Hice Ranch
Delta County
On July 14, 1910, William Weyrauch and his wife Inez purchased 87 acres near Austin, Colorado, from Austin Miller, the town’s namesake. They raised a daughter, Genevieve, and an adopted son Kenneth.
Colorado Apple Poster from Weyrauch Bros.
The property had several small houses and a thriving apple orchard, which grew to include lots of peaches in the next few years. Produce from the orchards was shipped east by train from the Weyrauch Packing House in Austin to markets in Kansas City and Chicago. After WWII, Genevieve married William O. Hice from Paonia, Colorado, and they took over the orchards and raised three children—Carolyn, Ed, and Marilee. They grew apples, peaches, pears, cherries, prunes, and a hybrid pear-apple developed by William Hice.
Hice Ranch family members with their award.
In the mid-1970s Ed Hice took over the operations of the farm. Today the ranch produces nursery stock and still has 200 60-year-old producing apple trees. The original 1920s house, barn, chicken house, granary, and garage are still being used today.