Nebraska, Broken Bow Homestead Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes case files for homestead applications and land applications for the years 1890 to 1908. The files are arranged chronologically and have final certificate numbers. The files are from the Bureau of Land Management and include documents required to qualify for a homestead, such as:


 * Land descriptions
 * Proof of citizenship affidavits
 * Receipts
 * Testimonies of witnesses

The Homestead Act of 1862 was signed into law after the secession of many southern states from the Union. This act allowed for settlement of land in unpopulated areas of America, establishing a land-acquisition system. The process required the applicant to file an application, improve the land over a five-year period, and then file for a deed. After the five years, the homesteader went to a local land office and requested the deed (or land patent) after paying a registration fee. That office forwarded the documentation to the General Land Office in Washington, DC, with a final certificate of eligibility.


 * Roberta King  Homestead Records: Cancelled, Contested, and Relinquished Entries. NGS Magazine 34 #1 (January-March 2008): 46-49.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Information found in this collection may include:

Homestead application:
 * Land office location
 * Application date
 * Applicant name
 * Land location and description

Homestead proof:
 * Witness statements

Final certificate:
 * Town, state
 * Date of award
 * Name of homesteader
 * Amount paid
 * Land location and description

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the applicant
 * The approximate year of the homestead application

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
Whenever possible, view the original records to verify the information and to find additional information that might not be reported. These pieces of information can lead you to additional records and family members.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Search for vital records, such as birth, marriage, and death
 * Search for the family in census records
 * Search for land records in the county where they lived
 * Search for church and probate records

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Nebraska.
 * Nebraska Guided Research
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.