Article

Homestead Era Car Show

A model A sits outside the brick visitor center

Following guidance from the CDC and recommendations from state and local public health authorities in consultation with NPS Public Health Service Officers the 2020 Homestead Era Car show will not include an in-person show. We invite you to share pictures of your Homestead Era vehicles on our Facebook page on Sunday, September 6, beginning at 10:00 a.m. through the dedicated post found at the top of the page.

A truck parked on a homestead near farm equipment

Automobiles on the Homestead

The Homestead Act was signed into law on May 20, 1862 and took effect on January 1, 1863. It remained in effect until 1976 in the lower 48 states, and until 1986 in Alaska. Often when people think of homesteading, they think of covered wagons, prairie schooners, vehicles and farm implements pulled by draft animals. But what many people don’t realize, is that the peak era of homesteading didn’t happen until the early 1900s – approximately 370,000 homesteaders proved up between 1901 and 1910, and another 439,000 proved up between 1911 and 1920!

Yellow truck with a load of hay parked near a barn.

The story of homesteading, and of the Homestead Act of 1862, is in many ways tied to the story of mechanization and industry. Homesteaders, much like anyone else, were eager to adopt any technology that might ease the burden and workload they faced! With the introduction of the Model T Ford in 1908, many of these homesteaders may well have been driving one of these new mass-produced cars! This Homestead Era car show celebrates the vehicles Americans drove from the 1900s through the end of the Homestead Era in the 1980s, while linking the automotive era and the homestead era.

A man stands next to his 1931 restored model A

Gayle Hanshaw, a volunteer at Homestead National Monument of America, and a car enthusiast, has taken the lead role in coordinating and promoting the Homestead Era Car show. His 1931 restored Model A has been a staple at previous shows. Below you can explore his vehicle virtually, through a 360 panoramic image.

360 Panoramic Image "1931 Restored Model A Ole Rudy"

Inside view of a 1931 restored Model A

NPS photo

a 1931 restored Model A viewed from the front — Front View of "Ole Rudy"

Restored 1931 Model A with a banner advertisement on the back — Back view of "Ole Rudy"

Photos from Previous Shows

The Homestead Era car show began in 2015. The award categories are broken down by decade (1900s-1980s) and are decided by a people's choice vote. Below you can view images from previous shows.