Original paper homestead certificate presented to Albert More of Grand Island in 1884, Nebraska from the General Land Office of the United States. Albert More is a familial ancestor of Sara and Terrence Holoubeck. The Homestead Act was passed by Congress and signed by President Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862 to encourage the rapid settlement of the western half of the United States. This certificate is no. 5296, application no. 11553.