In 1878, Adeline Hornbek established a homestead in Colorado’s Florissant Valley, bringing with her years of experience in frontier life, cattle work and raising a family through repeated upheaval. She was no stranger to rebuilding. By then, she had already lost husband, raised children through difficult circumstances and watched an earlier ranch destroyed by a devastating flood. The new property, set high in the valley among open meadows, aspen and pine, gave her a different opportunity. With help from her children and neighbours, she built a two-storey log house and began developing the land. Within seven years, the homestead had become a substantial cattle ranch in a community where many families depended on subsistence farming.
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