The Lure of the Land - a Nebraska Story

The Homestead Act triggered one of the largest migrations in history for "free land" on the Great Plains. Photographs tell the story of African-American homesteaders in Nebraska. For more Nebraska Stories, visit www.netnebaska.....

[@lac.2558]

That last photo is my absolute favorite because it shows just how much excitement that African American family had for their new lives. The photographs of the 1800s almost always show people looking stoic because of how long they had to sit and because it was almost fashionable to not show much emotion in these portraits. The fact that they are smiling is just so inspirational because they felt so much joy that they could hold that smile for the whole photo and wanted to!! What great glimpse into history!!

[@katannahday]

This is very interesting to see this posted here. The photos of most of the Black families are of the Speeses and Shores (Moses Speese and Jeramiah Shores were brothers) and one includes the Meehans. The children and grandchildren of these families grew up with these pictures and we have always been proud of our stalwart ancestors. My mother had told me of Solomon Butcher, the itinerant photographer who took these pictures.

[@katannahday]

My mother and 3 of her siblings were born in a sod house (my mother in 1910). We recognize that the irony of this whole situation is that homesteaders (including my ancestors) were "given" land which was stolen from Native Americans. Also, not all the Black homesteaders came directly from slavery, while Moses Speese and Jeramiah Shores had been enslaved the same was not true of the Meehan famlly which came from Canada to Nebraska. This information could have been easily verified by living Speeses, Shores and Meehans.

[@JB-uv4hm]

Love RW, but he was wrong. Butcher knew it was unique, but so did many of the homesteaders. There are many surviving photos handed down by families who posed for a photo that wasn't taken by SB.

[@judyspady4692]

This is not about Nebraska!

[@Guacamoc]

That is a false claim bud

[@user-wu2pp2qb6x]

h I

[@sirloin869]

So,this is what the maga crowd is been clamoring for...