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Domestic News
August 20, 1919
Casper Daily Tribune
Casper, Natrona County, Wyoming
What is this article about?
Wyoming land settlement report: 14M+ acres filed on 1909-1919, 22M still available to homesteaders. Details by county/district, compiled by Commissioner Hill. (148 chars)
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2,117,521 ACRES OF LAND IN THIS COUNTRY OPEN TO SETTLEMENT;
VAST AREA REMAINS IN WYOMING
More Than 13,000,000 Acres in State Filed on in Past Ten Years and 22,387,668 Still Available to Homesteaders
By JOHN C. THOMPSON, Jr.
CHEYENNE, Wyo., Aug. 20.--The manner in which Wyoming steadily is being settled is shown by statistics compiled by State Immigration Commissioner Charles S. Hill which reveal that during the last decade--the ten years from July 1, 1909 to July 1, 1919--more than 13,000,000 acres of the public domain in the state of the former date was filed on by settlers.
The exact acreage filed on during the decade period is 14,002,583.25, there having been 35,390,270 acres of public domain unappropriated and unreserved in the state at the beginning of the ten-year period-and only 22,387,687.75 acres unappropriated and unreserved at the end of the period. Settlement was at the average rate of more than 1,300,000 acres a year, but was more rapid during the latter portion of the decade than during the earlier portion, as is attested by the fact that filings during the one year period from July 1, 1918, to July 1, 1919, totalled 3,046,507 acres.
More than fourteen and one-half million acres of the remaining public domain in Wyoming is not subject to entry, having been segregated for one purpose or another. The withdrawals now in force in the state total 14,565,635 acres, divided as follows: National forests, 8,679,978 acres; coal withdrawals, 2,437,523 acres; petroleum withdrawals, 1,181,147 acres; reclamation service, 1,076,670; waterpower sites and public waters, 191,725. The 14,565,635 acres covered by these segregations is additional to the 22,387,687.75 acres heretofore referred to as unappropriated and unreserved.
Of the twenty-one counties in the state that with the smallest amount of public domain remaining subject to entry under the public land laws is Laramie, with only 23,440 acres. The county with the greatest area of public domain still open to entry is Sweetwater, with 4,411,223 acres.
Six other counties each contains more than 1,000,000 acres open to entry, these being Big Horn, Johnson, Washakie, Carbon, Natrona and Lincoln.
Remaining unsurveyed in the state, and open to entry, is a total area of 1,666,023.45 acres. The surveyed public domain subject to entry totals 20,721,663.30 acres. These lands are administered from six land offices, these offices being at Cheyenne, Buffalo, Douglas, Evanston, Lander and Sundance. In the Buffalo district there are subject to entry 3,700,716 surveyed and 67,960 unsurveyed acres; in the Cheyenne district 3,162,250 surveyed and 64,961 unsurveyed acres; in the Douglas district 3,511,637 surveyed and 30,130 unsurveyed acres; in the Evanston district 5,957,908 surveyed and 1,303,932 unsurveyed acres; in the Lander district 3,599,056.23 surveyed and 89,828.54 unsurveyed acres, and in the Sundance district 790,096.07 surveyed and 109,211.91 unsurveyed acres.
A statement showing the surveyed and unsurveyed acreage and the total acreage open to entry in each county, and the general character of the land follows:
Buffalo District
Big Horn--965,378 surveyed, 45,120 unsurveyed. Total, 1,010,494. Grazing, agricultural and mountainous.
Campbell--315,072 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 315,072. Dry farming, grazing, rolling.
Converse--8,670 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 8,670. Grazing, hilly.
Hot Springs--135,321 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 135,321. Grazing, mountainous.
Johnson 1,044,736 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 1,044,736. Agricultural, dry farming, grazing, mountainous.
Natrona--45,177 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 45,177. Dry lands, rolling, grazing.
Sheridan--199,036 surveyed and 22,840 unsurveyed. Total, 221,876. Agricultural, grazing, dry farming.
Washakie -- 1,027,326 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 1,027,326. Grazing, mountainous.
Cheyenne District
Albany--616,690 surveyed and 21,281 unsurveyed. Total, 637,971. About one-half broken mountainous; other half prairie, grazing and farm land, mostly along streams.
Carbon--1,688,600 surveyed and 10,701 unsurveyed. Total, 1,699,301. Greater portion broken mountainous; some timber and some agricultural along streams.
Fremont--138,200 surveyed and 31,979 unsurveyed. Total, 170,179. Mountainous, arid, timber.
Goshen--11,060 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 11,060. Broken, grazing, dry farming.
Laramie--23,440 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Broken, grazing, dry farming, lands along streams irrigable.
Platte--77,220 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 77,220. Prairie, broken, grazing, dry farming.
Sweetwater 607,040 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 607,040.
Mountainous, broken, grazing, alkaline plains.
Douglas District
Converse--227,985 surveyed and 30,130 unsurveyed. Total, 258,115. Grazing, mountainous, mineral.
Fremont--935,103 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 935,103. Grazing, mountainous, mineral.
Natrona 2,117,521 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 2,117,521. Grazing, mountainous, mineral.
Niobrara--231,028 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 231,028. Grazing, mountainous, mineral.
Evanston District
Fremont--543,894 surveyed, 583,337 unsurveyed. Total, 1,127,231. Farming, grazing, mountainous.
Lincoln--1,203,749 surveyed, 548,202 unsurveyed. Total, 1,751,951. Farming, grazing, timber.
Sweetwater 3,631,790 surveyed, 172,393 unsurveyed. Total, 3,804,183. Dry farming, grazing, alkaline.
Uinta--578,475 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 578,475. Dry farming and grazing.
Lander District
Big Horn--167,978.64 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 167,978.64. Timber, mountainous, farming, grazing.
Fremont--1,888,195.58 surveyed, 41,577.30 unsurveyed. Total, 1,929,772.88. Arid, mountainous, farming, grazing.
Hot Springs--685,034.95 surveyed, 40,116.60 unsurveyed. Total, 725,151.55. Farming, mineral, grazing and timber.
Park--854,692.06 surveyed, 8,134.64 unsurveyed. Total, 862,826.70. Timber, stone, farming, grazing, some mineral.
Washakie 3,155 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 3,155. Broken, farming, grazing.
Sundance District
Campbell 378,546.36 surveyed, 106,290.42 unsurveyed. Total, 484,836.78. Prairie, grazing, semi-mountainous.
Crook--171,867.76 surveyed, 2,921.49 unsurveyed. Total, 174,789.25. Some timber.
Niobrara 18,184.82 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 18,184.82. Broken, grazing, small area of timber.
Weston 206,254.68 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 206,254.68. Rolling, grazing.
VAST AREA REMAINS IN WYOMING
More Than 13,000,000 Acres in State Filed on in Past Ten Years and 22,387,668 Still Available to Homesteaders
By JOHN C. THOMPSON, Jr.
CHEYENNE, Wyo., Aug. 20.--The manner in which Wyoming steadily is being settled is shown by statistics compiled by State Immigration Commissioner Charles S. Hill which reveal that during the last decade--the ten years from July 1, 1909 to July 1, 1919--more than 13,000,000 acres of the public domain in the state of the former date was filed on by settlers.
The exact acreage filed on during the decade period is 14,002,583.25, there having been 35,390,270 acres of public domain unappropriated and unreserved in the state at the beginning of the ten-year period-and only 22,387,687.75 acres unappropriated and unreserved at the end of the period. Settlement was at the average rate of more than 1,300,000 acres a year, but was more rapid during the latter portion of the decade than during the earlier portion, as is attested by the fact that filings during the one year period from July 1, 1918, to July 1, 1919, totalled 3,046,507 acres.
More than fourteen and one-half million acres of the remaining public domain in Wyoming is not subject to entry, having been segregated for one purpose or another. The withdrawals now in force in the state total 14,565,635 acres, divided as follows: National forests, 8,679,978 acres; coal withdrawals, 2,437,523 acres; petroleum withdrawals, 1,181,147 acres; reclamation service, 1,076,670; waterpower sites and public waters, 191,725. The 14,565,635 acres covered by these segregations is additional to the 22,387,687.75 acres heretofore referred to as unappropriated and unreserved.
Of the twenty-one counties in the state that with the smallest amount of public domain remaining subject to entry under the public land laws is Laramie, with only 23,440 acres. The county with the greatest area of public domain still open to entry is Sweetwater, with 4,411,223 acres.
Six other counties each contains more than 1,000,000 acres open to entry, these being Big Horn, Johnson, Washakie, Carbon, Natrona and Lincoln.
Remaining unsurveyed in the state, and open to entry, is a total area of 1,666,023.45 acres. The surveyed public domain subject to entry totals 20,721,663.30 acres. These lands are administered from six land offices, these offices being at Cheyenne, Buffalo, Douglas, Evanston, Lander and Sundance. In the Buffalo district there are subject to entry 3,700,716 surveyed and 67,960 unsurveyed acres; in the Cheyenne district 3,162,250 surveyed and 64,961 unsurveyed acres; in the Douglas district 3,511,637 surveyed and 30,130 unsurveyed acres; in the Evanston district 5,957,908 surveyed and 1,303,932 unsurveyed acres; in the Lander district 3,599,056.23 surveyed and 89,828.54 unsurveyed acres, and in the Sundance district 790,096.07 surveyed and 109,211.91 unsurveyed acres.
A statement showing the surveyed and unsurveyed acreage and the total acreage open to entry in each county, and the general character of the land follows:
Buffalo District
Big Horn--965,378 surveyed, 45,120 unsurveyed. Total, 1,010,494. Grazing, agricultural and mountainous.
Campbell--315,072 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 315,072. Dry farming, grazing, rolling.
Converse--8,670 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 8,670. Grazing, hilly.
Hot Springs--135,321 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 135,321. Grazing, mountainous.
Johnson 1,044,736 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 1,044,736. Agricultural, dry farming, grazing, mountainous.
Natrona--45,177 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 45,177. Dry lands, rolling, grazing.
Sheridan--199,036 surveyed and 22,840 unsurveyed. Total, 221,876. Agricultural, grazing, dry farming.
Washakie -- 1,027,326 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 1,027,326. Grazing, mountainous.
Cheyenne District
Albany--616,690 surveyed and 21,281 unsurveyed. Total, 637,971. About one-half broken mountainous; other half prairie, grazing and farm land, mostly along streams.
Carbon--1,688,600 surveyed and 10,701 unsurveyed. Total, 1,699,301. Greater portion broken mountainous; some timber and some agricultural along streams.
Fremont--138,200 surveyed and 31,979 unsurveyed. Total, 170,179. Mountainous, arid, timber.
Goshen--11,060 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 11,060. Broken, grazing, dry farming.
Laramie--23,440 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Broken, grazing, dry farming, lands along streams irrigable.
Platte--77,220 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 77,220. Prairie, broken, grazing, dry farming.
Sweetwater 607,040 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 607,040.
Mountainous, broken, grazing, alkaline plains.
Douglas District
Converse--227,985 surveyed and 30,130 unsurveyed. Total, 258,115. Grazing, mountainous, mineral.
Fremont--935,103 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 935,103. Grazing, mountainous, mineral.
Natrona 2,117,521 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 2,117,521. Grazing, mountainous, mineral.
Niobrara--231,028 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 231,028. Grazing, mountainous, mineral.
Evanston District
Fremont--543,894 surveyed, 583,337 unsurveyed. Total, 1,127,231. Farming, grazing, mountainous.
Lincoln--1,203,749 surveyed, 548,202 unsurveyed. Total, 1,751,951. Farming, grazing, timber.
Sweetwater 3,631,790 surveyed, 172,393 unsurveyed. Total, 3,804,183. Dry farming, grazing, alkaline.
Uinta--578,475 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 578,475. Dry farming and grazing.
Lander District
Big Horn--167,978.64 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 167,978.64. Timber, mountainous, farming, grazing.
Fremont--1,888,195.58 surveyed, 41,577.30 unsurveyed. Total, 1,929,772.88. Arid, mountainous, farming, grazing.
Hot Springs--685,034.95 surveyed, 40,116.60 unsurveyed. Total, 725,151.55. Farming, mineral, grazing and timber.
Park--854,692.06 surveyed, 8,134.64 unsurveyed. Total, 862,826.70. Timber, stone, farming, grazing, some mineral.
Washakie 3,155 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 3,155. Broken, farming, grazing.
Sundance District
Campbell 378,546.36 surveyed, 106,290.42 unsurveyed. Total, 484,836.78. Prairie, grazing, semi-mountainous.
Crook--171,867.76 surveyed, 2,921.49 unsurveyed. Total, 174,789.25. Some timber.
Niobrara 18,184.82 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 18,184.82. Broken, grazing, small area of timber.
Weston 206,254.68 surveyed, none unsurveyed. Total, 206,254.68. Rolling, grazing.
What sub-type of article is it?
Migration Or Settlement
What keywords are associated?
Wyoming Settlement
Homestead Land
Public Domain
Land Filings
Acres Open To Entry
What entities or persons were involved?
John C. Thompson, Jr.
Charles S. Hill
Where did it happen?
Wyoming
Domestic News Details
Primary Location
Wyoming
Event Date
July 1, 1909 To July 1, 1919
Key Persons
John C. Thompson, Jr.
Charles S. Hill
Outcome
14,002,583.25 acres filed on by settlers; 22,387,687.75 acres remain unappropriated and unreserved; 14,565,635 acres segregated for other purposes including national forests, coal, petroleum, reclamation, and waterpower.
Event Details
Statistics compiled by State Immigration Commissioner Charles S. Hill show that from July 1, 1909, to July 1, 1919, 14,002,583.25 acres of public domain in Wyoming were filed on by settlers, reducing unappropriated land from 35,390,270 acres to 22,387,687.75 acres. Filings averaged over 1,300,000 acres per year, accelerating to 3,046,507 acres in the final year. Detailed breakdowns by county and land office districts provided, including surveyed and unsurveyed acres open to entry and land characteristics.