James and Melissa Belle Sublett arrived in the Castolon area in 1913. In 1914, the Subletts moved into the Alvino House, running the store for four years before starting large-scale farming in the area. In 1918, Sublett purchased four sections of land at this location, and called his operation Grand Canyon Farms. Mr. Sublett was one of the first settlers in the Big Bend area to actively farm the Rio Grande floodplain on a large scale. Using mule-drawn Fresno scrapers and lightweight blades he owned from his days as an earth moving contractor for the Southern Pacific Railroad, Sublett leveled fields and improved irrigation in the Castolon area.

Over the years, the floodplain the Subletts farmed has become overgrown with mesquite and tamarisk trees. The National Park Service is attempting, to a certain degree, to restore the historic landscape at the Sublett farm using mechanical brush removal and prescribed fire. When the property became part of Big Bend National Park, it was unfortunately demolished, as it was not part of the natural landscape and was not yet considered to be of historical value.