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<br />with the possible exception of fine aggre'gates for concrete. Timber resources are
<br />entirely lacking. Investigators of the Smithsonian Institution located three archeologi-
<br />cal sites in the area during a brief reconnaissance in 1947. One of these lies within the
<br />reservoir area.
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<br />6. Communication Routes. - The first railroad in the area was the Beaver Valley
<br />Railroad, which was built in 1886 and ran as far west as St. Francis, Kans. This raU'"
<br />road was taken over and operated as a spur line of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy
<br />Railroad in 1908, furnishing an outlet to Kansas City and points east. U. S. Highway
<br />No. 36 passing through St. Francis furnishes a direct route from Denver, Colo., to
<br />St. Joseph, Mo. Kansas State Highway No. 27 also passing through St. Francis con-
<br />nects with U, S. Highway No, 34 at Haigler, Nebr" to the north and U, S, Highway
<br />No, 24 at Goodland. Kans, , on the south. Coloradn State Highway No. 51 passing
<br />through the upp~r portion of the reservoir area connects Wray and Burlington, Colo.
<br />In addition to the above, there are numerous county roads in the area, only a few of
<br />which are graveled. Most of the county roads are of dirt and often become impassable
<br />in wet weather. Transportation by bus is available in all directions.
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<br />7. Economics. - The economic conditions in the St. Francis area are closely
<br />tied to the land. The history of farming has been typical of farming throughout the mid-
<br />western states--prosperous at times and so discouraging at other times that many farms
<br />were abandoned. Pioneer farmers were hampered by lack of markets and transportation
<br />facilities.
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<br />Grasshoppers, prairie fires, Indian raids, severe droughts in the 1890's and
<br />low prices slowed development. The lush 1920's were followed by a nationwide depres-
<br />sion and the most severe period of dry years on record. forcing many families to lose
<br />their farms and seek employment in urban communities. The tragic flood of 1935 de-
<br />stroyed most of the bottom crop lands by removing valuable topsoil and depositing sev-
<br />eral feet of sand and gravel. However, recent years have rewarded those who stayed.
<br />Above average rainfall and better than average crops and high prices have enabled many
<br />farmers to settle old indebtedness, add improvements and farm machinery, and accum-
<br />ulate capital reserves. The U. S. Census of Agriculture showed the total value of all
<br />farm products in Cheyenne County, Kans" to be $l, 580. 000 in 1940 and $5,434,000 in
<br />1945. On a per farm basis this amounts to $1, 706 and $6,742, respectively.
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<br />St. Francis, Kans., is the main trade center for farmers in this area. It is
<br />the largest wheat market in this section of Kansas and also serves a large. area of .
<br />Colorado. Wheat is trucked in from a radius of 50 to 100 miles. Hale and Idalia. Colo.,
<br />are small inland trade centers without railroad facilities.
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<br />8. Local Organizations. - A number of influential people in the area were very
<br />active proponents of irrigation development for the upper Republican River watershed.
<br />They worked unceasingly to interest various State and Federal agencies in investigating
<br />and financing proposed projects. Foremost and most active in the irrigation develop-
<br />ment along the South Fork of the Republican River was A. A. Gillespie, formerly editor
<br />of the 51. Francis paper and currently Probate Judge of Cheyenne County. Judge
<br />Gillespie was one of the impelling forces of a tri-state organization which hired an
<br />engineer in 1928 to investigate and report on possibilities and means of developing lands
<br />along the Upper Republican in Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska. The depression of the
<br />early 1930's necessitated the disbanding of this organization because of lack of funds
<br />with which to carryon operations.
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<br />The Republican Valley Conservation Association was formed in 1940 to carry
<br />on where the earlier organization left off. This association was composed of two rep-
<br />resentatives from each town in the Republican River watershed from Oxford, Nebr.,
<br />west to Wray, Colo., Imperial, Nebr., and 51. Francis, Kans. The representatives
<br />from the St. Francis area were A. A. Gillespie and D-. H. Postlethwaite. This organi-
<br />zation was primarily responsible for promoting and securing the necessary authoriza-
<br />tion for construction of a number of darns and r.eservoirs on the upper Republican River
<br />and major tributaries, rather than a single large dam downstream, in order to effec-
<br />tively control. conserve. and utilize flood waters in the Republican River basin.
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