The strongest magnet which attracts immigration to new countries is the availability of free lands. From the beginning of white man's rule in this state, magnanimous offerings of land have been extended with the hope of inducing a flow of immigration. Prior to 1836 a head right certificate of the first class was granted to each permanent settler in the state arriving before that time. Such a certificate constituted a title to 4,605 54-100 acres of land-a gift offering from the state.
The stream of immigration, however, soon made such extravagant gifts impossible, and the quantities of free domain to which settlers were entitled were gradually diminished and the price per acre increased.

The most of the settlements of Wise County were made under the law of February 13, 1854, which granted to the actual settler 160 acres, with provisions that, in each instance, a house must be built on the land and occupied for a term of three years, at the expiration of which time the land was to be surveyed by the county or district surveyor and field notes, accompanied by an affidavit of residence for the required time, returned to the general land office at Austin, whereupon a patent would be made out, signed by the Governor, and sent to the settler or locator.

The legislatures were constantly modifying and raising the fee charged by the state. First the price was 50 cents per acre; finally $1.00.

Where previous locations had not been made, all the lands of the county were subject to entry. All the settler had to do was to make his choice, move in, erect a house, and at the end of three years survey the lines and make applications for a patent. There is reported much trafficking and hawking about of worthless certificates and pre-emption claims during all of the days of settlement. Land sharks and victimizers generally did a thriving business with new-comers as prey, and there was no end to the nefarious practices until the free lands were exhausted.

Land sales and trades among the citizens were made during these first days on a basis of a range in price from 50c. to $1.00 per acre for improved land with entire sections selling at $300.00.

During the first years of the settlement of Wise County the counties of the state were arranged into land districts for convenience in regulating land matters. Ordinarily a few counties composed a district, with the central office located at the most convenient point. To these various districts were attached the unorganized counties for land purposes, and to these the latter looked for authorized surveyors and the safeguarding of records. Under this system the unorganized territory of Wise County fell to the equal jurisdiction of Cooke and Denton Counties, the line running centrally through the county from east to west. Thus locations in the southern part of Wise were legalized and surveyed by the Denton office and those in the north part by the office at Gainsville. The distance of these headquarters from Wise made the necessity of applying to them, in the multitudinous details of land matters, difficult and troublesome, and the settlers here welcomed the day when by organization this county gained jurisdiction over its own land affairs. The early surveyors were freighted with many responsibilities and much labor.