George Luther Graves, Sr., was born in Dubois County, Indiana, on October
  15, 1859, where he and his sister Amelia, and brother, John, were raised.
  Their parents moved them to Illinois; and when George was 13 yrs. old, their
  parents died leaving them orphans. George then had six months of schooling,
  so he raised his sitera nd brother and later walked westward and began
  working as a conductor on the railroad. He sent for his family, and during 
  this time, George began homesteading northeast of Hardtner 4 mils, which
  consisted of 160 acres. George married Julia Effie Hull on March 15, 1882,
  and she lived in the dugout, raising their children while George continued
  working on the railroad.
     George and Julia had five children, the oldest girl Mabel dying at only
  5 years with typhoid. The second child, George, Jr., was born Feb. 17, 1883,
  in Raton, New Mexico. His brother, William Columbus, arrived Jan. 18, 1888,
  followed by John Leroy on Oct. 9, 1890, and the last born, Blanche, arrived
  Oct. 13, 1896.
     As homesteaders moved on after staking claims, George would purchase the
  land for taxes. To the north, he bought the Burnha land as he did to the
  west. Eventually his Crown Point Ranch consisted of 2200 acres, where he
  raised quality Galloway cattle and other breeds.
     Besides being a rancher and railroad engineer, George was the first person
  in the nation to get spotted channels to reproduce in ponds. The Bureau of
  Fisheries claimed he was the first to induce catfish to spawn in captivity.
  Mr. Clapp, the game warden from the Pratt Hatchery, said they found that the
  fish were reproducing in barrels that George had put in the Graves Lake for
  such purposes. This article was published in the Pratt Tribune and Wichita 
  Eagle around 1919. The editor claims that a memorial should have been erected
  in his honor for this recognition.
     George Luther, Jr., married Vera Zella Blunk in 1908, and they had eight
  children, two died as infants. The six surviving children were Glenna, Gerald,
  Afton, Eloise, John, and Billy. George, Jr., and Zella resided at the old
  homestead for 2-4 years until George, Sr., and family returned from Alva,
  where they lived while having their children educated. George, Jr., then
  built a home located 1 mile west of the homestead, where he raised his family.
  Meanwhile, Geroge Sr., was again ranching at the home place.
     William Columbus married Agnes Schumm in 1917, and they raised two children,
  Robert Eugene and William. They resided in Alva two years, where he worked at
  the 1st National Bank, later moving to Hardtner to work at the Hardtner State
  Bank.
     John Leroy married Luella DeMott in 1911 and later had twins - Jean and
  John, born in 1925. Leroy was the Superintendant of the Guymon, Oklahoma
  School.
     George Sterling married Blanche Graves in 1919 and never had any children.
     George L. Graves did indeed help to settle this land in Barber County,
  Kansas.
                 
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 199 
     Submitted by: Yvette Graves Papon, daughter of John L. Graves, Hardtner,
     Kansas.