Timber Culture Act
Encyclopedia
The Timber Culture Act was a follow-up act to the Homestead Act
. The Timber Culture Act was passed by Congress
in 1873. The act allowed homesteaders to get another 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) of land if they planted trees on one-fourth of the land, because the land was "almost one entire plain of grass, which is and ever must be useless to cultivating man." (qtd. in Daily Life on the 19th Century American Frontier by Mary Ellen Jones)
. After planting the trees the land could only be completely obtained if it was occupied by the same family for at least 5 years, After this period of time a certificate of ownership could be obtained for $30. The act was passed to prevent abuse of the original Homestead Act in 1862. Later the amount of land that needed to be set aside for trees was reduced to 10 acres (40,468.6 m²). Any potential settler, including foreign immigrants, could claim this land under both this act and the Homestead Act
. Timber was needed to sell and use for building materials. This timber would provide them with wood for fires and building. It would also act as a wind break reducing the problem of the strong winds on the plains.
Homestead Act
A homestead act is one of three United States federal laws that gave an applicant freehold title to an area called a "homestead" – typically 160 acres of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River....
. The Timber Culture Act was passed by Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in 1873. The act allowed homesteaders to get another 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) of land if they planted trees on one-fourth of the land, because the land was "almost one entire plain of grass, which is and ever must be useless to cultivating man." (qtd. in Daily Life on the 19th Century American Frontier by Mary Ellen Jones)
The Act
160 acre (0.6474976 km²) of additional free land could be obtained if they set aside 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) to grow trees to solve the problem of lack of wood on the Great PlainsGreat Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
. After planting the trees the land could only be completely obtained if it was occupied by the same family for at least 5 years, After this period of time a certificate of ownership could be obtained for $30. The act was passed to prevent abuse of the original Homestead Act in 1862. Later the amount of land that needed to be set aside for trees was reduced to 10 acres (40,468.6 m²). Any potential settler, including foreign immigrants, could claim this land under both this act and the Homestead Act
Homestead Act
A homestead act is one of three United States federal laws that gave an applicant freehold title to an area called a "homestead" – typically 160 acres of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River....
. Timber was needed to sell and use for building materials. This timber would provide them with wood for fires and building. It would also act as a wind break reducing the problem of the strong winds on the plains.