1912 Homestead

This information regarding the homestead’s brief history comes from a number of sources including the Platte county courthouse, old newspapers, old timers, and the niece of the second owners, Betty Gano. This history should not be considered a flawless and complete documentation of the property.

The original owner of the property, whose name is not currently known, obtained the land through a land grant program. He is the person who built the original house, which was added on to over the years, and most likely the red barn as well. Both of these structures are still standing today. The Short family purchased the homestead in 1927 from the original owner, making them the second owners of the homestead. The Shorts were likely the ones who built the foundations for what the homestead is today – the old trees and the buildings among other things. It is likely that it was during this time that the ranch house was built. In the 1920’s and 1930’s, the place was operated as a sheep and hay farm. In the 1940’s, the operations were changed to be a dairy farm and the dairy facilities were added. The dairy remained in operation until at least in the 1960’s. Later, one of the sons of the Shorts took over the property. Under the son’s supervision, the property was lost due to bankruptcy in 1987 and ownership was briefly transferred to a banker. The Gormans bought the homestead from the banker later in the same year. At this point, the property had fallen into some disrepair and required work to be fixed up. The Gorman completed the work necessary and added other various improvements to the property, including numerous tress and a large sprinkler system. In 2012, the Meyers bought the homestead from the Gormans and have continued with the upkeep of the homestead while making adding some developments. They remain the current owners of the property.