In the early 1900s, the Wiley family operated what they claimed was the largest draft horse importing and breeding business in America near Elmdale, Kansas, specializing in top-quality Percherons, Belgians, and Shires imported from Europe. L. R. Wiley was a bold entrepreneur who invested heavily in acquiring superior bloodlines, believing that better-bred horses would improve farm efficiency and profitability in the pre-automobile era when horsepower literally meant horses. The Wileys promoted their philosophy widely, encouraging local farmers to invest in these premium workhorses.

Despite their efforts, the Wiley ranch was foreclosed in 1924. While it was initially assumed that the rise of tractors caused their downfall, later insights suggest the main issue was that most local farmers simply could not afford the expensive imported horses. Thus, the ambitious venture, though innovative, was ultimately unsustainable in that rural Kansas market at the time.