Homesteading Woman throwing hay

Claiming Nebraska: Women and Children of the Homestead Act of 1862

Bring the Story of Nebraska’s Homesteading Women to Life

They came for 160 acres…
and faced a lifetime of hardship to keep it.

Now booking across Nebraska, this powerful living history program on the Homestead Act of 1862 brings to life the real experiences of women and children who shaped the Great Plains.


A Powerful Nebraska Living History Experience

Perfect for Nebraska museums, schools, libraries, and historical societies, this immersive program explores:

  • Women homesteaders in Nebraska and the Great Plains
  • Single women, widows, and mothers claiming land under the Homestead Act of 1862
  • Children growing up in sod houses on the prairie
  • The journey west—loss, sacrifice, and survival along the trail
  • Life on the frontier—blizzards, prairie fires, drought, and isolation

Through dramatic storytelling, authentic historical clothing, and audience interaction, history is no longer distant—

it is felt.


A Personal Nebraska Homesteading Story

Presented by Rayma Volkmer of Indian Creek Historical Fashions, this program is deeply personal.

As a descendant of Nebraska homesteaders, Rayma shares her own family’s story, including a grandmother born in a sod house on the Nebraska prairie.

This is not just history.

This is living legacy.


Serving Communities Across Nebraska

Available for booking in:
Lincoln • Omaha • Beatrice • Nebraska City • Grand Island • Kearney • Hastings • and rural communities across Nebraska


Perfect For Nebraska Events & Programs

  • Museums and historical sites
  • Libraries and community programs
  • Schools and educational events
  • Nebraska Humanities programs
  • Heritage festivals and local history events

Book This Nebraska Living History Program

Bring this unforgettable story of courage, survival, and sacrifice to your audience.

👉 Contact Indian Creek Historical Fashions today to book your
Women Homesteaders Program – Homestead Act of 1862


Learn More About This Program

For full program details, visit:
👉 She Claimed the Wilderness: Women, Children, and the Promise of the Homestead Act of 1862