Homestead National Monument Monument
Homestead National Monument Monument
Southeast Nebraska
Homestead National Monument is a great stop-off on a family vacation. It offers unique history as well as an assortment of festivals such as Storytelling Festival, Homestead Days, and The Winter Festival of Prairie Cultures where you will learn about America’s cultural past. There is also a museum, hiking trails, wildlife viewing and cross-country skiing. Check below for further Homestead National Monument information.
Uniqueness
The cry was FREE LAND!! The Homestead Act of 1862 was one of the most significant and enduring events in the westward expansion of the United States. By granting 160 acres of free land to claimants, it allowed nearly any man or woman a chance to live the American dream. One of the first people to file a claim under the Homestead Act of 1862 was Daniel Freeman. With one stroke of the pen on March 19, 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created a new national park on the site of the Daniel Freeman homestead. Visit Homestead National Monument of America and gain understanding on how the Act changed the lives of all Americans and the land. This National Monument is a tribute to the courage and tenacity of the settlers and original inhabitants of this land.
The Homestead Act of 1862 is recognized as one of the most revolutionary concepts for distributing public land in American history. Repercussions of this monumental piece of legislation can be detected throughout America today, decades after the cry of “Free Land!” has faded away.
Monument museum exhibits explain the life of homesteaders and show the tools they used in home and field. The park also has videos, a bookstore, a pioneer cabin, an old schoolhouse, picnic tables, and nearly 100 acres restored tallgrass prairie, the second oldest such project in the United States.
Homestead Visitor Center is open year round 8:30 am – 5:00 pm. The park is closed January 1, December 25 and Thanksgiving Day. The facilities are located 4 miles west of Beatrice on State Highway 4. In addition to the 2.5 miles of trails that wind through the restored tallgrass prairie, there is a regular movie about the Homestead Act and movement, showings of other productions, and periodic living history presentations. There also are school programs and special events. All indoor exhibits and some of the trails are accessible. A wheelchair is available at the visitor center information desk.
The Homestead Act of 1862 has been called one the most important pieces of Legislation in the history of the United States. Signed into law in 1862 by Abraham Lincoln after the secession of southern states, this Act turned over vast amounts of the public domain to private citizens. 270 million acres or 10% of the area of the United States was claimed and settled under this act.
A homesteader had only to be the head of a household and at least 21 years of age to claim a 160 acre parcel of land. Settlers from all walks of life including newly arrived immigrants, farmers without land of their own from the East, single women and former slaves came to meet the challenge of “proving up” and keeping this “free land”. Each homesteader had to live on the land, build a home, make improvements, and farm for 5 years before they were eligible to “prove up”. A total filing fee of $18 was the only money required, but sacrifice and hard work exacted a different price from the hopeful settlers.
With application and receipt in hand, the homesteader then returned to the land to begin the process of building a home and farming the land, both requirements for “proving” up at the end of five years. When all requirements had been completed and the homesteader was ready to take legal possession, the homesteader found two neighbors or friends willing to vouch for the truth of his or her statements about the land’s improvements and sign the “proof” document.
After successful completion of this final form and payment of a $6 fee, the homesteader received the patent for the land, signed with the name of the current President of the United States. This paper was often proudly displayed on a cabin wall and represented the culmination of hard work and determination.
The Homestead Act remained in effect until it was repealed in 1976, with provisions for homesteading in Alaska until 1986. Alaska was one of the last places in the country where homesteading remained a viable option into the latter part of the 1900s. The Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 substantially decreased the amount of land available to homesteaders in the West. Because much of the prime land had been homesteaded decades earlier, successful Homestead claims dropped sharply after this time.
The 195-acre monument abounds with plant and animal life scarcely seen all in one place. The tallgrass prairie is alive with long slender grasses such as Big Bluestem, Indian grass, Switch grass, Little Bluestem, and Cordgrass. Many different animals find refuge among these grasses like the White-tailed deer, Ring-necked pheasant, Bob-white quail, Deer mice, and Prairie vole, just to name a few. The monument also contains a large woodland area with a creek that snakes its way through. Bobcat, beaver, opossums, raccoons, and many different birds can be found in this habitat. The forest is made up of stately White Oaks, Green Ash, Osage orange, and Cottonwood trees.
There are only hiking trails in the monument. When visiting here ask about the award-winning self-guided trail map. No dogs are allowed. During the winter, cross country skiing is available along the trails.
There are also many special events that take place in the monument. There is the Storytelling Festival, Homestead Days where you will see how things were made and repaired in times past, and Horsepower and More, a special event that brings together local experts and volunteers showing draft horses, horse-drawn implements, small engines and steam tractors to demonstrate how technology rapidly changed and improved farming on the plains for homesteaders. The Winter Festival of Prairie Cultures offers a variety of individual displays representing the cultural and ethnic celebrations that occur this time of year all over the world. Come see brown molasses cookies on the pioneer tree, Oplatek decorating the Polish tree, and the flickering candles of the Hanukkah display, just some of the many exhibits available. Special programs celebrating the diverse cultures that settled on the plains will be held during December.
Summers are moderate and humid. Winters are cold with occasional snow.
Please remember that all the animals are wild and should be treated as such. Do not feed or harass the wildlife.
There are no fees for this monument.
There is no camping in the monument.
Rock Creek Station State Park is close by, Scotts Bluff National Monument is 400 miles away, Agate Fossil Beds National Monument is 500 miles away, Niobrara National Scenic River is 200 miles away, Missouri National Recreational River is 200 miles away, and Harry S Truman National Historic Site is 400 miles away.
Airlines, Amtrak, and buses reach Lincoln, Nebraska, 40 miles north. There are no regular carriers to the monument.
The park is 4 miles west of Beatrice on State Highway 4. Enter Highway 4 from Highway 136 at the west edge of Beatrice. Turn north at the Educational Service Unit. There is no public transportation available.
Approximate Mileage from the following major cities to Homestead National Monument:
By Car:
Grand Island, NE – 138.43 miles
Lincoln, NE – 45.19 miles
De Witt, NE – 11.40 miles
Omaha, NE – 103.46 miles (Douglas County)
95.59 miles (Sarpy County)
Bellevue,NE – 100.79 miles
Homestead National Monument, 8523 W. State Highway 4, Beatrice, NE 68310
Headquarters (402) 223-3514
By Fax (402) 228-4231
