Home Sweet Home
Posted by: 
TheBeanTeam
N 43° 21.352 W 121° 03.504
10T E 657342 N 4802165
2nd Historical Marker outside the Fort Rock Valley Historical Homestead Museum.
Waymark Code: WM1H22
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 05/08/2007
Views: 40
The 1909 Enlarged Homestead Act fueled a landrush that began with the Homestead Act of 1862. The Act allowed qualified individuals to claim 320 acres by building a residence and cultivation 40 acres. Motivated by dreams of a “Garden of Eden” or simply the desire to own land, thousands headed west. In 1011 Oregon’s Silver Lake Leader claimed: “Every stage and every automobile licensed to carry passengers…brings its quota of new settlers who are hurrying to file on a piece of government land before it is too late. Central Oregon has never seen, and after next summer will never see another such rush , for by that time it will be virtually all gone.”
Although large livestock ranches were established in this region during the late 1800s, farming came with the homesteaders in the early 1900x. Life on this land was not easy for these pioneers, especially when the hot summer sun struck the anvil of the desert or the hoary blasts of winter froze their dreams. Dryland farming was a laborious and expensive venture, and many would-be-sod-busters simply left when their backs gave out or the money ran out. The advent of World War I saw many homesteaders drafted into service, while others left for “good jobs” in the city. The development of deep-well irrigation technology in the 1960s made agriculture profitable. Today, locally grown alfalfa is highly prized and is shipped as far as Japan. Those homesteaders that persevered created their own “Garden of Eden” and tight-knit communities that endured.
Picture 1: The School Bus
Picture 2: Schoolhouses, like the Fort Rock School pictured above in 1911, sprang up throughout this region with the first homesteaders. Located within walking distance for children, the schools also served as community centers.
Picture 3: Heading for town was an event for homesteaders and Penrose’s Blacksmith Shop in Forth Rock, pictured here in 1910, was always a busy place.
Historic Topic: Modern Age 1900 to date
Group Responsible for placement: BLM
Marker Type: Roadside
Region: Central Oregon
County: Lake
Web link to additional information: [Web Link]
State of Oregon Historical Marker "Beaver Board": Not listed
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