Weld County Colorado ~  1870

This county lies entirely in the plains division and forms the northeastern corner of Colorado. It has Wyoming and Nebraska on the north, Nebraska on the east, Arapahoe County on the south, and Boulder and Larimer counties on the west. Although exclusively on the plains, the surface of Weld County is beautifully diversified with valleys and ridges, and the greater portion covered with grasses and other vegetation. But few forest trees are to be found, but extensive coal beds exist. These supply ample fuel for all domestic and manufacturing purposes, and when fully developed will become a source of wealth to the county. Iron ores abound in the western portion, but, from the absence of smelting works, are valueless at present. The leading interests of Weld, however, will always be agriculture. So much has been said in this work concerning the richness of the soil of the valley lands of Colorado that we need only state here that the Platte River and many of its tributaries traverse the county; this establishes the fact that farming and stock raising will always be paying industries in this division of the Territory. Already many thousands of acres of excellent lands are under cultivation, which produce largely; and vast herds of fat cattle graze upon the succulent grasses in the valleys and upon the ridges.

One of the largest settlements in this county is the Union Colony at Greeley, which receives appropriate notice elsewhere.

Although Weld is one of the best watered of the plains counties, still irrigation is necessary everywhere, and facilities for this abundant, except in the southeastern portion of the county, which presents but few inducements to agriculturists. This arid portion of the county is like the balance of the plains, covered with nutritious grasses, but the absence of moisture makes it almost uninhabitable.

The entire county, from north to south, is traversed by the Denver Pacific railway. Along the lines of this road are the best agricultural lands and the largest towns in the county, Greeley and Evans being the principal.

Rocky Mountain Directory & Colorado Gazetteer

Source: Rocky Mountain Directory and Colorado Gazetteer, 1871, S. S. Wallihan & Company, Compilers and Publishers, Denver, 1870.