Nebraska, Broken Bow Homestead Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection includes homestead entry case files and land entry case files for the years 1890 to 1908. The files were arranged chronologically and assigned a final certificate number. The files are from the Bureau of Land Management and include documents required to qualify for a homestead, such as:


 * Final certificates
 * Applications with land descriptions
 * Affidavits showing proof of citizenship
 * Register and Receiver receipts, notices, and final proofs
 * Testimonies of witnesses

The Homestead Act of 1862 was signed into law after the secession of many Southern states from the Union. The Homestead Act allowed for settlement of land in unpopulated areas. It established a land acquisition process that required filing an application, improving the land, and filing for the deed of title. Any citizen or intended citizen could file an application for 160 acres of land, as long as they had never fought against the U.S. Government. Homesteaders had 5 years to build on, farm, and improve the land. After five years, a homeowner could file for a land patent or deed at a local land office. The local land offices forwarded the documentation to the General Land Office in Washington D.C. with a final certificate of eligibility.

Claimants paid $1.25 an acre. Service in the Union Army was counted towards the residency requirement after the Civil War. Not all homesteaders were able to qualify for ownership of the land due to harsh soil and weather conditions. Once the railroads were in place, homesteading increased due to the ease of travel.

Record Content
Information found in this collection may include:


 * Date
 * Application and final certificate numbers
 * Name of applicant
 * Description and location of land

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know


 * Name of the applicant
 * Date

Search the Collection
Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at FamilySearch Search Tips.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. For example:


 * Use the name, location, and date to find the family in census records.
 * Use the description and location of land to find the family in land records.
 * Use the description and location of land to find the family in probate records.

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, check for nearby land owners with similar or variant spellings of the surnames.

Related Websites
Nebraska Land Records

Related Wiki Articles

 * Nebraska
 * Nebraska Land and Property
 * Nebraska, Homestead Records from Nebraska City and Lincoln Land Offices (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.