Many of the families who live on and work the land in southeastern Colorado have been here for many generations, since their ancestors homesteaded in the 1800s, The ranching communities of this region represent a unique and endangered culture; the culture of the American Cowboy.
Bud and Lillian Jackson Family
Bud and Lillian Jackson
The Jackson’s may not be the oldest family in the Kim community but our roots go back as far as most. Our great-grandfathers were among the first homesteaders arriving in the early 1900’s. Many families came but few had the endurance to last through the 30’s, the 50’s or the 80’s – but some did. Those who remain cherish the land as a family heirloom to be preserved for future generations. The last 90 years of hardship is pale in comparison to governmental seizure – which is a one way trip with no return.
Lillian’s grandfather’s Jasper Newton Seay and Logan Richmond Davis both homesteaded in the Tobe area about 15 miles west of Kim.
Lillian’s mother, Marie Davis, married the Reagan fork of the family tree. The Reagan’s homesteaded south of the Villegreen store when Clell Reagan was only five. In the 1930’s the elder Reagans moved to Trinidad, but Clell and Earl remained in the Villegreen community. Clell Reagan worked for the T7 ranch as a cowboy until he could put together enough financing to purchase a place of his own. Clell and Marie accumulated their acreage by fixing up and trading up.
Clell and Marie
Their first new home was built where Everett and Flow Jackson currently live. From there they moved to the place currently owned by Johnnie Mayhan. Their next move was to the place Clell always dreamed of owning just north of the Villegreen Store, which is the current home of Lester Jackson. This land is currently owned and operated by their grandchildren.
The William Jackson’s, Bill and Lula, were not homesteaders but multi talented entrepreneurs whom purchased a foothold in the Villegreen Community in 1940. The rest could probably be summed up in one word “wheat”. A bumper wheat crop in 1947 put them on firm financial ground. The next 22 years wheat and cows were good to them. Bill continued to purchase small parcels of land and had accumulated several thousand acres before his death in 1959. All of his land is currently owned/operated by his daughter-in-law Lillian (Seay) Jackson and his grandson Lester Jackson.
Bill and Lula, circa 1908
If you pick up a Kim phone book you will find many Jackson’s listed but it doesn’t matter which number you dial you are calling one of Bill and Lula’s children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, or great-great-grandchildren. Being a prolific group, the generations tend to meld, with only a couple years between generations in some instances The succession of management began forty some years ago with the fourth, fifth and sixth generations. Direct descendants include fifty potential managers ages 45 years to 12 months. Eighty percent of Bill and Lula’s direct descendants, that are of working age, are agriculture producers or employed in a field that directly supports agriculture.
After Bud and Lillian were married they worked the farm with Bill and Lula. The drought of the 1950’s required a short leave of absence to work in the steel mill in Pueblo. With a new grub stake, they returned to the farm. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree, Buds’ passion was farming and cattle. He was especially proud of the Gelbvieh herd he and his son Lester developed through artificial insemination and imported semen. For more that forty years, Lillian supplemented the family income with a contract mail route. True to family tradition, Bud and Lillian added acreage as parcels became available. Lillian still owns all parcels they purchased.
Bud and Lillian, 1946
Bud and Lillian have seventeen children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of working age. Fourteen of the seventeen are agriculture producers or employed by an industry that directly services agriculture. Agriculture intelligence is not taught - it falls from the tree.
You can bet on one
thing – any member of this family that does not currently live in the
“area of interest” is working, planning and saving to go back.
Our hopes and dreams are being smashed, the same as the current
inhabitants.
To my knowledge, a Jackson has never lost or sold an acre of land outside of the family. It breaks our hearts that “Uncle Sam” will confiscate the opportunity for future generations to exercise the option of continuing the agriculture legacy, if they so choose.
Lillian and family
This site was last updated
05/16/07
by Lori Holdread