Editing Blaine County, Nebraska (section)

== History ==
Blaine County, named after James G. Blaine, a prominent American politician, was established on March 23, 1885. The settlement of Blaine County , like the rest of the [[Sandhills (Nebraska)|Sandhills region]], began later than many other Nebraska counties due to its less accessible and perceived less fertile location than other parts of Nebraska. Not until the passage of the [[Kinkaid Act]] in 1904, which allowed homesteaders to claim 640 acres instead of the usual 160 under the Homestead Act, did significant settlement in the county occur.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Buechler |first=August F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aIwUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PR10&dq=Buechler,+A.+F.,+and+R.+J.+Barr.+History+of+Hall+County,+Nebraska:+A+Narrative+of+the+Past,+with+Special+Emphasis+Upon+the+Pioneer+Period+of+the+County's+History,+Its+Social,+Commercial,+Educational,+Religious,+and+Civic+Development,+from+the+Early+Days+to+the+Present+Time.+Lincoln,+Neb.:+Western+Publishing+and+Engraving+Company,+1929.+(While+this+reference+primarily+covers+Hall+County,+it+provides+contextual+information+on+Nebraska's+settlement+patterns+including+areas+like+Blaine+County.)&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi5luXOhIGKAxUPkIkEHV0UJ5cQ6AF6BAgJEAI#v=snippet&q=Blaine&f=false |title=History of Hall County, Nebraska: A Narrative of the Past with Special Emphasis Upon the Pioneer Period of the County's History, and Chronological Presentation of Its Social, Commercial, Educational, Religious, and Civic Development from the Early Days to the Present Time, and Special Analysis of Its Military and Civil Participation in the Late World War |last2=Barr |first2=Robert J. |date=1920 |publisher=Western Publishing and Engraving Company |language=en}}</ref>

The first settlements in Blaine County were primarily for ranching rather than farming. The town of Brewster, established in 1884, became the county seat. Ranching, particularly cattle, became the economic mainstay, as the sandy soil was better suited for grazing than for crop cultivation. The settlers adapted to the environment by focusing on livestock, with cattle drives and the eventual development of cattle breeding being central to the county's economy.<ref name=":0" />