LYON COUNTY GENEALOGY
PRICES OF LAND
From the Hon. S.P. Hyde's pamphlet history of Lyon County, printed in 1872, we find this:
"There is room in Lyon County, Iowa, for 1,500 families, with 160 acres of land each which may be bought for $5.00 per acre. The best lands in the county are offered at this price and much good land at $4.00, and we know of none more than $6.00 per acre. Thousands in northwestern Iowa are paying for their lands from the proceeds of the soil alone. The newcomer comes in the spring, which is the best time, puts up a temporary cabin and breaks up forty or fifty acres of land the first season, there being none of that old-time and laborious process of removing trees, stumps and stones. A part of the land may be planted to "sod-corn" the first year, yielding a good crop and he then finds ample time to cut and stack hay and prepare for winter. The next season this land is ready for wheat and from this time on he finds no difficulty in making his annual payments from the proceeds of this crop alone. A large share of our vacant lands are held by railroad companies, who often it upon long time and easy terms."
Webization by Kermit Kittleson - Aug. 2006