The Kocher brothers were born in the farming village of Tamsweg, Austria. The older brother Dominikus was born in 1868, and the younger brother, Achatz, was born in 1873. After both served honorably in the Austro-Hungarian army, the brothers became coal miners in West Falen, Bavaria. By the spring of 1901, both brothers were married and ready to settle down. Unable to return to their hometown for fear of being put back on active military duty, the brothers decided to pursue other opportunities. Fortunately, there was a shortage of experienced coal miners in America, and soon a representative from the Jenny Lind coal mines in Arkansas came to recruit miners. By June 1903, both brothers and their families were safely in Jenny Lind. Within three years, both families had worked hard and were ready to buy land of their own. The brothers learned of land available for homesteading in the Ozark mountains. Dominikus and his wife Marie made the initial move to build shelter and clear the land. Due to the recent birth of his third daughter, Achatz and his growing family remained in Jenny Lind until the family could travel and have permanent shelter.   By May 1906, both Kocher families had moved to their adjoining homesteads in what was then Rushing, Arkansas. Not only were the brothers excited to finally have their own land and piece of freedom but, ironically, the land reminded them of their native home in the Austrian alps.

As their first step toward independence, the brothers first logged timber for crossties to be sold to the local railroad. Hauling the timber by wagon more than three and a half miles on a road that they built, the brothers were able to gather money and provide fertile soil for their crops and grazing livestock. After growing up as farmers, the brothers took to farming again very quickly and soon planted large gardens, a fruit orchard, and owned several livestock including horses, cattle, sheep, goats, and chickens. Like most early settlers, all the families' efforts went toward building a successful farming operation to realize their dream of independence.

Years later the Kochers would move from Love Falls to another local farm but, they still managed to remain active in the local community.   From selling cattle and farming cotton to making cream and producing railroad ties, the Kochers learned to sell any commodity they could to survive and prosper. In the later years after Achatz's death in 1934, his only son Ray would continue his father's work with his uncle Dominikus, aunt and mother. Dominikus lived to be 91 years old and died in 1959. To this day, Kocher descendents still reside in the area.

To learn more about this homestead and the Kochers, guests are welcome to read the entire Kocher family history at Love Falls.