Land acquisition came hard for early pioneers. Not only were they required to work the homesteaded land planting crops and making improvements but in most of the West, 160 acres was not a sufficient amount for early ranching or dairy herds. It was estimated several years ago that it took over 10 acres of native grass to feed one cow for one year.
Relief from this quandary came in the form of “railroad sections.” (A section of land is 640 acres or quadruple the 160 acres acquired by homesteading.) To provide financial support for building a railroad across the vast expanse of prairie, railroads like the Union Pacific were granted land amounting to twenty miles on each side of the track to sell. The checkerboard railroad sections were either all even or, in some cases, odd numbered sections, making a hopscotch of land. Most railroad sections were sold at the rate of $1 per acre with the total price going to the railroad coffers. (As an aside, wisely the rail companies retained the mineral rights for these sections, never reverting them to the landowners.)
The addition of “railroad sections” to an existing homestead increased the land holdings quickly. In my upcoming book, COAL CREEK RANCH, Charles and Elijah buy the railroad sections adjoining their property. When the men are able to add this land it makes their holdings increase to an eventual 8 and ¼ sections of land, enough to run horses for pulling merchant carts in Denver and eventually for raising a large herd of cattle.
If the homesteader was able to afford the “railroad section”, he or she could make a significant expansion of their property in a hurry.