Welcome! We are in the process of improving and updating the statewide Cultural Heritage Program website! As a result, you may find that your bookmarks and links to this page and other pages are no longer working. We will try and make sure your links are temporarily redirected, but please be aware that you may need to reset them. Thanks for visiting, and we hope you will like our new look!

Homestead Act 150th Anniversary 2012

Homesteading in America began when President Lincoln signed the 1862 Homestead Act enabling over 1.6 million people to claim federal land intended for small farms. Homesteaders included men, women, freed slaves, and European settlers. During the homestead era, about 270 million acres of federal land were claimed in 30 states, from Florida to Michigan to Alaska. Learn more>

200 Years of the General Land Office 1812-2012

Two hundred years ago this April, the General Land Office (GLO) opened its doors for business. Today that “land office business” continues at the Bureau of Land Management-Eastern States office, which will commemorate the occasion with events scheduled throughout the year. Visit the GLO website filled we videos, an interactive timeline and more>

Iditarod Centennial: 2008-2012

From January 2008 through October 2012, individuals, groups, communities and agencies will host a variety of events and projects that commemorate the centennial of the historic Iditarod Trail. Learn about recent events and what’s coming up. 
Learn more about the centennial events>

Information about the history of the Iditarod National Historic Trail

Historic overview and insights for its centennial year

Antiquities Act: 1906-2006

In 2006, BLM celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Antiquities Act. It was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 as the first federal legislation to recognize the importance for the nation of protecting "any historic or prehistoric ruin or monument, or any object of antiquity situated on lands owned or controlled by the Government of the United States." 

Read more about the centennial and a law enacted by Theodore Roosevelt to protect our nation's cultural resources>