2015 5 oz Silver ATB Homestead National Park, NE – 434WB

The Homestead National Monument in southeastern Nebraska memorializes the Homestead Act of 1862, in which President Lincoln allowed both men and women to claim their stake on land in the west. Individuals who filed for the land were given 160 acres and needed to make improvements on the land and file for a deed when finished. The Homestead Act changed with the times as technological advances made it easier to cultivate land and the government began handing out larger portions. In 1976, the Homestead Act was officially repealed.
The park itself features a monument on the exact location of the first successfully claimed land from 1862. The park also includes 100 acres of tallgrass prairie, which was fully restored to what it looked like before the homesteaders staked their claims. The park also contains over two miles of hiking trails through the prairie and woodlands. Lastly, the Palmer-Epard Cabin, built in 1867, resides 14 miles northeast of the monument and has been restored several times through the years to maintain its squared logs, earth floored downstairs and small attic.