public domain. To address this issue, William Neville , a populist congressman from North Platte, Nebraska , introduced legislation in 1902 that would amend the Homestead Law to allow an individual to take a homestead of 1,280 acres in the arid and nonirrigable lands west of the 100th meridian . The bill never made it to

2904-454: The Sandhills region of Nebraska, which is approximately the northwestern two-thirds of the state. All of the land was west of the 98th meridian. Only non-irrigable lands were open for entry; those that were deemed irrigable were not eligible. The bill passed on April 28, 1904. Approximately 11,000,000 acres (4,500,000 ha) of land was made available within the area of the Kinkaid Act. An additional 1,000,000 acres (400,000 ha) of land

2992-571: The United States. An extension of the homestead principle in law, the Homestead Acts were an expression of the Free Soil policy of Northerners who wanted individual farmers to own and operate their own farms, as opposed to Southern slave owners who wanted to buy up large tracts of land and use slave labor, thereby shutting out free white farmers. For a number of years individual Congressmen put forward bills providing for homesteading, but it

3080-462: The acts were Buffalo soldiers , African-American soldiers who were key in building the American frontier in the West. They often engaged in wars with Native Americans, led by the government, to take over indigenous land. The Preemption Act of 1841 allowed settlers to claim up to 160 acres of federal land for themselves and prevent its sale to others including large landowners or corporations; they paid only

3168-532: The all-time record low is −42 °F (−41 °C), set in 1989. Precipitation is significantly higher in summer than in winter, with the wettest month being June, and the driest month being January. The 2020 United States census counted 8,151 people, 3,445 households, and 2,173 families in Alliance. The population density was 1,666.9 per square mile (642.8/km ). There were 4,036 housing units at an average density of 825.4 per square mile (318.3/km ). The racial makeup

3256-447: The area at the time of enactment could accumulate additional surrounding available territory in order to acquire a total homestead unit of 640 acres. Commutation (paying cash instead of occupying a claim for the full five years, which had been permitted under the 1862 Homestead Act) was not allowed under the Kinkaid Act. Claimants of land under the provisions of the Kinkaid Act were generally referred to as "Kinkaiders." The Kinkaid Act

3344-406: The arid lands west of the 100th meridian. Moses Kinkaid, a congressman from the sixth district of Nebraska, introduced a bill "to amend the homestead laws as to certain unappropriated and unreserved lands in Nebraska" on April 6, 1904. The original bill provided for 1,280 acre homesteads, but the Committee on the Public Lands limited the size to 640 acres. The committee felt that 640 acres would be

3432-405: The average family size was 3.06. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.1% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in

3520-442: The broad valley region, with high hills reaching towards the whitish sky. Population rapidly increased in the 37 counties where the law was applicable: Nearly all of the public lands in the region were claimed by 1912. All that remained were extremely isolated or undesirable sections. Between November 1910 and 1917, a total of 18,919 land patents were issued for 8,933,257 acres (3,615,161 ha) of land. Some observers question

3608-422: The century, Mari Sandoz describes the scene as land was initially opened for settlement: Two weeks before opening, covered wagons, horsebackers, men afoot, toiled into Alliance, got information at the land office, and vanished eastward over the level prairie. Many turned back at the first soft yellow chophills, pockmarked by blowouts and warted with soapweeds. Others kept on, through this protective border, into

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3696-613: The city was $ 39,408, and the median income for a family was $ 47,766. Males had a median income of $ 39,122 versus $ 22,561 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 18,584. About 10.6% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 15.1% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over. Alliance Public Schools operates five schools: Early Childhood Center (birth to age 5), Emerson Elementary (kindergarten through grade 2), Grandview Elementary (grades 3–5), Alliance Middle School (grades 6–8), and Alliance High School (grades 9–12). St. Agnes Academy

3784-571: The city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 8,959 people, 3,565 households, and 2,392 families living in the city. The population density was 1,879.1 inhabitants per square mile (725.5/km ). There were 4,062 housing units at an average density of 852.0 per square mile (329.0/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 89.09% White , 0.49% African American , 3.40% Native American , 0.60% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 4.31% from other races , and 2.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.94% of

3872-420: The city was 87.5% White , 0.5% African American , 4.6% Native American , 0.3% Asian , 4.2% from other races , and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.3% of the population. There were 3,559 households, of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had

3960-424: The city's attractions is Carhenge , an assemblage of thirty-eight vehicles built in the model of Stonehenge by Jim Reinders and thirty-five family members in the summer of 1987. The sculpture was constructed on the farm of Reinders's late father just north of Alliance. Other works have been built in the surrounding area of the sculpture. Additionally, during August 2017, a total solar eclipse moved directly over

4048-730: The creation of the Oregon territory in 1848, the US government had passed the most generous land distribution bill in US history. The Oregon Land Donation Act of 1850 had many negative effects on Indigenous people as well as Black people in the Pacific Northwest . Not only did the act use the land taken away from the Indigenous people in the Pacific Northwest, but the act also barred Black citizens from owning land and real estate. The act guaranteed land for White settlers and "half-breed" Indian men to

4136-471: The difficulties in dry-land farming on such small plots, many Kinkaid homesteaders eventually failed in their attempts to raise crops, and usually sold out to large ranchers. For example, there were 377 farms in Holt County in 1913, but only 144 in 1914. This pattern repeated itself throughout the region. The Kinkaid Act did convert land to private ownership from the public domain, but its goal of populating

4224-504: The dispossessed land, the US government allowed late homesteading during the early twentieth century. This acted as a way to solidify settlements and permanently disrupt tribal land practices in the face of backlash. This Homestead Acts also resulted in tensions between settlers and indigenous people, partly due to settlers moving onto indigenous territory while it was still occupied. Settlements excused Indian removal and culminated in multiple wars waged by settler militia. Also involved in

4312-694: The early 21st century, some land is still being granted in the Yukon Territory under its Agricultural Lands Program. Despite the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi provisions for sale of land, the Māori Land Court decided that all land not cultivated by Māori was 'waste land' and belonged to the Crown without purchase. Most provinces in colonial New Zealand had Waste Lands Acts enacted between 1854 and 1877. The 1874 Waste Lands Act in Auckland Province used

4400-431: The floor for debate. In his 1902 address to congress, President Theodore Roosevelt made it a priority to settle the "public land problem." He appointed a Public Lands Commission in 1903 to look into the issue and recommend solutions. The commission concluded that current land laws had been framed to accommodate humid regions, while the remaining public lands were arid in character. New land laws would be needed to settle

4488-407: The following results: The report showed that a majority of the land was in the hands of small holders, and approximately half the acreage was still owned by the original claimants. The report also showed evidence of a general increase of economic activity for the region: While the Kinkaid Act stimulated an immediate burst in economic activity for the region, this was mostly temporary. Because of

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4576-407: The homestead act in 1979 but did not receive his deed until May 1988. He is the last person to receive a title to land claimed under the Homestead Acts. The Homestead Acts were sometimes abused, but historians continue to debate the extent. In the 1950s and 1960s, historians Fred Shannon , Roy Robbins, and Paul Wallace Gates emphasized fraudulent episodes, and historians largely turned away from

4664-556: The issue. In recent decades, however, the argument has mostly been that on the whole fraud was a relatively minor element and that strongly positive impacts regarding women and the family have only recently been appreciated. Robert Higgs argues that the Homestead Act induced no long-term misallocation of resources. In 1995, a random survey of 178 members of the Economic History Association found that 70 percent of economists and 84 percent of economic historians disagreed with

4752-402: The land for more than six months at a time, then the land reverted to the government. A homesteader could also pay the $ 1.25 (or the current rate) per acre price after proof of the less-stringent requirements set in the Preemption Act. After filing an affidavit with the government's agent, and paying him a $ 10 fee, the homesteader could begin occupying their claim. The government agent received

4840-543: The least-used airport in the mainland United States. The BNSF railway line from the northern exit of the Powder River Basin , one of the largest coal-mining areas of the world, to Alliance and the eastern United States , sees a rather large number of coal trains every day, to power plants in the Midwest and South. In the southern areas of Alliance there is a large train yard which hosts many of these coal trains. Among

4928-456: The mainland United States. The town was originally named Grand Lake. When the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad came to Grand Lake in 1888, the railroad superintendent, G.W. Holdrege, wanted to change it to a simple one-word name closer to the beginning of the alphabet, which he thought would be better for business. The U.S. Post Office gave Holdrege permission, and he picked "Alliance" for

5016-411: The new lands opening up in the west be made available to independent farmers, rather than wealthy planters who would develop it with the use of slaves forcing the yeomen farmers onto marginal lands . Southern Democrats had continually fought (and defeated) previous homestead law proposals, as they feared free land would attract European immigrants and poor Southern whites to the west. The intent of

5104-568: The new name of the town. Alliance was incorporated as a city in 1891. The Alliance Army Airfield was established in 1942. Construction was completed in August 1943 and the Army Air Corps used the facility as a training base until the end of World War II . The facility was transferred from the federal government to the City of Alliance in 1953 and is currently in use as the Alliance Municipal Airport . In

5192-499: The original on November 16, 2006 . Retrieved 1 May 2012 . {{ cite web }} : CS1 maint: unfit URL ( link ) Keener, John (1916). Public Land Statutes of the United States . Washington: Government Printing Office. kinkaid act. Opie, John (1987). The Law of the Land: Two Hundred Years of American Farmland Policy . Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. Ottoson, Howard (1979). Land and People in

5280-531: The parent's death. The purchaser would pay office fees for a patent to the land. The act was enacted to allow poor tenant farmers and sharecroppers in the South to become landowners in the Southern United States during Reconstruction . In the South, poor farmers and sharecroppers made up the majority of the population so the act sold land at a lower price to decrease poverty among the working class. It

5368-495: The person "has never borne arms against the United States Government or given aid and comfort to its enemies"; unlike the 1848 and 1850 laws, it did not have any provision mentioning race. The act insured adult U.S. citizens 160 acres of land from the government to "improve their plot by cultivating the land". The Homestead act expanded, rather than changed, the 1841 Preemption Act. The claimed homestead could include

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5456-434: The phrase "Vote Yourself a Farm" in a bid to garner support for the movement. In addition to the previous requirement in the Preemption Act of being either 21 years old or the head of a family, the 1862 act also allowed for persons under 21 who had served in the regular or volunteer forces of the U.S. army or navy for at least 14 days during "the existence of an actual war domestic or foreign". The new act also required that

5544-408: The population. There were 3,565 households, out of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and

5632-455: The public domain; the pasture would then be used for grazing purposes. This prevented anyone else from grazing their cattle in the enclosed area and discouraged homesteaders from claiming the land. Bartlett Richards and William Comstock, who formed the Spade Ranch , were famous for tactics such as these. Due to the immense land holdings required for large cattle operations, the population of

5720-407: The purpose of actual settlement and cultivation, and not either directly or indirectly for the use or benefit of any other person or persons whomsoever". The acquired land would not be liable for any debts incurred prior to the issuance of the patent for it. The time requirement for residence or cultivation was set at 5 years; if it was proven "after due notice" that they moved residence or abandoned

5808-669: The rainforest west of Portland, Oregon , was acquired by the Oregon Lumber Company by illegal claims under the Act. Several additional laws were enacted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to address the concerns of African Americans . The Southern Homestead Act of 1866 sought to address land ownership inequalities in the south during Reconstruction . It explicitly included Black Americans and encouraged them to participate, and, although rampant discrimination, systemic barriers, and bureaucratic inertia considerably slowed Black gains,

5896-465: The region with small family farms had mixed results. Government officials were apparently pleased with the outcome of the Kinkaid Act, as it served as the blueprint for multiple other western land acts, most notably the Enlarged Homestead Act of 1909 and the Stock-Raising Homestead Act of 1916. Since that time, increasingly only large-scale industrial ranching and farming has been successful on

5984-621: The remaining provisions were repealed in 1961. The Parliament of Canada passed the Dominion Lands Act in 1872 in order to encourage settlement in the Northwest Territories . Its application was restricted after the passage of the Natural Resources Acts in 1930, and it was finally repealed in 1950. The Legislative Assembly of Quebec did not expand the scope of the 1860 Province of Canada Act (which modern day Quebec

6072-418: The same fee for homestead land as he would have received if that land was sold for cash, 1/2 from the homesteader's filing fee and the other half from the patent (certificate) fee. The homesteader did not get a certificate or patent until they or their heirs filed, after 5 years (but before 7 years), further affidavits from two neighbors or "credible witnesses" and an additional $ 8 fee. Those affidavits affirmed

6160-405: The same land which they had previously filed a preemption claim (on up to 160 acres at $ 1.25 per acre, or up to 80 acres of subdivided and surveyed land at $ 2.50 per acre), and they could expand their current ownership to contiguous adjacent land up to 160 acres total. The homestead application must be "made for his or her exclusive use and benefit, and that said entry [onto public land] is made for

6248-433: The statement "Nineteenth-century U.S. land policy, which attempted to give away free land, probably represented a net drain on the productive capacity of the country." Some scholars believe the acreage limits were reasonable when the act was written but argue that no one understood the physical conditions of the plains. After a few generations, a family could build up a sizable estate. According to Hugh Nibley , much of

6336-443: The success of the Kinkaid Act in bringing new settlers into the region. There were widespread reports by 1914 that 90% of Kinkaid patents had been taken over by large stockmen (ranchers). Some argued that it was impossible to maintain a successful ranching operation in the region with only 640 acres of land. But, many of these statements were made by established cattle ranchers and industry representatives who were originally opposed to

6424-413: The surrounding public pastures for grazing. Large stockmen sometimes used fraudulent homestead filings from employees and other individuals in order to gain title to surrounding land. A shack would be erected on these fraudulent claims and the claimant would stay there once every six months in order to claim residency. A common tactic was to gain title to a thin strip of land surrounding a large pasture in

6512-692: The term Homestead, with allocation administered by a Crown Lands Board. There was similar legislation in Westland . It gave up to 75 acres (30 ha), with settlers just paying the cost of a survey. They had to live there for five years, build a house and cultivate a third of the land, if already open, or a fifth if bush had to be cleared. The land was forfeited if they didn't clear enough bush. Further amendments were made in 1877, 1882 and 1885, adding details such as pastoral and perpetual leases and village and special settlements. This contributed to rapid deforestation . Alliance, Nebraska Alliance

6600-499: Was $ 34,457 (+/- $ 4,215). Approximately, 9.6% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line , including 9.4% of those under the age of 18 and 13.1% of those ages 65 or over. As of the census of 2010, there were 8,491 people, 3,559 households, and 2,276 families living in the city. The population density was 1,798.9 inhabitants per square mile (694.6/km ). There were 4,075 housing units at an average density of 863.3 per square mile (333.3/km ). The racial makeup of

6688-476: Was 38.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 102.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 95.3 males. The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $ 57,898 (with a margin of error of +/- $ 14,867) and the median family income $ 83,969 (+/- $ 16,048). Males had a median income of $ 42,001 (+/- $ 8,679) versus $ 26,975 (+/- $ 5,462) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old

6776-413: Was 80.75% (6,582) white , 0.76% (62) black or African-American , 4.17% (340) Native American , 0.82% (67) Asian , 0.06% (5) Pacific Islander , 4.72% (385) from other races , and 8.71% (710) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 15.0% (1,286) of the population. Of the 3,445 households, 29.9% had children under the age of 18; 49.7% were married couples living together; 24.7% had

6864-609: Was a total of 10% of all land in the United States. Homesteading was discontinued in 1976, except in Alaska, where it continued until 1986. About 40% of the applicants who started the process were able to complete it and obtain title to their homesteaded land after paying a small fee in cash. Homestead laws depleted Native American resources as much of the land they relied on was taken by the federal government and sold to settlers. Native ancestral lands had been limited through history, mainly through land allotments and reservations, causing

6952-469: Was being withheld from private development. Homestead applications were reviewed by the U.S. Forest Service (created in 1905). While at first five years residency was required (per the 1862 Act), in 1913 this act was amended to allow proving up in just three years. Because by the early 1900s much of the prime low-lying alluvial land along rivers had been homesteaded, the Enlarged Homestead Act

7040-581: Was not officially granted to Native Americans until a period of five years had passed. Because the US government did not issue fee waivers, many poor non-reservation Natives were unable to pay filing fees to claim homesteads. Access to such homesteads was further complicated by delays in resolving border disputes due to distance and discord between the US Land Office and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. This made white settlements easier to finalize. Recognizing that

7128-681: Was not until 1862 that the first homestead act was passed. The Homestead Act of 1862 opened up millions of acres. Any adult who had never taken up arms against the federal government of the United States could apply. Women and immigrants who had applied for citizenship were eligible. Most homesteading occurred during the period 1900–1930. Land-grant laws similar to the Homestead Acts had been proposed by northern Republicans prior to Civil War but they had been repeatedly blocked in Congress by Democrats who wanted western lands open for purchase by slave owners. The Homestead Act of 1860 passed in Congress but

7216-473: Was not very successful, as even the low prices and fees were often too much for the applicants to afford. The land made available was also mostly undeveloped forestry, and only white people had the means to make them productive. The Timber Culture Act granted up to 160 acres of land to a homesteader who would plant at least 40 acres (revised to 10) of trees over a period of several years. This quarter-section could be added to an existing homestead claim, offering

7304-651: Was part of in 1860), but did provide in 1868 that such lands were exempt from seizure, and chattels thereon were also exempt for the first ten years of occupation. Later known as the Settlers Protection Act , it was repealed in 1984. Newfoundland and Labrador provided for free grants of land upon proof of possession for twenty years prior to 1977, with continuous use for agricultural, business or residential purposes during that time. Similar programs continued to operate in Alberta and British Columbia until 1970. In

7392-422: Was passed in 1909. To enable dryland farming , it increased the number of acres for a homestead to 320 acres (130 ha) given to farmers who accepted more marginal lands (especially in the Great Plains ), which could not be easily irrigated. A massive influx of these new farmers, combined with inappropriate cultivation techniques and misunderstanding of the ecology, led to immense land erosion and eventually

7480-507: Was repealed on October 21, 1976 (Pub. L. 94–579, title VII, § 702, Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2787). The final patent was issued in 1941 on 40 acres (16 ha) of land. The economy of the Nebraska Sandhills region in the late 19th century was dominated by the cattle ranching industry. Large ranches dotted the landscape, utilizing largely-unclaimed lands in the public domain. Ranchers would file claims on lands with water access, and use

7568-558: Was shortened to three years, in order to attract more settlers. A claimant also had to prove that improvements equivalent to $ 1.25 per acre had been made to the property. Only non-irrigable lands were eligible to be claimed under the provisions of the Kinkaid Act; those that were deemed to be practicably irrigable by the Secretary of the Interior were excluded. A 640-acre claim was required to be as compact as possible, and less than two miles in length. A homesteader who already held land in

7656-605: Was vetoed by President James Buchanan , a Democrat. After the Southern states seceded from the Union in 1861 (and their representatives had left Congress), the bill passed and was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln (May 20, 1862). Daniel Freeman became the first person to file a claim under the new act. Between 1862 and 1934, the federal government granted 1.6 million homesteads and distributed 270,000,000 acres (420,000 sq mi) of federal land for private ownership. This

7744-471: Was withdrawn due to potential irrigability. An immediate land rush followed the passage of the act. One of the land offices in the region was at Alliance , in Box Butte County . The first day to claim an entry was June 28, 1904. There were reportedly 400 people in line at the Alliance office on the initial day, and the original line was not completely processed until 3:00 pm on June 30. In April 1905,

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