Nebraska with a cutout showing the amount of homesteaded land
NPS Photo
Nebraska was once known as part of the "Great American Desert," but through homesteading it became an extremely inhabitable and agriculturally productive land. The Homestead Act led to a rapid increase in Nebraska's population after the Civil War, which helped lead Nebraska to become the first new state admitted to the Union after the end of the war.
One of the very first homesteads of approximately two million in the nation is near Beatrice, Nebraska which is now the site of Homestead National Historical park. In total, 104,260 homesteads were proved up. This totals 22,253,314 acres of land amounting to 45% of the state – the highest percentage of homesteaded land of any state
The Homestead Act brought people here who intended to stay and make their lives in this state. Some of Nebraska's most well-known citizens were or are the descendants of homesteaders, such as Willa Cather, Mari Sandoz, Tom Osborne, Amy Heidemann, and Marg Helgenberger. Solomon Butcher, one of America's most well-known historical photographers, was himself a homesteader and dedicated much of his career to photographing Nebraska homesteaders.
