 On May 20th, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the first of the Homestead Acts. These acts were designed to encourage settlement of the West and for individual farmers to operate on their own land. From 1862 to 1934, the federal government granted 1.6 million homesteads consisting of 270 million acres or about 10% of the total land in the United States. To apply for a homestead, an applicant had to be the head of a household live on the designated land, build a home, improve it, and farm it for five years. They could then file for ownership of the land for an $18 fee. There was no discrimination on who could apply for ownership. Immigrants, single women, and former slaves could all qualify. Homesteading ended in 1976, except in Alaska where it was allowed until 1986. Much of Wyoming was settled with homesteads, with many of the most productive lands put into private ownership. From the University of Wyoming Extension, I'm Barton Stam, Exploring the Nature of Wyoming.