A picture of the Bolyard farm in 1936. According to Dan Bolyard, the big bunch of trees in the middle are still there and would obscure the view of his house today if he were to retake this photo. The building towards the right center with the windmill behind it survives as well, though in poor shape. Note the tank on top of the building. The family would fill it with water from the windmill, then pipe it everywhere. There are still bits of those pipes on the property. The b…
March 2, 2023
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Paradise in the desert
Family farm boasts 97 years of existence
COULEE CITY — While he may not know the reason behind his family swapping land in 1926 with a man called Badger, Dan Bolyard still lives off the land that has been in his family ever since. “Everyone in the family just calls it ‘the ranch’ but the original homesteader called it Paradise Farms,” said Boylard. The story behind the property begins nearly 100 years ago when Bolyard’s great-grandfather, Doliver Bolyard, swapped land with Albion Wilson, a man whom locals called Badger, Dan said.