Members of the Stanley's Hightower Homestead with their Centennial Farm & Ranch award.

Centennial Farms & Ranches

Stanley’s Hightower Homestead

Weld County

When the Enlarged Homestead Act of 1909 was passed, it inspired Daniel Voorhees Stanley to move his family from the coal mining strife of Lafayette to a 313-acre homestead next to Hightower Spring in northeastern Weld County. 

Historic image from the Stanley's Hightower Homestead showing stacking with a horse-pulled wagon, 1918..

Stacking with a horse-pulled wagon in 1918.

Photo courtesy of the Stanley's Hightower Homestead

In 1910 Daniel’s children Clyde, Ezma, and Denza all purchased adjoining plots of 320 acres, respectively.  The combined 1273 acres was a family farm enterprise.  Each owner helped the other to prove up their land.

Calving sheds at the Stanley's Hightower Homestead, built in 1947.

Calving sheds built in 1947.

Photo courtesy of the Stanley's Hightower Homestead.

During these years, the farms grew wheat, corn, rye, and sorghum grains.  While the children worked the crop fields, he took to planting wind breaks, fruit trees, and large gardens.  He defied the dry land by successfully growing tobacco in his garden, and the orchards bore cherry, apricot, and apple trees as well as mulberry, plum, choke cherry, and lilac shrubs, pollinated by his own bees.

Members of the Stanley family harvesting tobacco in Dan Stanley's back garden, 1923.

Harvesting tobacco in the back garden at the Stanley's Hightower Homestead, 1923.

Photo courtesy of Stanley's Hightower Homestead.

His other sons, Brooks and Verne, raised premium potatoes for sale.  Horses helped to work the land while cattle, hogs, sheep and chickens were livestock.  Once it became apparent that the land was better suited to raising livestock, the property transformed into a full-fledged cattle ranch, which is known today as the Stanley Ranch. 

Historic image showing two women and a dog outside the Rock House, first residence of the D.V. Stanley family.

The Rock House, first residence of the D.V. Stanley family.

Photo courtesy of Stanley's Hightower Homestead.

Today the ranch is owned by descendants of the Stanley family and is maintained by Daniel Ralph Stanley, grandson of homesteading patriarch Daniel.  His granddaughter Carolyn Hughes, and husband David, currently live on the land and continue to use various structures that date to 1918, 1929, and the 1930s.