The William and Harriet Farmer family of Mint Canyon. (Considering that Harriet was born a Melrose and the Melrose family lived in Acton, it's likely that the Farmers lived in the section of Mint Canyon that we would consider Agua Dulce today.)

Harriet is the adult at left; William is the adult at right.

The photograph was shot prior to November 14, 1890, when Harriet was murdered. A caption on the back of the photograph, written after 1890, reads:

"Farmer family / Warren, Ernie, Hugo / Ray & Bertha." (Presumably those are the children from left to right, back row and then front row.) It continues: "Aunt Hattie Melrose Farmer killed by Indian in Mint Canyon about 1890."

A subsequent caption appears on the back of the photo, written in a different hand. It reads:

"Aunt Hattie was Mr. Melrose's sister."

Yet a third caption reads:

"Hattie Melrose was a sister to R. ["Rosie"] Melrose, who shot Mr. Brome [sic]" {illegible}.

Further reading: Murder, Manhunt and Melrose — Again by Dr. Alan Pollack.