DT Data Page #: 78

Newspaper: Daily Times Telephone

Newspaper Date: 1/20/1886

Page #: 2

Item Type: Article

Place: Humboldt county

Text: Good article on fraudulent expansions of homesteads and pre-emptions that occurred in Humboldt county. From the end of 1864 to 1868 most of the locations (filings ?) were for agriculture or grazing. 160 acres was found to be too small so settlers extended their domain by the "dummy" system. This was accomplished in part by buying out bona fide settlers, but generally by a wholesale system of "dummy" locations. Later in 1869-1869 RW took a boom. Surveys were made of the most valuable redwood land and entries were then made on those lands by pre-emption and homestead. Later come the Timber Act and the same dummy system was used to procure titles to these redwood lands. Person would file under oath that they were for their use and benefit; than filed another oath that they took them for the benefit of someone else.

Key Words: Homesteads, Timber Act, "Dummy " Locations

Microfilm Call # : MF 10