The guiding questions of this case study are an ambitious attempt to interpret the experience of ordinary people in Morgan County, especially in its major hub, the city of Fort Morgan, from the 1860s to the present; to chronicle the rise of a community found in the relative isolation of northeast Colorado from a military installation to a municipality, and create an understanding of the socio cultural phenomena that exists today. The central questions addressed are how and why the community of Fort Morgan sometimes responded so differently to apparently similar situations facing most western communities. Capitalizing on Colorado laws surrounding irrigation, industrial diversification, and aided by the railroad and interstate highway, Fort Morgan has continued to be insulated from the boom-and-bust cycles experienced by other frontier towns. When other towns have lost their identity and the very features that once gave them distinction and appeal, Fort Morgan maintains its historic character and quality of life. In a rapidly changing world adaptability personifies Fort Morgan, and one quickly realizes there's something extraordinary about this town.
