News Release

Homestead National Historical Park to host Family History Month Program with Dr. Jake Friefeld

Date: September 22, 2023
Contact: Jonathan Fairchild, 402-223-3514

Beatrice, Neb. – Homestead National Historical Park invites you to join a special Family History Month program at the Homestead Education Center on Sunday, October 1, at 2:00 p.m. Homestead National Historical Park is pleased to host Dr. Jake Friefeld, author of The First Migrants, and director of the University of Illinois-Springfield’s Center for Lincoln Studies. Dr. Friefeld’s program will share the epic story of Black Americans homesteading in the Great Plains after the Civil War.

Have you ever wondered about your family story? Do you know when and where your family first came to America? Are there homesteaders in your family tree? After the program, park staff will be available to help you explore using homesteading records and other record sources you can find to do genealogical research in learning more about your own family history.

“We are thrilled to host Dr. Friefeld here at Homestead for Family History Month, and hope our visitors enjoy his unparalleled experience and expertise in homesteading history, as well as learning more about the role he personally has played in the Black Homesteader Project,” said Superintendent Betty Boyko.

October has been celebrated as “Family History Month” every year since being designated by Congress in 2001. We encourage visitors to come to the Homestead Heritage Center following the program to research their family history. Estimates show that as many as 93 million Americans are descended from homesteaders. Are you one of them? Come find out! Staff are available to assist visitors with this research. Not able to make it out to the park in person? You can also contact us at e-mail us or at [phone].

For more information on available accommodations please contact Accessibility Coordinator, Amber Kirkendall at [phone].

Remember, Homestead National Historical Park has an exciting schedule of events planned for 2023. Keep up with the latest information by following us on Twitter (HomesteadNHP) and Facebook (Homestead National Historical Park).

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About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for the 425 parks in the National Park System and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.