Chapter 8
End of an Era

The ushering in of the twentieth century began the decline of the bonanza farm era. Years of exclusive wheat farming had taken its toll on the land. Yields were down. Disease and insects up. The wild swings in the market place had also taken a toll.

Most bonanza farm owners never viewed their farming operations as a long term investment in the first place. As long as wheat farming made them money, they stuck with it. As land values went down though and the price of grain dropped, most bonanza farmers found it to be more profitable to sell or rent their land to smaller farmers.

By the 1920's, most remnants of the bonanza farm era were gone. Land was parceled out. Buildings were sold off and torn down. With no ceremony or celebration, the end of an era had quietly come.