See History and Map

Fort Morgan, which lies on the old Overland Trail, offers a good look at the agricultural history of the state.

A progressive high plains town, Fort Morgan has always exhibited a keen sense of pride and civic spirit. An award-winning museum, clean and friendly downtown and a lovely historic district across from a beautiful county court building. In 1976, local families contributed 111 of family trees in narrative form and these were published in a liberally illustrated book, which you can still find in the local stores and library. Fort Morgan forms a nice base for a wider tour of Northeast Colorado, including the Overland Trail, the South Platte River, and the Pawnee National Grasslands. The Pioneer Trail Scenic and Historic Byway leads north to the Pawnee Buttes, the setting in James Michener's classic Centennial, a classic novel and mini-series about this part of Colorado.

Abner Baker, a member of the Greeley Union Colony, founded the existing town in 1884, when the fort consisted of a few adobe & sod buildings. This facility served as a frontier outpost on the Overland Trail, its troops protecting the settlers pushing West. Thriving in its role as the county seat of Morgan County, over the years this community has benefited from a mixture of livestock and truck farming, as well as sugar refining and nearby oil & gas production.

The Fort Morgan Museum, which tracks the area's history from the Pawnee and other Plains Indians to the settlement by farmers and ranchers who found the plains good for grazing and raising wheat. If you're a Glenn Miller fan, you should know that famous band leader was born here, and the museum has a large exhibit about Miller & his roots.