Carl Vetter was born on May 10, 1877 and came to America at the age of 15 with his friend Charles Binder. He began farming on a piece of ground near Milliken in Weld County in 1903 and in 1905 he acted on a chance to purchase it. Here he raised dry beans, wheat, sugar beets and cattle. By 1920 a three-story house, a barn and blacksmith shop had been built, with a garage following up a few years later. The land passed on to son Frank who farmed from 1945 to 1988 and then on to his son Larry who farms the land today.

Tony Thim came to Colorado from Oberlin, Kansas in 1910 to file a homesteaded consisting of 320 acres in Washington County. Two years later he married Marie Malcolm and raised four children in a sod house. Tony and son Gene raised wheat, oats, barley cane and corn, which was all dry land. They also raised chickens, pigs, beef cattle and had 16 plow horses. In 1919 a windmill was built, in 1925 a water cistern was added and by the middle 1930's a barn, chicken house and cream house had been built.

The Tarabinos, merchants and entrepreneurs, purchased the original Las Animas County farm acreage in 1907 from EJ Hubbard. Small parcels of adjoining lands have been added over the years. Hay, grass,  onions and grains were grown and domestic animals and registered Hereford cattle have been raised. By 1915 two houses, two barns and corrals had been built. In 1935 a new house was built, designed by Francis Spencer who was associated with the nationally recognized Rapp and Rapp architectural firm of Trinidad. The home remains an impressive part of the property today.

In 1908, John and Johanna Shafer of Calumet, Iowa purchased a half section of land four miles north of Otis for $2.00 an acre. Their son Bill moved there in 1909, and built a small barn, corrals, a six room house and drilled a well for water. In 1911 he married Ella. Using a walking plow and horses Bill planted his first crop of corn which grew to 12 inches before several hot windy days took their toll. They were more successful with later plantings and together raised wheat, barley, oats and corn, a grove of locust trees - and three children.

George L. Schreiber was born February 17, 1881 in Pomeroy County Ohio where he was raised and educated by German immigrant parents. As a young man he worked in the saw mills along the Ohio River. He traveled by train to Brush, following his sisters Bertha and Kate, for the opportunity to homestead under the Homestead Act. In April 1910 he filed for a homestead 1.5 miles north of Last Chance on Plum Bush Creek. The crops raised were barley, wheat and corn, and later alfalfa and forage cane to feed livestock. He took pride in his ability to plow a straight furrow and plant a straight row.

Clarence and Cora Smith Reed left Red Cloud Nebraska in 1910 by train and homesteaded 320 acres in Washington County with their sons Bernard and Dean. Within a few years another son, Fred was born followed by daughter Cora Belle. At that time the place was only 15 1⁄2 miles overland from Akron, but after the section roads were completed the distance was increased to 18 1⁄2. The family worked hard planting crops and raising cattle, hogs, chickens and turkeys, and dealing with an ornery one eyed horse named Old Diamond.

The Leonard family has deep roots in Montrose County going back to 1887 when Edward and Mary Ellen Leonard homesteaded 298 acres near Montrose. Other relatives had preceded the Leonards and convinced them to move out west from Kansas. From this land they raised seven children while they acquired more acreage. A log home was built in 1906 with frame additions added in 1908. The log home was a bit drafty so Mary Ellen took old overalls and a flour paste and filled in the cracks. The land passed on to grandson Robert and then to his son Ralph.

George Conn acquired a half section of Weld County land in 1910 at Avala near Stoneham through the Homestead Act. Eighty acres were soon put into cultivation, trying small grains at first but later switching to feed crops. A horse barn was built in 1911 and a granary in 1915 and windmills were also put into operation during about that time. The current house dating from the 1930's was moved to the property in 1947. The property passed down to George's daughter Lula and George's brother-in- laws Alex and George Duncan.

John Bitzer worked in the mines around Central City and Blackhawk and ran the Livery stable in Central City during the early 1880's. In 1886 he married Margaret Moeck and during the following years had two sons who died as infants and a daughter who died at 2 years old. Later children survived. Anna was born in 1893, Herman in 1895 and Bill in 1900. By then John had developed "miners consumption" and wanted a better life for his children and in 1907 filed a homestead claim on 160 acres in Adams County north of Byers.

In 1910, Ida and Elmer Sniff, and five children, settled on 160 acres in Bent County, near Hasty. Shorty after a one room farmhouse, foundation for the stock tank and corrals were constructed from rock gathered on the site. Unfortunately Elmer suffered a heart attack while building the corrals. The farm also had a granary and windmill and the family raised horses, chickens, cows and tended a garden for their food. The land eventually passed on to sons William, Floyd, Noel, Orval and Emmett and then to Floyd's son Jack who passed away in 1995.