The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1907-12-20
HISTORY OF TO-DAY
Intsresting Details that VIII Make
Our County Rich and Famous.

history OF the frontier days than the
town OF Julesburg. 1t derives its
name from the fact that il Frenchman
named Jules Reni was tied to post
and shot to pieces by the desperado
Sade.
1t was during the days of Red Cloud,
Sitting Bull, Roman Nose, Man
Afraid nf-H;s Horse, Standing Elk
and Spotted Tail that Major n. }.
O'Brien. now of the United States
Land Service, laid out old Fort Sedg-
wick and the government Reservation,
and many We're the engagements that
he and his soldiers had with these
noted chiefs and their duSky warriors.
Old ulcsourg, the first. was
located about one mile east of the fort
on the south bank of the river at the
old Ford crossing. This Julesburg was
sacked aud burned by the indians
February ,. ls6j. In July follo'ring
the great Sioux War broke out, and
| from that time on till peace was de-
/ clared there was more Indian fighting
in the vicinity of JuIesburg than any
other station along the Platte Valley.
During these times, Major O'Brien
says, the buffalo were 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.
~ second Jnlesburg 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 a vigilance committee and,
by their just but necessarily severe
verdicts and punishments, rid the
town of these lawess frOntiersmen
and established peaceful govern
ment.
Those were rough, wild, exciting
days when the early history of Jules
burg WAS made, and no one would
recognize in the quiet, law abiding.
spirited Julesburg of to day, which,
by tue way, is the fourth Julesburg.
the desperate little frontier post of
years ago.
Julesburg Of to day, the county seat
of Sedswick -Ouniy, is pleasantly
situated on the north bank of the
South Platte River, at the junction of
the main line and theColorado division
of the Union Pacific railroad. Nature
has provided the town with many ad-
vantages--a superb climate, pure
sunshine. plenty of irrigation water,
and surrounded it with as fertile and
productive a valley as can anywhere
be found.
.Julesburg is peopled with an ener-
getic, thrifty, h0spitable Glass of
citizens, who believe in good churches
and good schools. The Methodist and
Congregational societies each supports
handsome church buildings and
organizations. The schools of Jules
burg are of the best. There is
maintained in the town a County
High School. whose graduates are .ad-
mitted 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, Gne weekly paper
and no saloons. The town now owns
a 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 future that may we'll be the envy
of many Western town.
The Julesburg irrigation district
contains 27. 500 acres OF as fine land Us
can be found in any irrigated country.
1t was organized in july 1904, aud on
twenty-year 6 per cent. bond was
JuleSburg reservoir, its iulet and out
let bitches and in purchasing the Pc
tcrson and Settlers bitches.
The reservoir is located at the ex.
treme west end of the district. 1t
holds one aud onc-Quarter billion
cubic feet OF water, or 2S, 400 acre feet.
1t is forty seven feet at lists greatest
depth and its circumference is about
SIX and one-half miles. Its embank-
mentS. or fills, are built on Il slope of
four to one on the inside and two to
one on the outside, with 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 bed or fundation
Of clay, impervious to seepage.
The 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, aud will be-
come a 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 the top
and six feet in depth. 1t has q
capacity sufficient to fill the reservoir
in thirty days. The dam In the river
and the head-Rate to this ditch are
built In the most substantial manner
at q cost Of over IS. 600.