08/31/2026
The History of Boulder County Rests Here: DeKalb Sternberg
DeKalb Sternberg was born to Lambert and Ruvina Vroman Sternberg in rural New York on October 24, 1833. His grandparents were from Germany and Holland and had migrated to New York before his father was born. After the family settled in the States, they became prosperous stock farmers.
In 1853, his father purchased a business and managed it until 1855. That year, he placed his son in charge of the store and migrated to lowa to loan money and buy up land grants. In 1857, he purchased one thousand acres of land in Beaver Township, Polk County, Iowa, and moved his family, becoming some of the early settlers there. They developed the land and farm, and their home became a station on the stage line on the principal road traveling to Des Moines. The family became some of the wealthiest citizens of Polk County. Lambert passed away in 1869 at the age of 69 and is buried there.
A few years later, DeKalb and his younger brother, Jay, moved further west, settling in Colorado. Jay owned and operated a mill while DeKalb settled in Boulder County, where, like his father and grandfather before him, he built and developed a prosperous farm about a mile-and-a-half outside of Boulder. There, he raised prize-winning short-horned cattle, grew Alfalfa and corn, and developed a large and famous apple orchard. Later, he and another brother, Lambert Jr., owned and operated the Steinberg Lumber Company. He became a leading citizen in early Boulder, serving in such offices as County Trustee and later as County Treasurer.
His two sons and three daughters all attended the University of Colorado and were popular in social circles. His oldest son, Lambert, became a prominent businessman in Grand Junction. The younger son, G.V. Sternberg (Guy Vroman), served in the District Attorney's office and later as the Grand Junction City Attorney.
D. K., as he was known, was well respected and influential in the Colorado agricultural community, especially known as an expert in the apple industry. He served for several years as an executive officer with the Boulder Horticultural and Industrial Society, as well as a member of the State Horticultural Board. He was also active in the Fruit Growers Association. He took an official part in German Day at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. He did experience a substantial loss on June 9, 1909, when his ranch experienced extensive hail and flood damage to his crops of alfalfa, corn, truck garden, and apple orchards. Fortunately, he was able to weather the storm and rebound before his death.
DeKalb passed away at the age of 78 on May 13, 1912, and was laid to rest in Green Mountain Cemetery. His wife, Mary Harris Sternberg, would live another 21 years, joining him there in 1934.
