A Historic Log Home Provides The Stage For a Homestead Revival

Words by Jeff Rosenberg | Historical Photos Courtesy of Land Trust of the Mississippi Coastal Plain he Shaw Homestead is a rare survivor. While a century ago, log homes built by settlers of European descent could be found all over Mississippi, only a handful remain today. Established in the late 19th century, the Shaw Homestead is a domestic farm site consisting of several buildings that were in continual use, but only receiving minimal updates, through most of the 20th century. The homestead landscape features are reflective of early settlement patterns in Pearl River County, and throughout the Mississippi’s Pine Belt region. This region is part of a larger pine forest stretching from the Carolinas to Texas. The sandy soil of the pine belt was not fit for large-scale farming, and many early settlers relied on livestock farming on an open range.

How Homesteads Came To Be

Passed by the United States Congress on May 20, 1862, the Homestead Act accelerated the settlement of the western territories by granting adult heads of families 160 acres of surveyed public land for a minimal filing fee and five years of continuous residence on that land. The act would continue in a variety of forms until 1988.

By the late 1840s, several developments supported the growth of the homestead movement. Unprecedented numbers of immigrants were arriving to the United States, many of whom looked to unsettled western lands for a new life. New transportation routes, such as canals and roadways, made possible transportation of goods grown on these western farms to markets in the eastern United States and even Europe. During this time, England's repeal of its corn laws opened new markets to American agriculture.

Claimants were required to live on and “improve” their plot by cultivating the land. After five years on the land, the original filer was entitled to the property, free and clear, except for a small registration fee. The title could also be acquired after a six-month residency and trivial improvements, provided the claimant paid the government $1.25 per acre. After the Civil War, Union soldiers could also deduct the time they had served from the residency requirements.