xt7t4b2x6t90 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7t4b2x6t90/data/mets.xml Colorado Historical Records Survey United States. Work Projects Administration. Division of Community Service Programs Colorado. Department of State. Colorado Colorado Historical Records Survey United States. Work Projects Administration. Division of Community Service Programs Colorado. Department of State. 1941 165 p.: ill. 28 cm. UK holds archival copy for ASERL Collaborative Federal Depository Library Program libraries and the Federal Information Preservation Network. Call Number FW 4.14:C 719/no.50 books English Denver, Colo.: the Survey This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed in accordance with U. S. copyright laws. Colorado Works Progress Administration Publications Archives--Colorado--Prowers County--Catalogs Prowers County (Colo.)--Archives--Catalogs Prowers County (Colo.)--Genealogy Prowers County (Colo.) -- History -- Sources Inventory of the County Archives of Colorado. No. 50. Prowers County (Lamar), 1941 text Inventory of the County Archives of Colorado. No. 50. Prowers County (Lamar), 1941 1941 1941 2020 true xt7t4b2x6t90 section xt7t4b2x6t90 UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
IIIMIMIIIII
\IIIIIIIIIIEIIISI
INVENTORY OF
‘THE COUNTY ARCHIVES
OF COLORADO
NO. 50 PROWERS COUNTY.
(LAMAR)
COLORADO HISTORICAL RECORDS SURVEY
WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION
INVENTORY 0F CIHE COUNTY ARCHIVES
OF COIDRADO
NO. 50 morons COUNTY (Lamar)
Prepared by
The Colorado Historical Records Survey
Division of Community Service Programs
work Projects Administration
Sponsored by
Golorado Department of State
Denver, Colorado
The Colorado Historical Records Survey
HISTORICAL RECORDS SURVEY PROIECTS
Sargent B. Child, Director.
Rush Razee, Jr., State Supervisor
RESEARCH AND RECORDS PROGRAMS
Harvey E. Becknell, Director
Robert H. Slover, Regional Supervisor
Laurence H. Wimberly, State Supervisor
DIVISION OF COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS
, Florence Kerr, Assistant Commissioner
Mary H. Isham, Chief Regional Supervisor
Margaret S. Roof, State Director
WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION
Howard 0. Hunter, Commissioner
R. L. Nicholson, Regional Director
Paul D. hriver, State Administrator
FOREWORD , ‘
The Invent__y of- the C_ounty_ Archives of Colorado is one of a number
of bibliographies of“ historical materials prepared throughout the United
States by workers on the Historical Records Survey Program of the Work
Projects Administration. The publication herewith presented, an inven-
tory of the archives of Prowers County, is number 50 in an alphabetical
listing of 63 Colorado counties.
The-Historical Records Survey Program was undertaken in the winter
of 1935—36 for the purpose of providing useful employment to needy
unemployed historians, lawyers, teachers, and research and clerical work»
.ers. In carrying out this.objective, the project was organized to com-
' pile inventories of historical materials, particularly the unpublished
government documents and records which are basic in the administration
Of loCal government, and which provide invaluable data for students of
,political, economic, and social history. The archival guide herewith
presented is intended to meet the requirements of day-to- day adminis-
‘tration by the officials of the county, and also the needs of lawyers,_
Ibusinessmenrand other citizens who require facts from the public records
'for the proper conduct of their affairs. The volume is so designed
that it can be used by the historian in his research in unprinted Sour—
ces in the same way he uses the library card catalogue for printed '
sources.
The inventories produced by the Historical Records Survey Pregram
at_tempt to do more than give merely a list of records - they attempt ‘
further to sketch in the historical background of the county or other
unit of government, and to describe presisely and in detail the organi--
za,tion and functions of the- government agencies whose records they list.
The _county, town, and other local inventories for the entire county_ __
will, when completed, constitute an encyclopedia of local government as
\
' well as a bibliography of local: archives. \
The suCCessful conclusion of the work of\the Historical Records
Survey Program, even in a single county, would not be posSible without
the support of public offic-ials, historical and legal specialists, and
_many other groups in the Community.. Their c00peration is gratefully
acknowledged. ..~ ‘ -: ""' “
_The Survey _Program.was organized by Luther H. Evans, who serVed as
Director until his appointment as Director of the Legislative Reference
‘Service of the Library of Congress. He was succeeded on: march 1,1940,
by Sargent B. Child, who had served in the capacity of Field Supervisor
since_ the inauguration of the Survey. The Survey Pregram operates as a
nation—wide series of locally sponsored projects in the Division of .
Community Service Programs, of which Mrs. Fldrence Kerr, Assistant com—
missioner, is in charge.
HOWARD o. HUNTER; -
Commissioner ‘
PREFACE
The Historical.Records survey was created in the winter of~l935-364'
as a nation-wide Works;Progress Administration project for the'discoVery,
preservation and listing of baSic materials"for‘research'rn the'history
of the United States. .Under the-direction of Dr; Luther Hz-Evans,_the
Survey undertook an extensive inventoring of State and leal arChives,
and later, early American imprints, church archives, and collection of
manuscripts. “ ‘ ‘=, ' .‘ ’ ‘2.'*" -" T“? '* “ V
The ColoradO-project of the Historical Records Survey was'established
February 1936 under the administration of the Federal writers"ProjectL
Because of the impossibility of simultaneously plaéing local units'of the
two projects in the same communities; the SurVey-Was removed from the
administration of the Federal WriterS' Project and commencedrto'function
independently in July 1956. tOn'November.1935 the project became an in—
dependent part of Federal.Project NQu l. The Survey, as a single unit
nation-wide projectgsponsored by.WPA itself,'was terminated August 31, 1939,
and the work of the Survey was continued in the individual states by lo—‘
cally sponsored projects Operating within the natiOnal WPA'Historical Re—
cords Survey.Programe_:The work-of the.Colorado unit has been Continued
by the Colorado Historical Records Survey PrejeCt, established September
1, 1939, under the sponsorship of the Department of State, with, at that
time, George E. Saunders as Secretary of State, and Walter F. Morrison as
the present Secretary of State. ’ ‘ “’ I " ‘ " - "1'
The Enventory.2£ the County Archives pi Colorado, when completed,
will consist of a book for.each of the 63 counties within the-State,‘and an
additional volume of essays on county government within the State. The
individual county inventories are divided into anihistorical sketch, an
essay on governmental organization, an essay on housing and care of re-
cords showing the conditiOns under which records are preserved, and the
inventory proper arranged by office. The records listed in the inven—
tory are arranged'with-thoSe or the administrative branches-of the county-
government first, followed by land registration, administration of justice,
law enforcement, fiscal, educational, and miscellaneous agencies.
Each series of records is described in entries formalized in style
to show: Titles of record, date span, quantity, habeling of volumes or
containers, variant titles, description, manner of arrangement,'indcxing,
nature of recording,.size and type of volumes or containers, and lecation.
The Survey is now engaged in preparing a comprehenSive statement of
the general law regulating county government, to be titled Egypt" Govern—
£§EE.£E.§2l9rad°- .When published this book will serVe asVa handbOOk on
the organization, structure and evolution'bf county'government in Colorado
and will make it unnecessary to repeat certain items of general informa-
tion in the individual inventories. The office essays in this inventory
are, therefore, limited to the creation of the office and its present
status, the manner in which it is filled and the term of office of the
incumbent. ~ '
This inventory of the county records of Prowers County is the
fourteenth published section of the Inventory'gi the County Archives 2:
Preface
Colorado prepared by the Colorado Historical Records Survey Project. The
field work and the recheck for accuracy was supervised by Frank N. Howard,
Field Supervisor. The compiling, arranging, indexing and editing was
done by the editorial staff under the supervision of Cyril R. Coates,
Editoriz 1 Supervisor. The volume was mimeographed and bound by the
Colorado Springs unit of the Colorado project.
The Colorado Historical Records Survey Project is appreciative of
the sponsorship of the Department of State under which this project has
continued. Grateful acknowledgment is also extended to the City and
County of Denver for its generosity in providing office space for the
project.
The officials of Prowers County and their deputies cooperated in
very way with the field walkers during the time of the survey and their
Sid is gratefully appreciated. Elective and constitutional officials at
the time of the survey in the county were: county commissioners, William
N. Wilson, W. M. Turpin, W. H. Straney; county clerk, W. S. Morris;
treasurer, Delmas M. martin; assessor, W. C. Wilson; sheriff, W. C.
McGuin; county judge, E. R. Jones; coroner, C. T. Knuckey; surveyor,
Oscar Hellbeck; superintendent of schools, Bernice Wilmoth. Prowers
County is in the third judicial district and the judges are John L. East
and David M. Ralston.
Vbrious mimeographed units of the Enventgry_ of the County EEEElKEE
of QQLU redo have been issued and will be issued at various times for
free rjstribution to State and local officials pr .blic libraries in
C'lorado, and to a limited number of libraries and governmental agen»
cies outside the State. Requests for information conceining particular
urits of the inventory should be addressed to the State Supervisor, the
Colorado Historical Records Survey, 5th floor, City and County Building,
Denver, Colorado. For a list of publications, see page
Rush Razee, Jr.
State Supervisor
Colorado Historical Records Survey
. 2.,
unit 30F CONTENTS
' I ”L: L
Abbreviations, Symbols and Explanatory Notes . . . . . . . . . .
map of County . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 . . . . . . . . . . .
1' 'V General
Historical Sketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .,..
Boundaries, Topography, Prior Histor ,.AgriCulture and Lives
stock, Irrigation, Farm Aid, Agriculture Statistics, Settle-
ment. Courthouse, First Officials Appointed, First County
Election. Highwaysl Education, Railroads, Churches. ' '
Governmental Chart . . .,. . .;y.1 ... . ..-z. _,, g .=. . . . .
Governmental Qrganization sndeecerds System ; . .';‘$1. . . . i
Housing);1 Care-and Accessibility-ef-the Records . .w . . . I'. .
Records Transcribed, Construction of Courthouse.~
Building Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
l.
r
. County Offices and their RecordS'
Board of County Commissioners y . . . . ; ... .'. . ;~. . . .
Preceedings: minutes; index; notes. ,Taxes: valuations; abate-
Page
XII
13
.‘54
dents. Receiots and Disbursements: funds accounts' statements'
.. i !
audits; claims; warrants. Roads: establishment; maintenance;
resorts; maps. Irrigation-Districts: irrigation; drainage.
Bids and Contracts: bids; contracts. Plans and Specification§
buildings; bridg s. Bonds: official; business; Contractors.
County Property: deeds; abstracts; insurance policies. County
Officers: %
conses:'re
leneous Documents.v Correspondence. .
County Clerk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I u 0‘ u' i o I 0
Elections: registrations; returns; polls. marriagesx'register;
:eg’ster; reports. ,Public.Welfnre: poor relief; Li~
gister; applications; stubs. Jurors. Maps. Miscel-
50
applications; licenses and certificates. School‘Bonds,f Intoxi-
eating Liquor. VHunting and Fishing Licenses.' Military. Finan¢
ciul Records: fees; cash account; bank accounts; reports. Cor-
respondence._ metor Vehicle Department; registration; ownersh
tax receipts; driving licenses; examinations for licenses.
Recorder sf Deeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .—. . .
Reception Records. Transcribed Resords. .Generel Indexes.
Real Property; miscellaneous record; lend patents; warranty?
deeds; quit claim deeds; tax.deeds; sheriffls deeds; water
right deeds; trust deeds, private trustee;:release of trust
deeds, private trustee; trust deeds, public trustee; release
of trust deeds, public trustee;.£0reclcsure ofutrust-deeds,
public trustee: trustee's dEOdS; mortgages; release of mortf
gages; mechanics' liens; lis.pendens; attachments; judgments;
levies; sheriffsj sales; tax sales.- Miscellaneous. Roads.
Leases; oil end gas; miscellaneous. Pernonal.Property: chat—
tel mort3sges; stock brands; motor vehicles.. Corporations.
Partnerships. ,MErriagos.‘ Notaries Public: record; appoint-
ments? 'Bcrds; official; notarial; public responsibility.~
is;
. 58
4VIII~
Table of Contents
, Page
Medical Certificates. Magistracy. Estray Stock. Docked
Horses. Soldiers Discharge. Wage Assignments. Trademarks.
maps: drainage; lands; towns; highways.
Public Tmstee '0 o I c o ‘ o I I o #0 c- I Q 'I‘ c I o I I “I q: '0 c o 0‘ 5 I 78
.Release Record. >Foreclosures. '-
District Court . .-.-. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bl
General Indexes. Civil and Criminal: minutes; trial schedules;
case files; actions filed; court-Orders; judgments; executions.
Financial Records: fees; cash accounts; receipts; disbursements.
Naturalization. Coroner. Jurors. Witnesses. Attorneys'-Re-
ceipts. Miscellaneous.. Correspondence.-
COUntyCOUrt-uoa-I.II.IIIIII-IaooI.I-II_87
Probate: index; minutes; administration of estates; fees. Civil
and Criminal: general indexes;7minutes; case papers; actions
filed; court orders; judgments; executions. Financial Records.
>~Naturalization. Lunacy.‘ Old Age pensions. Jurors; WitnesSes.
Attorneys! Receipts.~ Correspondence..-I '
Justice of the Peace . ... . . . . . .l. .‘. . . . . g . . . . r 95
Civil and Criminal: dockets; case papers.
smll Claims Court a c b- I n c. o o I o u‘ o I n c I I I c n I u 96
District Attorney . . . . . .-. . . . . . . . . . . ... . .'1 . . 97
County Attorney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ; ... . .'. . . .' 97
Sheriff . . . , , . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .'. . 98~
Civil: docket; day book; executions; case files. 'Criminal:
docket;-day_books, prisoners; miscellaneous. Financial Re-
cord. ;Forged Checks. -Stolen Preperty. Correspondence.
constable o i I o ‘c o' 'o I' I IV I I' I l a I I I ‘ I I I I I I ' I I I 0' 102
Coroner . .1. . . .1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Assessor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _,_.. . . ; . . . .». . . . . 103
Tax Schedules. Levies. Assessments: general; drainage dis—7 ‘
trict; irrigation district; adjustments. Ownership: real
property; irrigation companies. Maps. ‘ '
Board Of Equalization I 0 o O y - ~. I a: 'I :c I. u ’, I I o g ’I u a I 107
Tax Collector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . ,,, ‘108
Tax Retest AsSessments: real and personal property; municipal
improvement districts; motor vehicles; irrigation districts.
Tax Receipts: general; improvement districts; delinquent; motor
vehicles; pest eradication. Tax adjustments. Delinquent Taxes:
lists; records; indexes; sales; redemption; certificate of
purchase.
Table of Contents
Treasurer . . . . .1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .‘. . . . . .
Receipts and Disbursements: funds; bank accounts; warrants;
statements. Fees: register; reports. School Districts:
apportionments; warrants; bonds. .Depository Bonds.- Bounties.
Plats. 'Miscelleneous. Correspondence.
Superintendent Of schools 0 a n n 9.. a a c n: ’o' a I o a o a o n a o
Page
115
120
General Business: records; reports; budgets. School Districts:
boundaries; directors; census. Teachers: certificates; quali—
fications; reports; oaths. .Correspondence.
Land Commissioner . .1. . ” ...:.;. . . . . . . . . . . .y. ;1.
Si vewror . . . ‘.>. . . . . . . ,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Z.'
. Road Overseer . . . . .M. .t. .'. . . . . . . . . . . . . '.'
water Commissioner . . 11.:;.:_1 ; . . . . . . . . . . . . . .V;
Drainage Districts . . 1 .-. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
General Business: asseSsmcnts; petitions; bonds.
Bo rd of Health . .i. .j. 1:.‘. . . . . . . . . . . . . : . .'. .
Physicie n to Board of Health . 1 . . . . . . . . .I. . . . . . .
Public Health Nurse . . Q .,1 . ... . . . . . r“; . . . . . 1 .
Public Health Survey:.r000rds; reports.
Registrar of Vitel Statistics . .'. .'. : . . . . 7 .'. . . . .‘.
DepartMFnt of Public Welfer ' ;.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
County Administrator of Relief: clients; budgets; financial
records; commodities; reports. Cerrespondence. Federal
Emergency Relief Corpore tion. Civilian ConservatiOn Corps.
tnlgricultural EXtGDSiOn Agent 3. q n I I n u I a o a o ’n ,0 .a- n a *-
Agricultural Activities: reports; correspondence.
Home Demonstration Agent ._. . . . . .'. . . . . . . . .I. . .
Bibliography . . . . . . . .‘. . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SubjOCt Index 9 .a u‘ 4..., -' .1. o n o I a p " o 9- u u o o a u. u o 1
List of Survey Publications.. . . . . . . . . . .'. - . ..- . . .
104
135
136
158
164
Colo. Ag. Stat.
Cola
com.
Const.
COT.
C.S.h.
d;
dir.
dist.
dist. 0.
Ex. S.
ext.
*(First entry, p. )
, ABBREVIATIONS,,SYMBOLS AND,EXE1ANLTORY NOTES
‘ Abbreviations~
in the Supreme Court of
Colorado
... Colorado Agri-
cultural Sta—
'tistics
... Reports of the
SessiOns of the
Court of Appeals of
the State of Colorado
... commissioners
... constitution
... coroner
C. A.
1955
drawer
... director
atty. ... district attorney
... district court
... Extraordinary Session
... extension
(f.). ... fibre
f
f.b.
no.
file
file box
v00
Symbols
continuation from one date --
to another
by
... Colorado Statutes Annotated,
agt. ... agent f. d.' ... file draWer I
appl. ... application . ‘f. f. ... footnote
approx. ... approximate : G.L. ... General Laws of 1877
arr. ... arranged h. dem. agt. ... home demonstra—
art. ..._article . . . . ‘tion agent ~
assr. ... assessor hdw. ... handwritten
b. ... box _ hpf. ... handwritten on printed
bd. ... boz.rd form .
bdl ... bundle ibid. ... the same reference
(0.,0 C ) ... cloth cover 1 j. p. ... justice of the peace
0. ... court L. ... Session Laws of Colorado
cert. ... certificate . . 1 General Aes'embly
ch. ... chapter (1.,c.c.) ... leather, cloth covered
elk. dist. c. ... clerk district. . (1.1;). .;L looseleaf‘ "'
court .- :.- mil. ... military'
clk. & rcdr. ... clerk and recorder; off; ... office
co. 0. ... county court" ' "op. cit.‘..t work cited
Col. ... Report of cases determined p.,p.p. ... page(s)
Pac. ... The Pacific Reporter
(p.c.). ... paper cover
phst. ... photostatic
phys. ..L physician '
prob. ... probation
reg. v.5. ... registrar of vital
statistics
res. ... residence
r.r. ... railroad
see. ... section’
sher. ... sheriff
Stat. ... United States Statutes
at Large
strg. ... storage
supt.‘o£ sch. ... superintendent
of schools
surv. ... surveyor
T.L. w.; SesSion Laws of Colorado
Territorial Assembly
tpf. ... typed on printed form
trees. ... treasurer
twp. ... township
vlt. ... vault
vol(s). ... volume(s)
wg. cl. 0. wage claims court
placed after year date indicates
from that year to current date
equals
(First entry, p. )
Explanatory'Notes’” '
Distontinuance: Where no statement is made IthaIt th record wasI dis-
..u—m~
established that such was the case. Where no comment is made regarding
prior or subsequent records, no definite information could Ibe obtained.
Titlem Exact titles are written in solid caps, as in entry 2. In
the absence of titles,’?fidescriptive titles have been assigned, which are
'1 written in solid caps and enclosed in parentheses, as in. entr.y 7. If ~
. ~thc title is not descriptive Of the Contents an assigned explanatory tiItlc,
' written with initial ca-ps and enclosed in parentheses, has be.en added, '
' as in entry 1. The current or most recent title of a record is used as -
~' tha entry title; Title -variation is indicated ‘ -"
. I Dates: First and last dates covered by a particular title are'shown%
.‘1n the titleline of its entry. COntinuous records are shown by a hyphen'2
between the beginning and closing dates as 1865-1924.' Lapses in the re—";
-, cords are indicatedfibya . comma between the groups of inclusiv.c dates .
' 1865—95, 1898-1902. Overlapping dates in titlelines or in location Eg~
~rt1cr 3nc05. do not. indicate duplicate recdrds. g
l.ab ling: Figures in parentheses, following the number of volumes -,
or other containers, indicate the labeling of the record, as in entry 14.f
If labeling is not indicated, it may be assumed that there is none. ' '
Cross References: Titleline cross references are used to show the
continuity of a recOrd kept separately, and in other records for a peribd,
01 time, as in entry- 5, which refers to entry 57. Dates shown in the ,
master entry are only for the parts of the records contained’ therein, and;
{ire shown only when -they. vary from the date item given in the titleline. _E
of the master entry. Titleline cross references are also used in all '-
' artificial entries for those records that have been listed separately
under their proper office even though the office to Which they pertain ,
maintains them with files or volumes appearing sleewhere in the inventory ;
as in the artificial entry 52 which refers to .master entry 171. Dates
given in the description in the maSter entry are shOWn as being current
fer the artificial entry, in case the .statnte for such record or filing
”is still in effect, and the titleline of the artificiel*entry shows the
date of the last entry in the volume, or the .last document located in the.»
~ files, where such entries are for "records or documents nIot currently
‘ kept- I",' . ft~' -.gy ..,m ._, .n ._1»111 a. - W1“ . . ‘“7w »
Separate third paragraph cro_ss references from entry to entry, and .
f"see.also" references under subject headings, subheadings are used to show<
‘prier, subsequent or related records which are not parts of the same
series. RI . I _fl,1I .
x .
-
Ilndeir Indexes are self contained unless Othbleoe indicatIed.
<'.;._-....:n Iv. -‘.I
Condition: Unless otherwise spoolfied,I1t is assumed that theI
record isI in good condition. - H ,5 1\,“m"" ,«
‘2.
., a
'»
Location All records are lpcated in the county4gourthduse, unlessu“:
otherwise indicated. The locations given are Ithose' at the'time the sur--‘7-
vey was made and are subject to change without notice.,x \\x\~:'. ,. 4
' N, x
I‘ ,- ,I' ‘-. a, "\_?"I"‘
Kiowzi caufiiy 4 h
May Qvflley
Iflflfliks
COLORQDO - KANSAS
INE
Eh:%
Hil
STATES L
‘\
Bent county
Plains
WM? erx
PROE‘IERS COUNTY.
1889-1341 , , _ ., ,. ,‘ N
A
Location of County"
within the state”
(First entry, p. 55)‘
HISTORICAL SKETCH
92g§£11§23§: VLamnrgl population, 4,4423?
Area: ly630 square miles;3 rank in State, 28th.4‘
'gggglétiggz, 12;273;5 rank inéstateg‘Ean;5h
l‘gssessed Valuation; $14,Q76,398?7.renk inletaté, 16tn,8..|
Acreage Irrigated Lands: 789,245;9 rank in Stete; 4tn;10_ on
sgggngg;vgigg§i $321,08§;11 rank-in'State, 15t:;3 I
Agricultural values:_l$7,697,902;15 rank 1n.Sta£e;T15th.l4
299nm s
Prowers County occupies, next to Baca County, the most Southeasterly
' part of Colorado. It is bounded on the north by Kiowa County, on the east
by the State‘of Kansas, on the south by BaCQ, and on the west by'Bent‘
County.l5 "' ' ‘ .
Upon the establishment'of Kansas Territory on Mny 30 1854, the area
now known as Prowers County was a part of Peketon County.1 It so re—
mained'until February 28, 1861 when the Territory ovaolorndo'Was estab-
lished.17. On November 1, 1861 with the formation of Huerfano County, the
greater part of the area that is now Prowers County was included within
l. L. 1889, p. 295; sec. 5. .
Eggg Book_g§ the State 2: Colorado, 1940, p. 480.
(Hereinafter cited as X333 Book.)
_$§;§., p. 479.
Ehig., p. 23.‘
$3;g., p. 478.
.lhig;,‘p. 23. ‘
Eggg., p. 157.
12;g., p.-24.
.. Ibid.,.p. 16. .
0 Ibid., 13. 17. '- ‘ ‘ . .
11. United States Department of Agriculture; Colorado State" " ’ -
'W' " _Planning_Commission, Colorado Agricultural Statistics, 193
p. 54._ Hereinafter cited'as Colo. 5&3. Stat.
12. Ibrg., p. 17. . " ,
13. Efiig., p. 165.
14. Ibid.; p. 23: . , - . ;:'“ ‘
15. Unitedfstates Department.of the Interior, General Land-effice,
Map of the State of Colorado,‘1934. '(Hereinefter cited as
Maggi“ Colo.) _ . ~ ‘ .'
16. _10 Stat. 277,“ 2
17. 12 Stet. 172. ’
N
[.4
CKOOD'QOEUH-PW
~14—
Historical Sketch‘ (First entry, p.55)
that county, an exception being a small part of the northWestern corner,
which fe].l within the boundaries of _the Arapahoe and Cheyenne Reserve.
The western boundary of Pueblo County was extended-on January 9, 1868
to the territorial border, absorbing part of the Arapahoe and Cheyenne
Reserve and the northern part of Huerfano County.. With thisvchange, the
area now occupied by Prowers County became wholly included within the
boundaries of Pueblo County.2 On February 11 _1870, Bent County in its
formation took this portion of Pueblo County;3 it continued as a part of
Bent County until,April 11, 1889, at which‘time Prowers County =was es—
tablished from a portion of its eastern area. This area is described
as follows. Beginning at t_he southeast corner of Bent County and running
thence west along the south boundary line of said county to west line of
range forty-seven.(47); thence north along said range line to the fourth
(4th) correction line; thence east along said correction line to the east
boundary line of the State, thence south along said State boundary to the
place of beginning.4
_gppgraphy
, ProWers -COunty is part of the great plains or Celerado. The land is
flat and dips gradually in a southeasterly direction toWard Kansas which
it borders. The Arkansas River flows across the northern half of the
county providing water for the irrigation so necessary for successful 1
farming on this land where rains are scarce. ‘
In genercl the land is covered with short, but highly nutritious
'grasses and the soil is principally a sandy, alluvié 1 loam, capable of
great fertility under irrigation. Along the Wa-ter Courses are gicvths
of cattonwood, boxelder and Willow 'abw1nd ant in certai .n places and sparse
in others.5 A classification of the total land in the county gives 8.5p
as irrigated 14.6% su.itable for dry farming and 68.3% a s.gtaz1ng, the
balance is made up of non -patented, miscellaneous unclassified, and ttw.u
and city lots.6 - ' ‘
yrior fidstory
The Arkansas River was the gateway to Colorado. In 1806 when Lt.
Zebulon M. Pike led his party on the exploration of the neW‘ territory ac~
quired by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase, he follow—
ed the Arkansas and crossed into what is now Prowers CountyxV Later ex-
plorations led by Col. Henry Dodge in 1835, 8 Lt. John 0. Fremont in 1845, 9 g
. , h
11.1... 1861.1). 53,; sec. 6.2 , . . ' 9
T.L. 1868, p. 158,'sec. 10.. ‘ *
T. L. 1870, pp. 52, 53, secs. 3, 5.
L. 1889, p. 294, sec. 1. "'
. Frank Hall HLstc_y_ of the State of Colorador vol. 4 p. 73.
(Hereinafter cited as Hall).
6. Year Book, p 16. ‘ '
7. Jerome G Smiley, Semicentennial History of the State of Colorado
vol. 1, p. 51. (Hereinafter cited as LSmiley)
8. 331g“ p. 157.
9. 31331., p. 123.
CfiPCflNt—J
-15-
Historical Sketch (First entry, p.55)
Col. William Gilpin in 1847. dbl. John B. Sanborn in 1851,1 and Capt.
John W. Gunnison in 1853 all followed the same route when entering or
leaving what was later the State of Colorado.
Mere important, however, was the opening of the Santa Fe Trail in
1822 which cut across the southeastern part Of Colorado from Kansas to
New Mexico. In 1826 it had almost become a public road over which the
hunters and trappers sent their furs by packmhorse to the Missouri.
River.2 The Santa Fe Trail'Was used by thousands of immigrants who
were bound for Oregon and'Ca__.lifornia'in1,8,496-4955 and more thousands
when the Pikes Peak Rush began in 1858.4 ~-
All of this, however; had little bearing.on the settlement of the
county. It remained until the '8Q's principally a grazing range for
cattle, although it was Knowu to possess Opportunities for agricultural
development. «f ' " .
Agriculture'and’Livestock
The history of Prowers County is inseparable from_the history of
agriculture and of the cattle industry in the region. ”When it was found
that the grasses along the Arkansas valley were excellent for grazing,
there grew up a cattle empire. Large herds of longhorn cattle from
Texas moved along the National Trail, which crossed the Arkansas River
near Holly,-on their way from the.Cimarron to the Platte River. Local
buying was dene from the trail herds and the vast public lands extending
from.the Arkansas to the Platte Rivers became the grazing territory for
these herds. No exact figures are available to show the extent of the
livestock industry at that time. In 1877, however, the Santa Fe Railroad
reported their business about equal to that of the Kansas Pacific, whose
figures indicate shipments of nearly thirty thousand head.7
Restriction of the free range and the expense or providing either
leased or owned land_for grazing, changed the character of the cattle
business. The necessity for improving the herds also added to costs of
production, and the industry which had been characterized by an almost
feudalistic dominion by a few, new came under control of a greater num—
ber of smaller operators who combined stock raising with other agricul—
. tural pursuits.8‘ New settlers and irrigation projects hastened the
change in Prowers County as the agricultural possibilities gained
recognition.9 -
-l. Smiley, vol. 1, p. 128.
2. Ibid., p. 189.
3. E§l§°: p. 180.
4. Ibid., p. 282.
5. Hall, p. 280. “‘ ' ‘ ' ' .
6. Alvin T. Steinel, History_g£.Agriculture in Colorado, p. 133.
(Hereinafter cited as Steinel). ‘
7. Ibid., po 134. _ _ . ,p
8. Steinel, p. 154. ' W '
9. Hall, vol. 4, p. 281.
115-
Historical Sketch ‘ . . (First SELIV, p.55)
lgrigation
Irrigation had its beginning in the locality when, in 1361, a ditch
was built to serve the vegetable gardens at Ft. Lyons, eight miles from
Lamar. This was followed in the early seventies by the cons :uction of
a part of the Lamar Canal which watered 2000 acres, and when completed
irrigated 10,000 acres.1 The Amity Canal was started in'1887 which 4:—
rigated 50,000 acres near Holly, and about the same time, the Colorado
and Kansas Canal, designed to care for about 6,000 acres was built. It
was during this period that W. M. Wiley constructed the Great Plains
Storage System near Holly with a capacity'of 200,000 acre feet. This
project gave a great deal of impetus toward a fuller realization of the
county’s agricultural potentialities.2 Another storage project, the
Arkansas River Land, Reservoir, and Canal Company used a natural basin
for a reservoir covering 3 ,200 acres with a max mum depth .of 97 feet,
and the Lamar Land.and Canal Company had 53 miles of ditch under its
control. In 1891 there were 250 miles of ditch in operation and»
59,595 acres of land were under irrigation.‘5 An expansion of irri—
gation which began in 1906 through the formation of irrigation diatricts,
continued until 1928. Among the important districts created were Bent
and Prowers,4 Granada and Holly,5 Wiley,6 Kornman,7 The Prosperity,8
and the Deadman. . ‘
Farm.Aig
The first direct advisory assistance to the farmers began in 1913
by the appointment of P. E: Clement as County Agriculturist for the
months of July and August.i0 This was followed in 1917 by the appoint-
ment ofa county agricultural agent by the U S Depar+ ment of Agricui~
ture.ll Pest districss "ere petitioned for kl 3919, as provided by
statutes,12 by county agricultu.cists L. M, veitze: and W. C. Kendfd 1 13
In 1923, the boa rd of county commissioners organized the Prowers County
Agricu].tur11 Advi.sory Cou11cil to bring all of the ous.Lness interes ;s of
the county into closer relationship with agricultule and by this coopera—
tiOn to further the fullest development of the county's resources.14 The
Arkansas Valley Ditch Association launched a cooperative stream investi-
gation upon the A