Great Weekend Getaways - The lure of the Plains

Fort Morgan

By Shelly Steig

It's a shame Major Stephen Long can't see Fort Morgan's current community of nearly 12,000 residents. This commercial and retail hub of northeast Colorado now boasts a charming downtown, manicured city parks and a museum which includes displays of hometown hero,‘40s-era big-band leader Glenn Miller.

When Long passed through the area in 1820, he was decidedly unimpressed. He encountered some streams, which he christened (Bijou Creek being one of them), but declared the Colorado plains were “unfit for cultivation and uninhabitable by a people depending upon agriculture for their subsistence.”

Fortunately, explorer John C. Fremont followed up with a visit of his own 22 years later. Enthusiastically, Fremont let the world know that Long's so-called “Great American Desert” was simply a myth.

One hundred and sixty-four years after that myth-busting, Fort Morgan has firmly established itself as a successful agricultural community. It really flourished when the Great Western Sugar Factory (now called Western Sugar) opened west of town in 1906. Reflecting the city's optimism, opulent mansions sprung up along Sherman Street, which is now a National Historic District.

Glenn Miller put the town on the national map, as did the construction of the James Marsh Rainbow Arch Bridge, which in 1923 was the largest rainbow arch bridge in the world. On the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Colorado Civil Engineering Landmark, the bridge is now preserved for hikers and bikers, and marks the entry point to the Pawnee Pioneer Trails Scenic Byway. Today's visitors to Fort Morgan will also discover Riverside Park, a 180-acre nature sanctuary that winds along the Platte River adjacent to the Rainbow Bridge.

Information: 800-354-8660; www.fortmorganchamber.org.

Please note: This article is from our archives and some facts may have changed. Please contact your nearest AAA office and ask to speak to a travel counselor to update you on the latest travel information.

Shelly Steig is a Parker-based freelance writer who has written three books and more than 150 articles.