The Dutton family began their journey to owning the largest ranch in the country all the way back in 1883. The Yellowstone series begins in the present day with the story of John Dutton (Kevin Costner) and his family, but the prequels take audiences back to 1883 and then 1923 to share the story of the Dutton family. The Dutton family history is lengthy and gets a bit complex at times across the series.