The Homestead Act, 1862 The Homestead Act of 1862 was the
culmination of decades of work to organize and distribute
government lands. Every 160-acre parcel largely went to new
settlers, but fraudulent schemes placed much of the land in
corporate hands. Homesteaders struggled to settle their land
grants and many abandoned the land before receiving ownership.
But overall, the Homestead Act was instrumental in settling the
frontier, providing land for family farms and creating the
legacy of the American West. Photos (13) Add Images Places
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About this page Anyone can contribute to this page. Please sign
in or sign up—it's free. Daniel Freeman becomes first
Homesteader January 1, 1863 | Brownville, Nebraska The Homestead
Act became active on January 1, 1863. The story goes that Daniel
Freeman submitted his land application at 12:10 am on January
1st at the Land Office in Brownville, Nebraska. Freeman thus
became the first person in history to apply for