Homesteaders in Cherry County, Nebraska
Homesteading
During the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century a small number of African Americans came to Nebraska as homesteaders, seeking new opportunities for independence and self-sufficiency working the land. The largest black homesteading settlement in Nebraska was started in 1904 in the Sandhills of Cherry County. Another smaller community was established in 1908, west of Westerville in Custer County. The Cherry County families pictured here were a part of the Brownlee settlement.
Great Plains Black History Museum, North Omaha History Harvest, 2011
1900 circa
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Cherry County (Neb.)
Sue and Charlie Eickhoff discuss Beuck Family Papers
<p>Ms. Eickhoff shared the story of her great-grandfather with UNL History Harvest graduate student assistant Rob Voss.</p>
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Sue and Charlie Eickhoff, Nebraska City History Harvest, 2010
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Sue and Charlie Eickhoff Interview
Homesteading
<p>Mr. Eickhoff shareed the story of his ancestors with UNL History Harvest graduate student assistant Rob Voss.</p>
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<p>You can find this and other stories on the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/HistoryHarvest">History Harvest YouTube Channel</a>.</p>
Sue and Charlie Eickhoff, Nebraska City History Harvest, 2010
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Sue and Charlie Eickhoff Discuss Patrick Kennedy's Papers
<p>Ms. Eickhoff shared the homestead, timber claim, and citizenship papers of her great-grandfather with UNL History Harvest graduate student assistant Rob Voss.</p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1OoB1p-z-ZA?rel=0" frameborder="0" width="420" height="315"></iframe></p>
<p>You can find this and other stories on the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/HistoryHarvest">History Harvest YouTube Channel</a>.</p>
Sue and Charlie Eickhoff, Nebraska City History Harvest, 2010
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Patrick Kennedy's Admission to Citizenship, 1884
Homesteading
<p>This is Patrick Kennedy's admission for citizenship, made in Nebraska in 1884. At the time, a person had to continuously reside in the United States for five years before applying for citizenship and live within the state of application for at least one year. Patrick Kennedy, Sue Eickhoff's great-grandfather became secured the 160 acres as a homesteader in Nebraska in 1891, after being a citizen for seven years.</p>
For interviews and oral histories of this and other items please visit the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/HistoryHarvest?feature=watch">History Harvest YouTube Channel</a>.
Sue and Charlie Eickhoff, Nebraska City History Harvest, 2010
1884
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Patrick Kennedy's Homestead Certificate, 1891
Homesteading
<p>This is Patrick Kennedy's homestead certificate given in accordance with the 1862 Homestead Act, securing his right to the 160 acres of land in Cedar County, Nebraska. Seeking to create more yeoman farmers, believed to be the backbone of antebellum America in the North, the Republican authors and advocates of the of the Homestead Act managed to pass it only after the Southern Democrats left the 37th Congress. Signed into law on May 20, 1862 the Homestead Act required the potential homesteader to be 21 years of age or older, or be the head of a family when filing an a claim for a federal land grant, live on the land for five years and have made improvements, and finally file the deed of title. After 1873 homesteaders in Nebraska and Kansas often filed claims for additional land under the Timber Culture Act seeking to enlarge their land holdings through claiming improvements planting trees.</p>
For interviews and oral histories of this and other items please visit the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/HistoryHarvest?feature=watch">History Harvest YouTube Channel</a>.
Sue and Charlie Eickhoff, Nebraska City History Harvest, 2010
1891
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Patrick Kennedy's Timber Claim, 1893
Homesteading
<p>This is a Timber Claim granting Patrick Kennedy, Sue Eickhoff's great-grandfather, rights over 160 acres of land in accordance with the Timber Culture Acts of 1873, 1874, and 1878. First passed in 1873, the Timber Culture Act provided up to 160 acres of land to farmers for planting trees to better the land for cultivation and increase the rainfall in the western parts of the Great Plains. Most often, however, the Timber Claim allowed homesteaders to secure another section of land, leading to the repeal of the act in 1891. Yet the claims established for over ten years after 1891 as Patrick Kennedy's claim testifies. Since Patrick Kennedy became a citizen in 1884, and secured his homestead claim in 1891, it is probable that he established the claim in the early 1890s, as only citizens and homesteaders could establish Timber Claims after 1874.</p>
<p>For interviews and oral histories of this and other items please visit the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/HistoryHarvest?feature=watch">History Harvest YouTube Channel</a>.</p>
Sue and Charlie Eickhoff, Nebraska City History Harvest, 2010
1893
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Terri and Dave Mabon share Charlotte Littlefield's Story
Homesteading
<p>Terri and Dave Mabon share the story and photographs of their great-grandfather's second wife Charlotte and her family (pictures of Charlotte's family and the Littlefield's family reunion; letters exchanged between Charlotte and her sister) with the History Harvest graduate student assistant Leslie Working.</p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/htoqkgQnSW4" frameborder="0" width="420" height="315"></iframe></p>
<p>You can find this and other stories on the History Harvest YouTube Channel.</p>
Terri and Dave Mabon, Nebraska City History Harvest, 2010
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Ann's Letter to Charlotte Littlefield Discussing Family History (2)
Homesteading
<p>This is a letter to Charlotte Littlefield from her sister Anna and her husband Theodore. Anna probably wrote this letter in the late 1930s or early 1940s, since this is the time the interest in family history rekindles.</p>
<p>Charlotte (Lotta) Littlefield (nee Roberts) was Joseph Littlefield's second wife, whom he married in 1887 after his first wife Hellen died in 1881. Robertses came to Nebraska from Illinois in 1864 to homestead in Cass County.</p>
<p>The letter comes from the collection of Terri and Dave Mabon. Dave Mabon is Charlotte Littlefield's great-grandson.</p>
<p>For interviews and oral histories of this and other items please visit the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/HistoryHarvest?feature=watch">History Harvest YouTube Channel</a>.</p>
Terri and Dave Mabon, Nebraska City History Harvest, 2010
1940 circa
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Ann's Letter to Charlotte Littlefield Discussing Family History (1), <a href="http://historyharvest.unl.edu/items/show/211">http://historyharvest.unl.edu/items/show/211</a>
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Ann's Letter to Charlotte Littlefield Discussing Family History (1)
Homesteading
<p>This is a letter to Charlotte Littlefield from her sister Anna and her husband Theodore. Anna probably wrote this letter in the late 1930s or early 1940s, since this is the time the interest in family history rekindles.</p>
<p>Charlotte (Lotta) Littlefield (nee Roberts) was Joseph Littlefield's second wife, whom he married in 1887 after his first wife Hellen died in 1881. Robertses came to Nebraska from Illinois in 1864 to homestead in Cass County.</p>
<p>The letter comes from the collection of Terri and Dave Mabon. Dave Mabon is Charlotte Littlefield's great-grandson.</p>
<p>For interviews and oral histories of this and other items please visit the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/HistoryHarvest?feature=watch">History Harvest YouTube Channel</a>.</p>
Terri and Dave Mabon, Nebraska City History Harvest, 2010
1940 circa
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Ann's Letter to Charlotte Littlefield Discussing Family History (2), <a href="http://historyharvest.unl.edu/items/show/212" target="_blank">http://historyharvest.unl.edu/items/show/212</a>.
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English
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