Original: They were a family of early prominence in the area, in 1848, when they bought the claim of 320 a, plotting out 60 a for the townsite from Hiram Smead for $400 and a horse.
Simplified: They were a family of early prominence in the area, in 1848, when they bought the claim of 320 acres, plotting out 60 acres for the townsite from Hiram Smead for $400 and a horse.