Artist: Robert Wadsworth Grafton (1876–1936)
Jeptha Crouch
CROUCH, JEPTHA (1843–1927), inducted by 1920
One of the largest importers of draft horses in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Jeptha Crouch was born in Scott County, Kentucky, and moved to Indiana at age ten. As a young man, he worked in horse sales but also spent several years operating a general store. In 1879, he settled in Lafayette, Indiana, and again entered the horse trade. Crouch began importing horses in 1882 and by 1885 had established the famous Lafayette Stock Farm. Doing business with his sons, as J. Crouch & Sons, they expanded land holdings throughout the West, including an extensive ranch in South Dakota. Specializing in Percheron, Belgian, Shire, German coach, and Hackney stallions and mares, Crouch earned top honors in the early years of the International Live Stock Exposition, and his exhibit at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair was widely celebrated. In 1912, the Crouches extended their interests to Hereford cattle, buying the famed Van Natta herd.
Source: Saddle & Sirloin Guidebook 2026, p. 73