Colorado

Panel 1

Arriba

In frontier Arriba (locally pronounced "AIR-uh-buh"), the only thing
more scarce than water was whiskey. Charles Creel, who founded
the town in 1888 to greet the advancing Chicago, Rock Island &
Pacific Railroad, imposed a strict liquor ban; and when "wet"
Frontier City rose next to Arriba (literally across the street) in 1907
Creel built fences and ditches to enforce his decree. He ultimately
lost the Battle of the Bottle; after his death in 1918 locals decided
(by a vote of 90-1) to absorb Frontier city and lift the
prohibition. But he won the larger war, settling a region considered too arid for cultivation. Water remains a precious commodity here, but Arriba has toughed it out, supporting healthy ranches and dryland farms for more than one hundred years.

Cheyennes on the Republican

To the Cheyennes, the lush vegetation of
the Colorado prairies was as valuable as
gold. The grasses fed their horses, which in
turn fueled the buffalo hunts that made
them rich. The tribe found a homeland in
the Republican River basin (just northeast
of here), an undisturbed expanse offering
ripe pastures, thick herds, and excellent
access to trade. Here they prospered until
1859, when gold-rustling pioneers began
streaming through the heart of the
Cheyenne preserve along the Smoky Hill
Trail. The Indians fought for their territory
immigrants fought back, and as hostilities
intensified the Army was dispatched to
enforce the will of the United States. The
Cheyennes' golden age of grasslands was
over; the great Indian Wars were under way.


Top large photo:
Although taken two years after the unofficial end of the feud between the "drys" and the "wets," the vacant strip known variously as No Man's Land or Hell's Half Acre is still evident in this 1920 photograph. Courtesy Eunice Burge

Top right small photo:
Chicago Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Depot c. 1916 Courtesy Eunice Burge


Middle photo:
Though today No Man's Land (the strip between Elm And Grant streets) is part of Arriba, it remains a dividing line of sorts - the streets still change names as they cross the strip east to west - a legacy of the Arriba/Frontier City feud. Courtesy Eunice Burge


Bottom photo:
Cheyenne Camp, 1868
Courtesy Seaver Center for Western History Research,
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County


Panel 2

Homesteading

Congress passed the Homestead Act in
1862, but a generation went by before
settlers sought to claim these thirsty plains.
The act's 160-acre allotment, though
sufficient in the humid East, simply could
not support a family on the arid Plains.
But as farmers mastered the art of dryland
cultivation, and the 1872 Timber Culture Act
and 1909 Homestead Act made larger
parcels available, eastern Colorado
emerged as prime real estate
Pioneers began to trickle in during the 1890s and
arrived in force after 1900; in 1907 the land office
at Hugo (about twenty miles
southwest of here) led the nation in new
claims. It had taken almost fifty years, but
the government had finally devised a land
policy suitable for the high prairies.

Dryland Farming

The first theory of dryland farming—"rain follows the plow"—
was merely wishful thinking; for plow though Plains settlers might,
there followed only drought. To the rescue came Hardy Webster
Campbell, who in 1902 introduced scientific moisture management
and gave farmers their first real weapon against the West's oppressive aridity. Deep seeding, contour farming, soil aeration and other techniques enabled homesteaders to wrest harvests from land once deemed barren. But skeptics dismissed these victories as the product of luck (an abnormally rainy decade) rather then skill. They may have had a point; the marginal soils blew away in the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, giving rise to a new adage: "Dryland farming works best in a wet year."

Top large photo:
A real estate office in neighboring Hugo proudly displays non-irrigated produce during the 1907 Lincoln County Fair and Dry Farmers Jubilee. Courtesy Lincoln County Historical Society

Middle left:
Cover of "Dry Farming Magazine"
Colorado Historical Society

Small middle photo:
Once a part of the Dust Bowl, this farm northwest of Arriba
was again prospering by 1950. Colorado Historical Society

Smaller right photo:
Lacking lumber or brick, Lincoln County settlers often built with
the only readily available material — prairie sod, as in this house near Limon.Colorado Historical Society


Panel 3

Prairie Pastimes

Hugo's Shepherds Golf Club (est. 1898) was perhaps the most
exclusive sporting fraternity of all time: Each member had to build a
nine-hole course in his sheep pastures for the private enjoyment of
the other members. For the wider public there was Walk's Camp
Park (twelve miles northwest of Arriba), an old buffalo hunting site
that became the area's playground in 1915. Summer afternoons
brought ballgames, picnics, and barbecues, with hayrides and an
merry-go-round for the kids; the Civilian Conservation Corps recreation center (moved to Walk's Park from Hugo in the 1940s) provided off-season amusement. These amenities offered an indispensable refuge from the demands of a hard-working life. More toil inevitably awaited back on the farm, but it could wait; Arribans made sure they got a healthy dose of leisure.

Genoa Tower

Motorists driving by here in the 1930s
liable to hear voices from on high —-
particularly C. W. Gregory's, bellowing out a
friendly greeting from atop the Genoa
Tower. Gregory built the six-story landmark
in 1926 to serve tourists on U.S. 24, then
Colorado's main east-west highway. Weary
the opportunity to stretch their legs, ascend
the spire, and overlook (or so Gregory
claimed) parts of Colorado, New Mexico,
Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota
Wyoming. Billed as the highest point
between New York City and Denver, the
famous attraction also exhibited Indian
artifacts, sold gas, and hosted dances for
local residents. Though most of today's
drivers use I-70, the Genoa Tower remains
popular among those who like to take the
road less traveled.

Top left photo
As the Hugo Range Ledger noted, "Cheyenne Wells, with
its delightful band, is entitled to a hearty vote of thanks for the way it helped make the fair a success." The Hugo baseball team was also a success at the 1907 fair, beating all opponents, including a team from Arriba. Courtesy Lincoln County Historical Society

Small middle photo:
Members of the Cheyenne Wells Silver Cornet Band engage in a little friendly competition at the 1907 Lincoln County Fair.
Courtesy Lincoln County Historical Society

Far right photo:
In 1907 area businessmen decided to organize a Lincoln County Fair and Dry Farmers Jubilee. Held in Hugo, activities included ball games, horse and foot races, watermelon eating contests, singers, dancers, and rides on a horse-powered merry-go-round.
Courtesy Lincoln County Historical Society

Bottom large photo:
Genoa Tower, late 1930s
Colorado Historical Society


Panel 4


Arriba Country (Regional Map)