Historical Note:

Freeman gets free land . . .

In 1862 former Union soldier Daniel Freeman took up Uncle Sam's offer for free land out in the Nebraska territory. According to the Homestead Act, all he had to do was farm the land for five years before it would become his rightful property. Many other pioneers soon followed, as did the railroad. Five years later, as a result of settlers like Freeman and rail expansion, Nebraska became the 37th state to join the Union. Daniel Freeman's land is now part of the Homestead National Monument of America.

Name Origin: Indian. ("Flat River," or "Broad Water)

Capital: Lincoln

Population: 1,623,000

Area: 77,355 square miles

Statehood: March 1, 1867 (37th)

Nickname: The Cornhusker State

Motto: "Equality before the law"

Famous For: Pioneers, Sioux Indians, Oregon Trail, Farming, Cattle, Corn, Unicameral Legislature (The only one-house legistlature in the country), Nebreska National Forest (A 93,000-acre, manmade forest, the largest hand-planted forest in North America), National Rollerskating Museum