Adeline Hornbek and the Homestead
Act: A Colorado Success Story

(Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument) (Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument) Colorado's Florissant Valley lies 35 miles west of Colorado Springs on the flanks of Pikes Peak. To the north and east, the Rocky Mountains dominate the skyline. To the west lies high meadow land with large expanses of undulating native grasses so beautiful that early fur trappers to the area referred to it as a park. In the summer the grassy meadows are filled with the colored mists of thousands of wild flowers. In the center of this lush valley stands the Hornbek homestead complex, the home of a strong, determined woman who came to the area with her four children in the 1870s. Claiming land under the Homestead Act, Adeline Hornbek defied traditional gender roles to become the owner of a prosperous ranch.

TABLE OF CONTENTS About This Lesson Getting Started: Inquiry Question Setting the Stage: Historical Context Locating the Site: Maps 1. Florissant, Colorado and surrounding region, 1891 2. Hornbek Homestead 3. Homestead plots in the Florissant Region Determining the Facts: Readings 1. The Story of Adeline Hornbek 2. The Proper Victorian Lady 3. Homestead Proof: Testimony of Claimant Visual Evidence: Images 1. Hornbek Homestead 2. A representative barn Putting It All Together: Activities 1. Homesteading 2. Homesteading in the Local Region 3. Researching Important Women Supplementary Resources

RELATED INFORMATION How to Use a TwHP Lesson Lessons on Related Topics TwHP Home National Register Home About the National Register How the National Register Helps Teachers Contact TwHP Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument This lesson is based on the Hornbek Homestead, which is within the boundaries of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, one of the thousands of properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

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