The Grit-advocate., 1907-10-04
JULESBuRG's HISTORY OF TO-DAY
Interesting Details that win Make
Our County Rich and Famous.

Our County Rich and Famous.
No town upon the Western plains
has more checkered or exciting
history of the frontier days than the
town of Julesburg. 1t derives its
name from the fact that Frenchman
named Jules Reni was tied TO post
and shot to pieces by the desperado
Slade.
1t was during the days of Red Cloud,
Sitting Bull, Roman Nose, Man
Afraid of-His. Horse, Standing Elk
and Spotted Tail that Major n. J.
O'Brien, now of the United States
Land Service, laid out old Fort Sedg-
wick and the government Reservation.
and many were the engagements that
he and his soldiers had with these
noted chiefs and their dusky warriors.
Old Julesburg, the hrse WAS
located about one mile east Of the fort,
on the south bank Of the river At the
old Ford crossing. This JulesbarH wss
sacked and burned by the Indians
February 2, 1865. In July following
the great Sioux War broke out, and
from that time on till peace was de-
in the vicinity OF Julesburg than any
During these times. Major O'Brien
says, the buffalo we're more plentiful
on the plains around Julesburg than
the vast herds OF native cattle were in
later years.
Here, at Julesburg, the MormOns
crossed the Platte on their journey to
Utah. 1t was little south of Jules
burg that the great feast with the
Sioux and Cheyenne Indians occurred.
A second Julesburg was built four
miles east OF the fort. This was
moved to the north side OF the river,
where the little town of Weir now
stands, and at one time was the
terminus Of the Union Pacific railroad,
and contained 1000 people. Here the
desperate element held sway until the
better class OF citizens organized them
selves into vigilance committee and,
by their just but necessarily severe
verdicts and punishments, rid the
town of these lawless frontiersmen
and established peaceful govern.
inent.
Those were rough, wild. eXcitilI :
days when the early history of julie
burg was made, and no one wOul,
recognize in the quiet, law abiding
spirited Jule>buIg of to-day, which,
hy the way, Is the fourth JuleSbure
the desperate little frontier post Of
years ago.
Julesburg of to day, the county seat
Of Sedgwick ,ouniy, is pleasantly
| situated on the north bank of the
South Platte River. at the junction uf
| The main line and the Colorado d vision
rf the Union Pacific railroad. Nature
mas provided the town with many ad-
yantages-a superb climate pure
water mot alkaliD. an abundance of
sunshine. plenty Of irrigation water.
md surrounded it with as fertile and
productive a valley as can anywhere
pe touLd.
Julesburg is peoplad with an ener-
getic. thrifty, huspitable class of
citizens, who believe in good churches
aud good schools. The Methodist and
Congregational societies each supports
handsome church buildings and
organizations. The schools of Jules
burg are Of the best. TheIe is
maintained in the town u County
High School, whose graduates are ad-
nitted into the State colleges without
examination.
| The town supports four hotels, two
restaurants, six grocery stores, six
dry goods and general merchandise,
| two hareware, Two implement firms,
one grain elevator, three lumber and
coal yards, two drug stores, two
harness shops, TWO jewelry stores, two
meat markets, two furniture stores,
two livery barns, one weekly paper
aud no saloons. The town now owns
fine new water supply system and an
electric lighting plant equipped with
the most modern machinery. The
county has new court house, is out
of debt, and, with the development of
the farms in the district, Julesburg
has Il future that may we'll be the envy
of many a Western town.
The Julesburg irrigation district
contains 2I,SOO acres of as fine land as
can be found in any irrigated country
1t was organized in July, 1904, and on
September Il, 1904, s450,0OU. OF
twenty-year per cent. bond was
voted to be used in constructing tn,
Julesburg reservoir, its InleI and OUT.
let bitches and in purchasing the Pc.
terson and Settlers bitches.
The reservoir is located at the eX'
trene west end Of the district. Ii
lOINS ouC anu lcI
cubic feet OF water, or IS. 400 acre feet.
IT. is forty seven feet at lists greatest
depth and its circumference is about
siX aud Une-half miles. Its embank
ments. or fills, are built on Il slope OF
four to one on the inside and Two l.
one on the outside, with a crown OF
twenty feet: eight feet above high
water mark. The inside faces Of these
fills are riprapped with curtain pre-
scribed stone in the most substantial
manner, under the advice Of the State
Engineer. 1t has Il bed or fundatol
of clay, lmperviCus to >eepage.
Ahe State Fish Commissioner is
willing to stock the reservoir with
spawn of the very best varieties OF
fish. The reservoir is easily access
ible by good wagon road. and will be.
come popular resort for fishing and
hunting.
The inlet ditch for feeding the
reservoir is some nineteen miles, IN
length, twenty five feet wide at the
bottom, thirty seven feet at tie TOP
and six feet in depth. 1t has Il
capacity sufficient to fill the reservoir
L.