Beatrice, US (TAN): A monument here in Gage County, Nebraska, which commemorates an important 19th century Act that changed the lives of millions of Americans over the years, has become the biggest tourism draw in the area, Beatrice Daily Sun says.
Signed into law in 1862 by US President Abraham Lincoln, the Homestead Act allowed anyone above 21 years of age to claim up to 160 ares of public land in exchange of five years of residence, cultivation and eventual improvement of the property. The Act eventually transferred as much as 270 million acres to private ownership and thus begun “the American Dream”.
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Homestead National Monument of America, one of the country’s 88 national monuments, is located a few miles northwest of Beatrice city and tells the story of the American West and its people.
“It’s a story that not only shaped our state and our nation, but also the planet we live on,” Beatrice Daily Sun quoted monument superintendent Mark Engler as saying. He added Highway 77 between Beatrice and Lincoln had come to be known as the Homestead Expressway.
The monument generated USD 4.4 million in visitor spending in Gage County and creation of 59 jobs in 2017. The year saw 123,000 visitors to the monument, which employs 12 workers throughout the year and double the number during high season.
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Chief of Interpretation and Resource Management at the monument Susan Cook said apart from the monument’s historical and educational value, the ecosystem at the monument contains, particularly the burr oak forest and tall-grass prairie, were rare.
The park contains over 200 native plants, and the staff work to ensure the terrain looks as close as possible to how it would have looked to homesteaders back then.
Beyond being a big economic asset in itself, Cook said they kept a map of area, brochures about local businesses.
“We are a half-day visit but that’s why we do so much promotion of the things around us.” the report quoted Cook as saying.
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