The Homestead Act of 1862 allowed settlers to claim 160 acres of land for free in eastern Nebraska.
Statehood was granted in March, 1867 in a proclamation signed by President Andrew Jackson. The requirement was a $10 fee and an agreement to live on the land for at least 5 years. Imagine a homestead on every 160 acres (which would be 4 farms every square mile). Sadly, many homes have been abandoned and the land consolidated into larger farms.