Homesteaders Win a Round in the Kaniksu Forest Land Fight
Two settlers are declared entitled to their claims, but the legal battle over public land in the Kaniksu National Forest is far from over.
The Spokane land office has decided that Messrs. Peterson and Robert McGinnis are entitled to their homesteads in the Kaniksu National Forest. There are a few more of these contest cases to be heard before Sidney W. Rogers, commissioner for this district. Two of the contest cases have been decided in favor of the homesteaders. The decision of the Spokane land office is not final, as the cases must be reviewed by the general land office at Washington, D.C. In a separate case, the Spokane land office reported adversely on the claim of Wm. R. Amsbaugh, holding that he had not made his home on the property in question.
“The decision of the Spokane land office is not final as the cases must be reviewed by the general land office at Washington, D.C.”
Land contests like these were common in the early 20th century as homesteaders, timber companies, and the federal government vied for control of the West's remaining public lands. The Kaniksu National Forest was established in 1907, and settlers inside its boundaries suddenly had to prove up their claims. Today, debates over public land use—from logging to recreation—still shape Pend Oreille County.
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