Cross Land & Fruit Company
Mesa County
The property includes numerous intact buildings and structures associated with early 20th century fruit production in the Grand Valley. Established in 1909 by a group headed by Walter B. Cross of Denver, apples and pears were the primary crop. The design of the large circa 1910 barn was adapted for the handling of large scale fruit processing.
Cross Land & Fruit Company
While many local orchards averaged ten acres in size, the property encompassed 243 acres. Financial difficulties forced the sale of the land for taxes in 1923. Through a community fundraising campaign, the property was acquired by the Museum of Western Colorado in 1980 for operation as a living history farm.