Quote Originally Posted by Ken White View Post
Steve Blair answered that, I'll only add that most people went to find land as you say -- and to work for those people he cited; a good mix. Little is as simple as you seem to wish...
Steve is right but so is Fuchs to great extent, by claiming land they essentially had free capital something that can't happen today. My Great Grandparents simply staked a claim on a piece of land that had a water supply. At the time I didn't understand a lot of what they said when they talked about never having a job and never really having any money but living quite well. They saved their Social Security Checks (literally put them in a drawer) because they didn't no what to do with them and they certainly would never trust or use something called a Bank Early settlers were the original Hippies, it was all about Land, Labor and Tools and being a good neighbor. I think there is lesson in UNlearned in there somewhere.