The Hattendorf Family has been an agricultural institution in the Brighton area since the early 1900's.
In 1906, August Hattendorf purchased 40 acres of land in Brighton, devoting his time and attention to its cultivation and improvement. August and his wife, Elizabeth, had five children: George, Cecil, Albert, Rose and John. August was well known in the community as an enterprising agriculturist achieving success by determination and effort.
In 1929, Albert Hattendorf took over the farm. Weather challenges over the first three years of Albert's ownership resulted in the fields being hailed out despite a great effort to get the crops grown and to market. However, the fourth year yielded sugar beets for Great Western Sugar Co., green beans for Kuner Empson Co and onions to market.
Albert's passion was cultivating onions. He worked closely with Colorado State University (CSU) to perfect and trademark a softball size sweet onion called "Sweet Lassie." In the 1950's these onions were advertised with help from CSU, resulting in a group of people coming to Brighton from New York City. They saw these onions growing in the field and purchased the entire crop on the spot.