Comments on: Homesteading in America http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2009/06/16/homesteading-in-america/ Romancing The West Sat, 11 Feb 2012 01:36:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Ranger Doris http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2009/06/16/homesteading-in-america/comment-page-1/#comment-24630 Ranger Doris Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:13:39 +0000 http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=8334#comment-24630 Did you know there is a National Park site devoted to telling the story of the Homestead Act of 1862? To learn more about what may be the most influential piece of legislation this country has ever created go to www.nps.gov/home or visit Homestead National Monument of America. Located in Nebraska, the Monument includes one of the first 160 acres homestead claims but tells the story of homesteading throughout the United States. Nearly 4 million claims in 30 states were made under the Homestead Act and 1.6 million or 40 percent were successful. The Homestead Act was not repealed until 1976 and extended in Alaska until 1986. Homesteads could be claimed by “head of households” that were citizens or eligible for citizenship. New immigrants, African-Americans, women who were single, widowed or divorced all took advantage of the Homestead Act. It is estimated that as many as 93 million Americans are descendents of these homesteaders today. This is a story as big, fascinating, conflicted and contradictory as the United States itself. Learn more! Did you know there is a National Park site devoted to telling the story of the Homestead Act of 1862? To learn more about what may be the most influential piece of legislation this country has ever created go to http://www.nps.gov/home or visit Homestead National Monument of America. Located in Nebraska, the Monument includes one of the first 160 acres homestead claims but tells the story of homesteading throughout the United States. Nearly 4 million claims in 30 states were made under the Homestead Act and 1.6 million or 40 percent were successful. The Homestead Act was not repealed until 1976 and extended in Alaska until 1986. Homesteads could be claimed by “head of households” that were citizens or eligible for citizenship. New immigrants, African-Americans, women who were single, widowed or divorced all took advantage of the Homestead Act. It is estimated that as many as 93 million Americans are descendents of these homesteaders today. This is a story as big, fascinating, conflicted and contradictory as the United States itself. Learn more!

]]> By: Linda Broday http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2009/06/16/homesteading-in-america/comment-page-1/#comment-24623 Linda Broday Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:06:32 +0000 http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=8334#comment-24623 Hi Phyliss, What interesting facts about the Panhandle land. Wow! You're really up on your history in that part of Texas. Between you and Jodi, I'll bet you know everything that can be known about the Panhandle, something I'll definitely make a note of in case I need some quick facts. Hope you're making progress on WIP. Sounds like a fun story. Can't wait to read it. Hi Phyliss,

What interesting facts about the Panhandle land. Wow! You’re really up on your history in that part of Texas. Between you and Jodi, I’ll bet you know everything that can be known about the Panhandle, something I’ll definitely make a note of in case I need some quick facts.

Hope you’re making progress on WIP. Sounds like a fun story. Can’t wait to read it.

]]> By: Tracy Garrett http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2009/06/16/homesteading-in-america/comment-page-1/#comment-24611 Tracy Garrett Wed, 17 Jun 2009 01:20:15 +0000 http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=8334#comment-24611 Excellent post, Linda. I knew about the homestead exemption from living in Texas for 25 years. I didn't know the Homestead Act was in effect until 1976! I wonder if anyone every took advantage of it in those last couple of decades? Excellent post, Linda. I knew about the homestead exemption from living in Texas for 25 years. I didn’t know the Homestead Act was in effect until 1976! I wonder if anyone every took advantage of it in those last couple of decades?

]]> By: Patricia Barraclough http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2009/06/16/homesteading-in-america/comment-page-1/#comment-24610 Patricia Barraclough Wed, 17 Jun 2009 01:07:50 +0000 http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=8334#comment-24610 Nice post. We did have a homestead exemption on our house in Orlando, Florida. Am not sure of the exact terms of it. We were in the military and it was our home of record (my mother-in-law lived in it). We sold it shortly after we retired and moved to TN. Can't think of any of the titles, but I've seen several movies involving homesteading. The same with books. It has been a plot element in several. Ranchers raid the farms at night, burning barn and homes, tearing down fences. Nice ti know that women were able to take advantage of the program and were not shut out. They had few enough opportunities back then. Nice post. We did have a homestead exemption on our house in Orlando, Florida. Am not sure of the exact terms of it. We were in the military and it was our home of record (my mother-in-law lived in it). We sold it shortly after we retired and moved to TN.
Can’t think of any of the titles, but I’ve seen several movies involving homesteading. The same with books. It has been a plot element in several. Ranchers raid the farms at night, burning barn and homes, tearing down fences.
Nice ti know that women were able to take advantage of the program and were not shut out. They had few enough opportunities back then.

]]> By: Phyliss Miranda http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2009/06/16/homesteading-in-america/comment-page-1/#comment-24608 Phyliss Miranda Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:54:19 +0000 http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=8334#comment-24608 Linda, what an informative post...great research. Well, when you get old enough (in Texas) you can claim not only a homestead exemption but old age one, too! LOL Some of our special land laws evolved from our Republic of Texas days. By our 1845 agreement to be annexed to the Union, certain lands were set aside to be applied to repayment of debts and liabilities of the Republic. The underdeveloped regions of Texas (love that one...meaning Panhandle in particular) was divided up into land grants in various categories; school and university, railroad, veterans, etc., some leased out, some used for specific purposes. This is all back story to something I find particularly interesting. They broke up the land into a checkerboard pattern (check board system of surveying), alternating each specific piece of land between categories, anticipating that would keep land from being consolidated into one large block ie: big ranches. Except for the XIT which was exempt, in large part, this proved unsuccessful in preventing large conglomerates from gathering up land. Nobody else may find this interesting, but I did. Guess it's the researcher in me. Enjoy your time with your granddaughter. I'm so thrilled you made the move, so you can see your kids and grandkids more frequently. Linda, what an informative post…great research. Well, when you get old enough (in Texas) you can claim not only a homestead exemption but old age one, too! LOL Some of our special land laws evolved from our Republic of Texas days. By our 1845 agreement to be annexed to the Union, certain lands were set aside to be applied to repayment of debts and liabilities of the Republic. The underdeveloped regions of Texas (love that one…meaning Panhandle in particular) was divided up into land grants in various categories; school and university, railroad, veterans, etc., some leased out, some used for specific purposes. This is all back story to something I find particularly interesting. They broke up the land into a checkerboard pattern (check board system of surveying), alternating each specific piece of land between categories, anticipating that would keep land from being consolidated into one large block ie: big ranches. Except for the XIT which was exempt, in large part, this proved unsuccessful in preventing large conglomerates from gathering up land. Nobody else may find this interesting, but I did. Guess it’s the researcher in me. Enjoy your time with your granddaughter. I’m so thrilled you made the move, so you can see your kids and grandkids more frequently.

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