Today In History

Missouri is Free - Land Available for the Asking The Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad are taking advantage of the Pacific Railroad Act and aggressively selling land to anyone interested at prices as low as $ 2.40 per acre. 500,000 acres are now available in Missouri, encompassing prairie land, timber, and coal areas. Sectional maps showing the exact locations of the parcels are available for 30 cents each. Minimum of 40 acre lots are available now. Credit will be granted for 2 – 10 year payment terms. If ten year terms are paid within two years, each owner will receive a 20% discount on their loan. All interested parties should apply in writing to George S. Harris, land commissioner of the H.& St.Jo. R.R., Hannibal, Mo. In 1862 The Pacific Railroad Act granted five square miles of land on either side of every mile of track laid to the railroads.