6. Descriptions of the Collections


agriculture and ranching with increased consolidation and mechanization and their corresponding
impact on rural life.

Over the course of the project the Libraries of Montana State University-Bozeman, in cooperation with
other libraries in the state, will develop a comprehensive bibliography important to the study of
agriculture and rural life in Montana and the Western United States. The project will employ a four-
person scholarly review panel to rank titles according to their priority as research resources for
humanities studies. The Libraries will preserve access to the most important 25% of the estimated
universe of materials, or approximately 100 titles in 500 volumes. *Details of the Libraries project staffing
and costs are found in Section 5.8 of the proposal's Plan of Work.


6.9 NEBRASKA


Bugeaters, Cornhuskers, Tree Planter's, and the Great American Desert, are all words found in the
literature that describe the people and region of what is now Nebraska. As these words imply, and the
documentary record confirms, the history of the state is inextricably interwoven with its agricultural
development. The early settlers came not for gold, but rather for land to farm and ranch. Nebraska is
now one of the chief farming states in the U.S. with 92% of its land in crops and pasture a higher
percentage than any other state.

Overland trails across Nebraska, including the famous Oregon Trail, were well established by the 1840's.
Over the next 25 years, thousands of emigrants from eastern states and foreign countries traveled in
covered wagons through Nebraska--and some stayed on to farm. The first large groups of settlers were
Germans. Later came Czechs, Swedes, Danes, and Russians. While much of the initial investment capital
in the territory was by speculators seeking big returns, by 1860 agriculture had proven to be a
dependable way of making a living. The Free Homestead Act of 1863 further encouraged
homesteading--by paying a small fee, any citizen who lived upon the land for five years could claim 160
acres. Nebraska was the site of the first United States homestead claimed by Daniel Freeman on January
1, 1863.

After the Civil War, the state's population rapidly increased and Nebraska achieved statehood in 1867.
The soil was good and agriculture and rural society flourished. Sod corn, flax, and forage crops were
typical crops along with potatoes and other vegetables raised for food. Later crops included spring
wheat, and sorghum for making molasses. Wild fruits and wild game, along with chickens, hogs and
cattle, helped feed rural families. The new state received 3,370,000 acres of land from the federal
government for public use, including the establishment of the University of Nebraska (UNL) and its
Agricultural College. The College vigorously supported farmers, ranchers, and the farm community
through publications, radio programs, field days, and demonstrations such as the Nebraska Tractor Tests,
begun in 1921.

Materials selected for preservation in the phase 1 project include scholarly materials that describe the
history of agricultural research and cooperative extension work in Nebraska. Fifty-two serials titles were
microfilmed in the 1980's as part of UNL's contribution to the National Agricultural
Library's land grant publications microfilming project. An additional 267 serials (5,048 volumes) were
identified in phase 1 and 45 titles (1,1021 volumes) selected for preservation. Scholarly monographs
authored by members of the UNL College of Agriculture faculty and the Nebraska Hall of Agricultural
Achievement will also be preserved.

The completion, in 1869, of the Union Pacific Railroad across Nebraska was a critical factor in the
settlement and development of the state and profoundly affected rural life and agricultural economy.