Nebraska - Homestead National Monument of America
The Homestead National Historic Landmark is located in rural Nebraska. It is located about one hour south of Lincoln. To get here you drive on two lane roads marked 65 mph, surrounded by farms and ranches. There are very few towns, and the ones that are there seem to be locations for area farmers to coop their materials.
The Homestead National Historic Landmark is located at the location of the first homesteaded property in the United States. It has a visitor center, a few outdoor exhibits, and hiking trails. The Visitor Center is beautiful, and has a lot of windows to highlight the beautiful landscape. There is a film, a store and a large museum area. As usual, I asked to see the film. The ranger started it for me, and I was the only person watching.
The film went through the passing of the Homestead Act, shortly after the Civil War This act allowed for people to stake a claim to up to 160 acres of land. Once they stake their claim, they were required to set up a home, and farm a certain part of the land. After 5 years, they were given the land as their own. This act was very important to the settling of the US in the west, and was in place in more than half of the states. The last person that homesteaded was in the 1970s. The land, however, had been used by all the Native Americans, and because the US Government was basically taking over this land, the Native Americans were pushed out to reservations, which changed everything about their lives, communities and way of living.
The hikes around the site were in the plains, and were pretty open. It was very windy out there, and nothing to shield you from the wind. It gave you a feeling for what the pioneers had to deal with when they came to their new property and had to start a life there. A small cabin of Mr. Freeman - the homesteader for the property was on the hike as an exhibit.
It was interesting to see this slice of American history - the pros and cons of it. After seeing so many parks regarding the Oregon Trail, Lewis and Clark Trail, California Trail, etc, it tied things together for me, and showed me why all of these people decided to go west, and what they were facing once they got to their spot.
If you want to learn more about this National Monument of America, go to the NPS website at: https://www.nps.gov/home/index.htm
