George Dean Rainsford was born to a wealthy family in New York State in 1850 and came to Wyoming to raise horses. He settled between Cheyenne and Chugwater and established the Diamond Ranch in 1879 where he specialized in breeding Morgan and Clydesdale horses, contracting with Budweiser for many years. Influenced by his earlier work as an architect in New York, Rainsford designed several homes in Cheyenne, including his own and that of several cattle baron friends, including Thomas Sturgis. The Rainsford house boasted both an attached stable and covered carriage entrance. Several of these homes are now a part of the Rainsford Historic District listed in the National Register of Historic Places. He was a lifelong bachelor and traveled widely following his retirement in 1924. Rainsford died in Florida in 1935 and is buried in New York City.

William G. "Billy" Walker was born in Glasgow, Scotland around 1870 and emigrated to the United States, arriving in Wyoming in the 1880s. He worked as a cowboy and raised horses before becoming Cheyenne photographer Charles D. Kirkland’s studio assistant in 1891. He purchased the studio from Kirkland in late 1892 and continued to operate under the Kirkland Studio name for several years before changing it to the Walker Studio. Walker became one of the preeminent photographers in Cheyenne and was extremely proud of his studio’s long history in that city. He retired in 1936 due to poor health and sold the studio and all of its negatives to Mack S. Fishback.

Walker was very active in both the local Masonic Lodge and Elks fraternity. He also had a well-known talent for singing, often performing songs from his native Scotland. In 1895, he married Addie Harding in California. The couple had one son, Graham Rutledge. Walker died in 1942 and is buried in Cheyenne with his wife and son.