Vietnam veteran moved to Alaska in 1974, became America's last homesteader

Vietnam veteran Kenneth Deardorff arrived in Alaska in 1974 with a geography degree and plans to find work with the US Geological Survey or another employer. Instead, the California native became fascinated by the idea of building a life in the state's remote wilderness. He travelled to the Bureau of Land Management office in Anchorage, learned about homesteading and eventually claimed land along the Stony River in southwestern Alaska. The decision changed the course of his life. Deardorff settled in an isolated area with no nearby roads, hunted and trapped for income and operated a small general store while developing his property. He completed the requirements for his homestead in 1979, but his government patent did not arrive until May 5, 1988. By then, the Homestead Act had ended for new claims in Alaska. The document made Deardorff the last person in US history to receive a homestead title under the law.Kenneth Deardorff's journey from Vietnam veteran to Alaska homesteaderBorn near Los Angeles, Deardorff joined the US Army after high school and served in Vietnam, where he was wounded in action. After leaving the military, he returned to California and earned a college degree i...