The Delta independent., 1921-09-23
oLATHE

Eleven miles east of Delta, in .
= Montrose county, is situated the .
= prosperous and growing town of .
. Olathe. .
- This thriving municipality holds .
= the unique distinction of Ship .
= ping one carload of produce for .
= every man, woman and child of .
= its population. Although far .
. from being the largest city on =
. the Western Slope, it claims the .
= honor of being the largest ship .
= ping point .
. In addition to potatoes, which .
. is the largest crop, there are =
. thousands of acres in the vi .
= cinity which are given over to .
= the raising of hay and grain. .
. Onions form another extremely .
= profitable form of agriculture. .
= The entire atmosphere of the .
. place bespeaks prosperity, which .
= is well reflected in the character .
. of stores located there Excel .
. lent banks provide ample bank .
. ing facilities for the district, and .
= are officered by men we'll versed .
. in the needs of the community. .
= H. E. Perkins is one of its oldest .
. residents. .
. The town is progressive and .
= modern. The waterworks sys- .
. TEN was installed at cost of .
. SOS 200 .
. Olathe. being located in the =
= center of the great Uncompahgre =
. valley, is destined to become one .
= of the very best trading centers .
. of the valley. Prior to the build .
. ing of the Gunnison tunnel by =
= the government, the territory ad- .
= jacent to this now prosperous .
= little city was more or less bar .
. rem owing to an inadequate sup .
= ply of water. .
= Olathe was the second place .
= on the Western Slope that the =
. writer engaged in the newspaper .
. business. In 1908 spent most .
= pleasant year with the good peo- .
= pie of the town. During that .
= year several improvements were .
. made. ]. b. Killian, F. NJ. Scheck .
. and others put up business build .
. ings and I believe that to these .
= men great deal of credit is due .
. for the real start of Olathe's .
. prosperity. Every year there .
. has been Improvements made .
. and during the past three or .
= four years especially. the town .
= has become an important factor .
. among the various towns of the .
. Western Slope. ]. F. French .
. Dame to Olathe along about that .
. time and Immediately took OF .
. his coat to further the interests .
. OF the community. OF course, .
. w. o. Hersum, H. E. Perkins, J. .
. F. Scheck, the Rawsons. Frank .
= Shields, the late Tom Burns, e. .
. A. Bay, the Roatcaps. c. C. Wort .
. man, A. T. Hawkyard, Bob Mills. .
= A. N. Niles, A. NJ Ellensworth. .
. s. A. Casner, c. c. Chapel, c. d. .
= Dawson. w. C Holman, DR.. Lock .
. wood, Chris Picker, and many .
= others that / have perhaps over .
= looked in mentioning, were just .
. as active at that time as they .
. are today in the upbuilding of .
= Olathe. =
. For some ten or twelve miles .
| q on either side of Olathe lands .
. are under cultivation or remain .
= open to entry. The town is To- =
q Gated in the widest point of the =
. entire valley. When the writer =
. was in Olathe business was upon =
. much smaller scale than 1t is =
| . today, yet the men which I have
. referred to above we're unani- Z
. nous in their opinion in 1908 Z
. what could be made of Olathe Z
. and from the present-day appear
. ance they have succeeded in Z
. some degree, at least, in accom- Z
= plishing the advancement.
= New schools have been built,
. the waterworks put in, sidewalks Z
. constructed, many homes built,
| . as well as additional business =
| . houses.
. It is my hope, should occasion Z
= arise, and am confident 1t will, Z
. the next thirteen years will show Z
. Olathe to have made even Z
= greater progress than the years Z
= Just referred to. Space does not Z
. permit more extended review Z
= of your good town. Z
u u a u n =