Rocky Ford enterprise., 1894-12-27
ROCKY FORD REVIEWED.

hOCkf FOhD REVIEW EDs
The Growth and Development Of the
Town and Surrounding Country
During 1894.
Who will for . moment contend that
Colorado is not rapidly making her way
to q position foremost among those states
aspiring to the title Of Empire" Her
rugged mountains, honeycombed with
mines, and teeming with busy miners
and lsborers, whose rocky sides and deep
valleys hold the grand forests abounding
with game for the hunter and which fur
nish material for the sawyer; her besuti-
full lakes and rivers; her rolling prairies,
covered with thousands Of horses, cattle
and sheep, and her salubrious climate,
make . combination OF attractions that
are drawing to her borders the best men
and much OF the capital OF the nation.
While mining i conceded to be the
chief industry OF the state, it cannot be
carried on withOdt the assistance of that
other, and no less important industry,
agriculture, whereby the miner is sup
piled with the necessaries of life. The
farming classes Of the United States have
seen and are rapidly taking advantage Of
the prestige offered by the rich soil OF
our valleys, the immense volumes OF wa
ter for irrigation purposes and the ready,
close and never failing market the mines
afford, and now over the territory, which
ten years ago was given up to the coyote
and the range steer as fit for nothing but
grazing purposes, are coursing great irri-
eating canals along whose borders are
thickly dotted farms orchards and towns.
Rocky Ford, situated in one OF the
richest OF these valleys (the Arkansas),
only 80 miles from Pueblo and the noun
tains, found it's birth under these condi-
tions, and with the mascot, irrigation,
aided by the easy access to market east,
west and south win the A. T. Il 9. F. Il.
r., has grown and Aourished until today
it stands peer to all other agricultural
communities of the state and holds an
enviable reputation, not only state, but
national. Its melons, cantaloupes and
gardens alone are enough to keep up a
thriving city and country, but to these
must be added the other resources OF
grain, hay, fruit and stock which together
make card that ia drawing to our city
and country an influx of Drawn, brain
and capital that seems incredible to the
uninitiated.
During 1853 the agricultural and busi-
ness growth received temporary check
through the great loss by hail OF
many growing crops, followed closely by
the demonstration Of silver which closed,
the mines and destroyed the market for
what crops there were raised. However,
this only lasted few months and then
with the advent Of 1894, began q period Of
growth and prosperity unequaled in the
history of the state. The Temporary
hard times, far from discouraginR, only
gave fresh impetus to the energies OF the
husbandmen, with the result that the
soil gave back to the tiller crops bounti-
full beyond the expectations of the most
sanguine.
Attracted by the Fair and annual Mel
on Feast, many visitors have been driven
over our country; seen our wonderful
system of irrigation; our beautiful farms,
orchards and gardens; examined the re-
turns from our crops; became enamored
of our country and salubrious climate
and have bought homes among us, bring
ing many friends and neighbors with
them from the east, thus adding hum
dreds to our farming population. New
families, with household goods, farm mn
plements and teams are arriving every
week and they all tell Of others who are
headed for Rocky Ford, where harvests
are plentiful, returns sure, and beauti-
AAosA&NN
are within the reach of all who are will
ling to honestly strive.
Business men have also been attracted
hither, and in spite Of the hard times
several new firms have started up in our
city and during the stringency OF money
mono Of our business houses were COM
PEELED to close tLeir doors. The rapid
growth Of population necessitates the
bnilding OF houses, barns, etc, which
keeps our brickmen and mechanics con-
stantly busy.
our farmers has induced many etOckmen
from this and adjoining states to come
here 10 "feed out" their stock, and the hay
product is fast being changed into mar
ketable meat by the II, 900 head Of sheep
and 1000 head of cattle within a radius
of six miles from the city. Heavy ship
ments Of fat cattle, hogs and sheep are
of daily. occurrence. The shipments Of
melons averaged cars daily and canta-
leupes and vegetables made an average
of 1900 pounds daily throughout the
entire season, from Aug. 16 to Oct. ID.
Many OF the new arrivals are buying
the cheap fruit lands adjacent to the city
where the children can be sent to the
city public schools and have the advan-
tage OF an excellent education and be
fully prepared for course in college.
The schools have an enrolment OF over
23O pupils and employ five teachers, the
best obtainable, and our citizens point
with pride to the excellency OF our school
advantages.
Agents for nurseries are numerous in
the city and are rapidly filing their or
der books, indicating that the fruit area
will be more than doubled the coming
year. The orchard crop the past year
was decidedly fattering, proving beyond
all question that fruit Of nearly every
description can be successfully grown
here and as the returns are much great
er from this source than from ordinary
farming the fruit industry is destined to
five-year-old orchard often yields many
times the outlay Of money and labor to
obtain the orchard.