The spirit that has presided over her destines has been that of the pioneer; the creative, formative forces have been the same as those which won the west from the wilderness and within the last two decades the county has been pioneering in the establishment of its irrigation and last phase of development.

GARDEN COUNTY

EARLY HISTORY

This locality was a favorite hunting ground of the American Indians. In the north, the scores of beautiful lakes; in the center, Blue creek, with its miles of willow fringed meadows, and a little farther south the broad North Platte river with its cedar covered bluffs and canyons, furnished ideal places for camp, hunt or battle ground.

Indian relics are still easily found ; beads, stone axes and arrow heads being most abundant.

One of the Indians' best buffalo traps was a bluff near the river about five miles west of

Christ Lake

Ash Hollow. On top of this bluff, is about thirty acres of level pasture land. On the southeast side, there is an easy, gradual slope to the top. This possible way of approach, however, comprises not more than one tenth of the circumference of the hill. At all other places, no man or animal can ascend or descend. Any time the Indians could scare a few buffalo onto this hill, they could prevent them from taking the back track and there was no place for them to go except to try a jump and light upon the rocks fifty to one hundred and fifty feet helow.