The Grit-advocate., 1907-10-25
JULEsBURG.s HISTORY OF TO-DAY
Interesting Details that Will Make
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 a 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 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 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-
clared there was more Indian fighting
in the vicinity of Julesburg 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.
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 the em-
selves into a vigilance committee and,
by their just but necessarily severe
verdicts and punishments, rid the
town of these lawless 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 the way, is the fourth Julesburg.
the desperate little frontier post OF
years ago.
Julesburg of to day, the county seat
Of Sedgwick county, is pleasantly
situated on the north bank OF the
South Platte River, at the junction OF
the main line and the Colorado division
OF the Union Pacific railroad. Nature
has provided the town with many ad.
vantages-a superb climate, pure
| ,t,r fro all 1r 80
sunshine. plenty Of irrigation water,
productive valley as can anywhere
be found.
Julesburg is peopled with an ener.
getic, thrifty, hOspitable class 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 County
High School, whose graduates are ad.
mitted into the State colleges withou,
examination.
The town supports four hotels, two
restaurants, six grocery stores, 81.
dry goods and general merchandise
two hareware, two implement firms
one grain elevator, three lumber anG
coal yards, two drug stores, two
harness shops, two jewelry stores, two
meat markets, two furniture stores
two livery barns, one weekly paper
and no saloons. The town now owns
Il fine new water supply system and au
electric lighting plant equipped with
the most modern machinery. The
county has d new court house, is cut
of debt, and, with the development OF
the farms i'll the district, Julesburg
has future that may well be the envy
of many Western town.
The JuleSburE irrigation district
contains q, 500 acres of as fine land as
can be found in any irrigated country
1t was organized in July, 1904, and ol
September Il, 1904, Il :.5O,OOO. ot
tweuty-year & per cent. bond wa.
voted to be used in constructing The
Julesburg reservoir, its iuleJ and ont
let bitches and in purchasing the Pc
terson and Settlers bitches.
The reservoir is located at the eX
treme west end of the district. Ii
holds one and one-quarter billiol
cubic feet Of water, or Is. 400 acre feet
1t is forty seven feet at lists greatest
depth and its circumference is about
SIX and One-half miles. Its cmbauk
mentS. or fills. are built Oh IA slope OF
four to one on the inside and Two u
one on the outside, with d crown OF
twenty feet. eight feet above LiEl
water mark. The inside faces Of these
fills are riprapped with curtain PIE
scribcd stone in the most substantial
manner, under the advice of the State
Engineer. 1t has a bed or tundatiOL
of clay, impervious to seepage.
he 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 IA popular resort for fishing anc
hunting.
The inlet ditch for feeding the
reservoir is some nineteen miles II
length, twenty-five feet wide at the
bottom, thirty seven feet at the tor
and six feet in depth. 1t has q
capacity sufficient to till the reservoir
in thirty days. The dam in the river
and the head-gate to this ditch are
built in the most substantial manner
at cost of over $1,000.
From this headgate it is some
ninety five miles up the river to the
,,<t hand ur.a for a ivnrtipp Wutsr n