Kenneth Deardorff, a Vietnam veteran from California, moved to remote Alaska in 1974 and filed a homestead claim along the Stony River. After years of living and working on the land, he completed the legal requirements in 1979 but did not receive the official patent until 1988, making him the last person in US history to receive a homestead title under the Homestead Act.

Kenneth Deardorff, a Vietnam veteran from California, moved to remote Alaska in 1974 and filed a homestead claim along the Stony River. After years of living and working on the…

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…