The Kinkaid Act of 1904 is a U.S. statute that amended the 1862 Homestead Act so that one section of public domain land could be acquired free of charge, apart from a modest filing fee. It applied specifically to 37 counties in northwest Nebraska, in the general area of the Nebraska Sandhills. The act was introduced by Moses Kinkaid, Nebraska's 6th congressional district representative, was signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt on April 28, 1904 and went into effect on June 28 of that year.
Spade Ranch brand
Moses Kinkaid
Nebraska Sandhills in October
The Sandhills, often written Sand Hills, is a region of mixed-grass prairie on grass-stabilized sand dunes in north-central Nebraska, covering just over one quarter of the state. The dunes were designated a National Natural Landmark in 1984.
Sandhills in Hooker County, near sunset in October
Small ponds and lakes are common in the Sand Hills, such as this one near Antioch.
A view of the Dismal River, Sandhills, and U.S. Route 83 in Thomas County
Sand Hills from space, September 2001