Corliss Ranch
Kit Carson County
In 1887 Albert N. Corliss (known to friends and family as A.N.) left Vermont at the age of 23 to start a new life in Colorado. By 1892 he had married Lillian May Yale and three years later took up a homestead on the Republican River in Kit Carson County. The area was known as Tuttle and had artesian wells, the South Fork of the Republican River, and several natural lakes on the property.
Susan Corliss with a horse.
A.N. proved up on his homestead in December 1902. A two-story, 10-room cement and rock house were built in 1908 next to the existing sod house. Here A.N. and Lillian began to raise their nine children before moving the family to Nebraska in 1918. Oldest son, Joe, stayed behind and, with the help of his sister and brother-in-law formed a partnership, and leased the land. In 1934 Sherman Corliss and wife Grace leased the land and began ranching with their family.
Family snapshot, 1943.
On May 30th, 1935, heavy rains caused flooding in the area with water stretching a mile wide through the valley. The Corliss home was right in the way as waves splashed several feet onto the house. The flood changed the course of the river and destroyed the lakes and artesian wells. In 1944 Sherman and Grace bought the land from A.N. and raised five sons and five daughters. Son David married Betty Gramm in 1966 and moved back to the ranch when he was discharged from the Army while his parents built a new smaller house a half mile south. David purchased the ranch in 1995. Part of the original homestead was sold to Mervin Corliss, and his widow Esther still lives on the original homestead.
Corliss Ranch family members.
Today the Corliss family continues to work and live on the land that encompasses 360 acres, where grass is the major crop. Several historic buildings and structures are still in use, including the ranch house. The beautiful yellow and green stained glass window installed in 1908 is still in place, never broken and withstanding four generations of the Corliss family. Brands associated with the ranch are the Reverse- EJ-, Bar- H6 and the Lazy- J- Quarter Circle- Open A.