When John Wesley Iliff (EYE-LIFF) left Ohio in 1857, he had just $500 to his name. Upon opening a trade store in what is now Princeton, KS, that $500 became $2,000— enough money to head west to Colorado amidst the excitement of the gold rush.

With his profits, Iliff was able to purchase a herd of cattle and land for them to graze and roam. The Homestead Act of 1862 allowed Iliff to acquire even more land, eventually totaling around 16,000 acres. This monument marks the location of the railroad siding that used to be a short rail track coming off the main line to offload supplies. This is where Iliff supplied beef to railroad crews, the Army, and other markets.

The headquarters of Iliff’s Riverside Ranch, which consisted of buildings and corrals made of sod and adobe, were located north of the South Platte River. Now, a nearby town bears his name, as does the School of Theology at the University of Denver.