1. Name of claimant   2. Homestead entry number   3. Description of land   4. Name, age, and address of claimant, legal residency   5. Place and date of homestead entry   6. Description of claim, description of house and date built on land claimed   7. Number of person in family, times absent from homestead   8. Information about the land and other filings   9. Signature

Homestead Application Packet Proof - Testimony of Claimant

Homestead

Every state has, or had, large quantities of "surplus" public lands that the state uses to generate revenue. Most states also had some provisions for giving land away to induce settlement or to reward veterans.

For example, Oklahoma distributed surplus public lands by homestead claims. Each homesteader generally acquired the initial right to a tract of land by planting a stake in it during a land rush, or by staking out a tract of public land. To qualify for ownership, the homesteader then had to build and occupy a residence on the land.

Homestead applications usually include some personal and family information that may not be available in any other record. In this example, James Wells not only gives his age and birth place, but also describes his house in detail, including the exact date on which it was built.

Homestead application packets are maintained by the state land office or archives. Contact the state land office or archives for further information.

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