Genealogy - Land for the Landless

Land for the Landless: Homestead Records and How to Use Them in Your Research

The Homestead Act of 1862 opened millions of acres of land for settlement across 30 states. Interested individuals needed to meet certain criteria before the land could gain title to this land. The records created from this process are often overlooked by family historians. This session will help you understand the wealth of knowledge that can be found in these valuable records.

Amber Oldenburg is a genealogist, lecturer, and social media manager with a degree in Family History Research from Brigham Young University-Idaho. She currently serves as an online instructor in the Family History Research program at BYU-Idaho. She specializes in United States Midwest research and is currently working toward professional accreditation with the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists in the Great Lakes region. When she is not working on family history, Amber can be found traveling the county with her family, exploring archives and cemeteries, or reading a historical monograph.