Preëmption

All the foreigners who had served therein were entitled to homesteads, many lands were open to preëmption by foreigners…

No person can exercise the preëmption right who is already the owner of 320 acres of land.

“If you had two hundred dollars to pay on your preëmption you could borrow some.”

The hope was to preëmpt the preëmption of laws like Orange County’s.