OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma Senate has unveiled a new painting at the state Capitol. Titled "Land Run of 1889," the painting was unveiled Monday in the Senate chamber. The landscape by artist Wayne Cooper was sponsored by Brad Naifeh and is a project of the Oklahoma State Senate Historical Preservation Fund.
The Land Run of 1889 began the disposal of federal public lands in Oklahoma. Congress had amended the Indian Appropriations Bill in 1889 to authorize President Benjamin Harrison to proclaim two million acres open for settlement.
Under the Homestead Act of 1862, a settler could claim 160 acres of land, and those who lived on and improved the claim for five years could receive title.
The Land Run took place on April 22, 1889, and about 11,000 agricultural homesteads were claimed.