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Alton “Glenn” Miller

Glenn Miller (1904–44) rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most successful band leaders of the big band era, during the 1930s and 1940s. At the pinnacle of his popularity, in 1942, he volunteered to serve as a band leader in the army. The…

Beef Industry on the Colorado Plains

Colorado’s beef industry traces its roots back to the latter half of the nineteenth century, when cowboys drove cattle across the plains in some of the most iconic imagery of the American West. However, the state’s modern beef industry did not begin…

Colorado in World War I

As Europe stumbled into war in late July and early August 1914, Coloradans viewed the conflict with mixed emotions. Some favored the English, French, Italians, Russians, and their allies. Others preferred the Germans and Austrians and their friends. The…

Fort Morgan

Fort Morgan is a city of about 12,000 people along the South Platte River, about seventy miles northeast of Denver. It is part of the high plains region that an early explorer, Major Stephen Long, called the “Great American Desert.” As the center of a…

Fort Morgan State Armory

Built in 1922, the Fort Morgan State Armory is located at 528 State Street in Fort Morgan in northeast Colorado (528 State St, 80701 Fort Morgan, United States). It served as headquarters of Company M, Seventeenth Infantry of the Colorado National Guard…

Great Western Sugar Company

The Great Western Sugar Company was co-founded by Charles Boettcher in 1900 after he observed the hardy, profitable sugar beet crop while vacationing in Europe. In Colorado, the sugar beet industry he helped launch proved a boon to the state and local…

Interstate 76

Construction of Interstate 80 South, later known as Interstate 76, began in 1958 and reflected the desire for easier transportation across the state of Colorado. The 184-mile highway connects Denver to western Nebraska and represents a vital link between…

Morgan County Courthouse and Jail

Morgan County’s 1921 jail and 1936 courthouse in Fort Morgan replaced the county’s original facilities after the county had outgrown them. The courthouse was funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA) and designed by the modernist Colorado architect…