Nebraska, Custer, Broken Bow Homestead Records, 1890-1908
1,824 Homestead Land Entry Case Files of the Broken Bow Land Office, 1890–1908, consisting of unbound documents that include final certificates, applications with land descriptions, affidavits showing proof of citizenship, Register and Receiver receipts, notices and final proofs, and testimonies of witnesses. The files were arranged chronologically and assigned a final certificate number. NARA publication title: Land Entry Case Files of the Broken Bow Land Office, Broken Bow, Nebraska: Homestead Final Certificates, 1890-1908 (NARA M1915). Index courtesy of Fold3.
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Nebraska, Custer, Broken Bow Homestead 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
Related Broken Bow Land Office Collections
- Department of the Interior. General Land Office. Broken Bow (Nebraska) Land Office. 7/7/1890-ca. 6/30/1922 Organization Authority Record
- Record of Patents Delivered, 1886 - 1904
- Registers of Patents Delivered, 1890 - 1919
- Cash Files,1890-1908
- Homestead Final Certificates, 1890 - 1908
- Canceled Homestead Files, 1890 - 1908
- Serialized Land Entry Case Files That Were Canceled, Relinquished, or Rejected, ca. 1908 - ca. 1913
- Applications and Transfers, 1908 - 1922
- Timber Culture Files, 1890 - 1904
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.
Homestead National Historical Park
- Bureau of Land Management
- General Land Office Records
Related Collections
Related Publications
- Roberta King Homestead Records: Cancelled, Contested, and Relinquished Entries. NGS Magazine 34 #1 (January-March 2008): 46-49.
Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.
What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
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
Collection Content
Sample Images
1873 Homestead Application
1873 Homestead Proof
1880 Final Certificate
Collection Details
Location of Original Records
National Archives and Records Administration
"Nebraska, Custer, Broken Bow Homestead Records, 1890-1908." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 13 February 2025. From "Land Entry Case Files of the Broken Bow Land Office, Broken Bow, Nebraska: Homestead Final Certificates, 1890-1908." Database. Fold3.com. http://www.fold3.com : 2007. Citing NARA microfilm publication M1915. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2005.
