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Department of Economics

BEEG Seminar: Randall Walsh (University of Pittsburgh)

Title: "Newlands Reclamation Act: Were large western irrigation projects in the western U.S. a boon or boondoggle?"

  • Date: 16 October 2025 from 12:30 to 14:00

  • Event location: Auditorium – Piazza Scaravilli, 1 + Microsoft Teams Meeting

Abstract

This paper examines the economic impact of the 1902 Newlands Reclamation Act on homesteading in the American West. Using linked land patent and U.S. Census records from 1910–1940, we compare outcomes for reclamation homesteaders, original homesteaders, and stock-raising entrants. Preliminary evidence suggests that reclamation homesteaders were wealthier, older, and more geographically mobile at entry, and in 1940 reported higher home values and wage income despite smaller farm sizes. While historians often describe the Act as a failure, our findings indicate that, conditional on proving up, reclamation homesteaders experienced significantly greater long-run economic success.