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The Chrisman Sisters on a claim in Goheen settlement on Lieban (Lillian) Creek, Custer County, Nebraska. From left to right Hattie, Lizzie, Lutie, and Ruth.
Lizzie Chrisman filed the first of the sisters’ homestead claims in 1887 while Lutie filed the following year. Because of age restrictions on homesteaders, Ruth and Hattie waited until 1892 to file their claims.
Many homesteaders found that a single claim could not sustain a family, so combining resources was a good solution. Together, the Chrisman sisters’ claims totaled 1,920 acres. The sisters took turns living with each other in order to fulfill the five-year residency requirement without living alone.