Daniel Freeman, Courtesy NPS It was On This Day in 1863 that Daniel Freeman, a farmer, submitted the first claim under the new Homestead Act. The property was located near Beatrice , Nebraska . Just two days later, the Nebraska Advertiser, ran an article stating the “Land Officers are now, for the first time for many months, busy …” The article encourages anyone who wanted to take advantage of the Homestead Law by settling in Nebraska should do so promptly. The thought was that once the War was over, many men would be claiming land. The Homesteaders could lay claim for up to 160 acres for $10. That fee, according to one inflation calculator site , would be worth $188.68 today. Many found that too small an amount to make an adequate living and many of the original homesteads abandoned their claims before they actually received the title. So who was Daniel Freeman? Daniel came to Nebraska from Illinois by himself. His brother James had died in the Civil War and Da...
by Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman