On May 20'th, 1862 Abraham Lincoln signed into law one of the most important and revolutionary peoices of legislature in the history of the United States. The Homestead Act turned over 250 million acres, or ten percent of the area of the United States, to private citizens. An person 21 years of age or older and acting as the head of a household could claim a 160-acre parcel of land. the homesteader had to live on the land, build a home, make improvements and farm for five years. after paying a total of $18 in filing fees, the land was granted to the citizen in the form of a patent signed with the name of the current U.S. President. The Homestead Act remained in effect until 1976 when it was repealed.

The 1,400 acres that make up The Homestead at Whitefish were originally homesteaded in 1898 under this act. The rolling meadows, pine-filled forests, and mossy rock outcroppings that make up The Homestead offer those with a pioneering spirit an opportunity to steak their modern day claim.