World War I in La Plata County
War’s Aftermath in La Plata County
Veterans saw carnage unlike anything the world had ever known, but they also saw Paris, London, ancient cathedrals, Medieval cities, and farms with stone fences and narrow county roads lined with poplar trees. For local lads, this was a revelation. They came home, determined to marry, to make a better life for themselves, and to find a firm place in their town and community.
Enormous change had occurred in America while they were overseas and in the years that followed.
- The federal income tax had been implemented, changing Coloradans’ relationship with the federal government.
- Demands for food and fiber caused sheepmen to prosper because of the need for wool and lamb.
- A booming wartime economy saw agricultural prices rise and prosperous farmers and ranchers built new houses across La Plata County.
- A new homestead law, the Stock-Raising Homestead Act of 1916, enabled settlers to claim a full section of land, 640 acres, for grazing purposes. A 1920 act allowed ex-soldiers first choice on lands newly opened for homesteading.
- Because so many men had shown up unfit for military service, there was an interest in physical health and conditioning. Outdoor recreation, calisthenics, and exercise in public schools increased.
- The war increased demand for strategic minerals, mining boomed and railroad connections improved.
- Patriotism flourished — Chapters of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the VFW were established.
- Racism also flourished and post-war isolationism in the 1920’s gave rise to Colorado chapters of the Ku Klux Klan. Colorado even elected Clarence Morely governor in the 1920s, a member of the Klan.
- Local Utes finally earned citizenship in 1924 because of Native Americans’ devoted service in the military.
Winning the First World War propelled America onto the world stage. Though the nation sought isolation after the war, America and La Plata County would never be isolated again.
