Crowley County
General Overview
Before 1876, Crowley County was under
the control of the Cheyenne Indians. Because of the
mild climate, the area was used for winter encampments.
When the State of Colorado was accepted into the Union
in 1876, the area was known as Bent County. In 1889, the
western section of Bent County broke away and became
known as Otero County. Crowley County as it is known
today received state approval to form its own county
government and was incorporated on August 5, 1911. The
county was named after John H. Crowley, a senator from
Otero County to the state legislature at the time of the
split. Crowley County’s 802 square miles offers 11
square miles of water, rolling prairies, wooded glades,
farm fields and ranchlands. The Arkansas River provides
for not only a great southern boundary line, but also
wildlife and beauty.
In the late 1880s, numerous irrigation
projects were happening throughout the state. Crowley
County was the home to one of the more ambitious
projects. In 1888, construction began on an 85-mile
canal, known as the Twin Lakes Reservoir and Canal
Company. The canal would eventually irrigate over 50,000
acres of land. During this period, the railroad began
expanding into Crowley County. Olney Springs, Crowley,
Ordway and Sugar City became incorporated towns and each
flourished alongside the Missouri Pacific Railroad.
By the early 1900s, Crowley County was
one of the prime agricultural areas in the state with
acres of apple, cherry and plum orchards. Before the age
of refrigeration and highways, the county was home to
canning factories and even icehouses for shipping
cantaloupes across the country by rail. The National
Sugar Company built a sugar factory in Sugar City and
processed beets for several decades.
The lure of prime new farm ground and
opportunity attracted many different immigrant groups.
German farmers familiar with the beet industry were
attracted to the area in large numbers. Japanese and
Hispanic laborers recruited to work in the fields and
orchards settled here, bought farms and raised families.
During this entire period, the ranching industry north
of the canal flourished on what seemed like an
inexhaustible supply of grass for its cattle. The years
surrounding the First World War were boom times for
Crowley County. The war destroyed agriculture in much
of Europe resulting in relatively high commodity prices
for most agricultural goods. Business prospered, the
population grew, schools built and the future looked
bright.
World War II also brought another wave
of newcomers to Crowley County. War paranoia caused
suspicion to fall on Japanese-Americans living in
California. They were forced to relocate away from the
coast. Many of these Japanese-Americans came to stay
with relatives and friends who lived in Crowley County.
There is a plaque at the Heritage Center in the Town of
Crowley honoring Crowley County for providing a home to
displaced Japanese-Americans during the war. The years
following the Second World War brought many changes to
Crowley County. The nation’s vegetable production
concentrated in frost-free regions of southern
California and Florida. With the introduction of sugar
from Hawaii and Cuba, domestic sugar production faced
serious competition. Another protracted drought struck
the area in the 1950s and many farmers relocated to
Kansas and Nebraska.
For many years, overtures were made by
municipal interests to purchase the water rights owned
by the farmers under the Colorado Cana l. In the 1960s,
a substantial portion of the trans-mountain water from
the Twin Lakes system was sold to the cities of Pueblo,
Colorado Springs, and Aurora. As farming continued to
suffer set backs growing Front Range cities increased
their ownership in the canal company. By the 1990s,
there was only a few thousand acres still in irrigated
production.
Civic leaders realized that with the
decline in agriculture something else would have to
replace it in the county’s economy. They successfully
lobbied the state legislature and won approval for the
construction of a 900-bed medium security correctional
facility to be built. In 1997, a privately owned 1000
bed correctional facility received local approval. Many
county residents now work in these facilities and others
make Crowley County their home, appreciating the rural
lifestyle.
In 1993, Crowley County Heritage
Society was successful in having the 1914 Crowley grade
school placed on the State Historical property list, the
only building with that distinction in Crowley County.
Soon work began on the renovation and restoration of the
building. Today the building functions as a community
center, the Town of Crowley’s town hall and a wonderful
local museum. The museum houses artifacts from the
County history: archives from the Twin Lakes Reservoir
Company, abstracts from numerous farms and copies of the
County’s newspaper, The Ordway New Era.
Crowley County is served by an
excellent transportation system. We are located on
Highway 96, which is within one hour of I-25, the major
north-south artery on the eastern slope of the Rocky
Mountains. A connection to I-70 in Limon provides access
to points east and west. The county is also immediately
adjacent to U.S. Highway 50 and within a one-hour drive
west of the new Ports to Plains Trade Route corridor in
Eads. If rail transportation is needed, connections at
Pueblo and La Junta also make the Burlington Northern
and Santa Fe railroad system available. Commercial air
service is available at the Pueblo Municipal Airport,
only 45 minutes to the west. The closest airport with
national connections is located in Colorado Springs.
Demographics
Crowley County is located on the high
plains of Southern Colorado and consists of four towns:
Sugar City, Ordway, Crowley and Olney Springs. Crowley
County’s 802 square miles offers rolling prairies,
wooded glades, farm fields and ranchlands. Ordway, the
County seat, lies about 50 miles east of Pueblo at the
intersection of U.S. Highway 96 and Colorado 71. Crowley
County is bordered on the south by the Arkansas River
and Otero County, on the east by Kiowa County, on the
North by Lincoln County, and on the west by Pueblo
County. Crowley County’s population is about 6,246 and
includes farmers, ranchers and other hard-working
people, of whom 169 live in Crowley; 353 in Olney
Springs; 249 in Sugar City; 1,115 in Ordway and 4,360 in
Unincorporated. It should be noted that
approximately 2,600 male individuals are housed within
the two prisons located within the county. The varied
ethnic population lends to the County’s open-minded
attitude toward cultural blending. Time has not
distorted the values or ethics of those who live here.
The work ethic and dedication are as strong now as when
the settlers started tilling the land in the late 19th
Century. Crowley County’s demographics include 24% of
residents who are of Hispanic origin. 26.2% of the
population is 18 years or younger and 18.6% is 65 or
older. Of those who are 25 years or older, 77.5%
have graduated high school and 11.9% who are 25 years or
older hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher. Due to a low
cost of living, 72.5% of county residents own their own
home. The low cost of living and peaceful lifestyle make
Crowley County a secret haven among Colorado’s Front
Range communities.
The county experiences a favorable climate
year-round. Average annual rainfall is 11.2 inches;
average annual snowfall is 21.46 inches; the mean
January temperature is 25.5 degrees; and the mean July
temperature: 74.7 degrees. In addition, we boast
sunshine 300 days per year.
Crowley County, like many rural
counties throughout the area, offers a truly outstanding
work force. The area has virtually no history of labor
disputes. The local work force has a reputation for
loyalty, hard work, and low turnover. The area also
offers a labor force that is relatively inexpensive.
This is emphatically not a matter of "cheap, unskilled
labor." Rather, it is a reflection of relatively low
cost of living and the strong desire of local people to
stay in the area.
Economy
 The county lies in a fertile farming
and ranching region. Crowley County’s economy can be
understood as an agricultural industry moving toward a
mixed service economy. Predominate employers consist of
governmental, educational and agricultural services. The
average median disposable income is $27,297 while the
average income per capita is $17,532. The unemployment
rate within the county is about 10%, however very few
local businesses have had to lay off employees
throughout the current recession. Another asset to the
area’s economy is the Arkansas Valley Correctional
Facility, a state medium-security prison that opened in
1987. This facility hires over 300 employees and houses
1,007 inmates. The newest addition is the Crowley
County Correctional Facility, a private medium security
prison that opened in 1999 employs 265 people.
Education
Crowley County is served by an
award-winning education system. A prominent local
historical resource is the 1918 Crowley County High
School, the second oldest school building in the state
still in use. The Crowley County RE-1J system provides a
complete K-12 educational system for the County. The
newest addition to our area is the Combined Community
Library built in 2003 and located next to Ward Middle
School. This system has an excellent record of
accomplishment and experiences a 97.8% graduation rate.
Moreover, the system has a very respectable 60-75% of
its graduates who go on to higher education. The K-12
system is supported by an outstanding system of junior
colleges, including Otero Junior College, located at La
Junta, which offers a full two-year curriculum in a
variety of fields. Additionally, the junior college has
participated in setting up customized training programs
to meet the needs of industry.
Health Services
Crowley County contracts with the Otero County
Health Department for health, environmental and nursing
services. Health services include Crowley County
Ambulance, the Centennial Family Health Center, and
Crowley County Nursing Center. The Arkansas Valley
Regional Medical Center, which is our hospital of
choice, is located in La Junta. The hospital provides a
range of services, 24-hour emergency care, Intensive
Care, OB/GYN services, laboratory and diagnostic imaging
and serves most of the Valley’s needs.
Recreation
Recreation is a very important part of the life of
the county, which maintains two expansive lakes, Lake
Henry and Lake Meredith, and two reservoirs that
accommodate fishing, water skiing, and other water
sports. Bird watching and hunting are popular pastimes
in Crowley County. Game includes pheasant, quail, doves,
ducks, geese, deer, and antelope. Riding horses and
rodeos are other popular activities. A favorite hobby
of county residents is looking for Indian artifacts;
arrowheads and food preparation items are the most
numerous items found. Many bicycle enthusiasts visit
the County during cross-country tours.
Crowley County spectators love to support their
school activities and sports programs. With an
abundance of neighbors who care, church and community
groups are very active in local community affairs. The
local 4-H program has an outstanding support group
centered around the country kids, as well as our youth
in town. Proof of their support can be seen in their
annual Crowley County Days celebration. The week-long
event encompasses the 4-H county fair and ends on
Saturday with the parade and huge barbecue held in
Conestoga Park in Ordway. It is not unusual to have
close to 3,000 people in the park for the barbeque,
sponsored by our local volunteer firefighters. The
event is held the last full week of July and holds a
tradition of ninety plus years. The county offers a
vast variety of attractions and events including the
Crowley Heritage Center & Museum, Pronghorn Birding
Trail, Rabbit Run Motocross, Prairie
Horizons/Transamerica, Bicycle Trails, Fourth of July
Celebration and Oktoberfest.
Nonprofits in Crowley County
- American Legion Post 0094
- Combined Community Library
- Crowley County Economic Development
- Crowley County High School
- Crowley County Chamber of Commerce
- Crowley County Community Foundation
- Crowley County EMS
- Crowley County Extension Office % 4-H
- Crowley County Fair Association
- Crowley County Heritage Center
- Crowley County Heritage Society
- Crowley County Nursing Center
- Crowley County Saddle Club
- Crowley County School District RE. 1-J
- Crowley County Social Services
- Friends of the Library
- Kids' Campus
- Olney Springs Senior Citizens
- Ordway Senior Center
- Southeast Mental Health Services
- Sugar City Senior Citizens Center
- Town of Crowley
- Town of Olney Springs
- Town of Ordway
- Town of Sugar City
- Veterans Of Foreign Wars Post # 336
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