The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1908-01-17
JULESBURG's HISTORY OF TODAY
Interesting Details that Will Make
CUICUEt Rich and Famous,

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No town upon the Western plain.
has more checkered or exciting
history Of the frontier days than the
town of Julesburg. 1t derives it.
name from the fact that a Frenchma1
named Jules Reni was tied 70 post
and shot to pieces by the desperate
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.
OBrien, 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 folloriDv
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 them
selves into a vigilance committee aud,
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 mai nalio6 and Colorado 4 -. siD
ies pros Ia the va with many ad.
vanagss-a superb climate, pure
water mot alkali), an abundance OF
sunshine. plenty OF irrigation water,
and surrounded it with US fertile and
productive d valley ~ can anywhere
be found.
Julesburg is peoplsd 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 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
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 II new court house, is cut
OF debt, and, with the development of
the farms in the district, Julesburg
has future that may well be the envy
OF many ii Western town.
The Julc>burg irrigation district
contains q, 800 acres OF Us fine land rs
can be found in any irrigated country.
1t was organized in July, 1904, and on
September II, 1904. S45O,OOO. 90
twenty-year & per cent. bond was
voted to be used in constructing the
Julesburg reservoir, its inlet and out
let bitches and in purchasing the Pc
tersun and Settlers bitches.
The reservoir is located at the cX-
treme west end Of the district. 1t
holds one and One-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 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
ILLS are riprapped with curtain pre-
scribed stone in the most substantial
manner, under the advice of the State
Engineer. 1t has a bed or fundation
of clay, impcrvious 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. and 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
hottnm thirty seven feet at tke ton