Bogus Lists of “Free” Government Land
The Los Angeles Times Housing Scene column in their business section is warning readers about con artists selling “insider reports” about supposedly free real property under the Homestead Act. The article says the Homestead Act giveaways stopped over 30 years ago.
“The Homesteading Act of 1862 was repealed in 1976 because all the good agricultural land — 287.5 million acres of it — had already been transferred out of federal ownership.”
What’s left, mostly in Western states, is being sold under competitive bidding.
For deep background on the Homestead Act, Wendy McElroy’s 2001 article on the “Free-Soil” movement is an interesting place to start. Here’s an excerpt:
“If one man can be deemed responsible for the impact of the homestead movement, that man was George Henry Evans (1805–1856). In his essay “George Henry Evans and the Origins of American Individualist-Anarchism,” historian Ken Gregg Jr. described the success of the free-soil movement:”
“When Evans began his crusade in 1829, he had the support of his friends and only a few newspapers … in New York. By 1850, his efforts had sown their seed. Of the over 2,000 papers that were published in the United States, at least 600 of these supported land reform. By the time of Evans’ death on Feb. 2, 1856, the National Reform Association [founded by Evans] was a force to be reckoned with.”
“Ultimately, however, the homesteading movement serves not only as an inspiring example of grassroots activism but also as a caution against the pitfalls attendant to using government to promote liberty.”
The L.A. Times article gives links to free government property sales info online. It also provides phone numbers to get free advice depending on what you’re looking for and your classification as a buyer.
