During the mid to late 1800s, the Trappers’ Trail was located north of Forts Lupton, St. Vrain, and Vasquez but south of Fort Laramie. In addition to trappers, other groups utilized the trail such as miners, settlers, and soldiers. Settlers utilized the adjacent grasslands for farming and ranching. By 1870, there were enough people in the area to attract the Water Supply and Storage Company who provided a critical water supply via ditch system to potato and sugar beet farmers.
Shortly thereafter, Union Pacific Railroad developed a line north to Wyoming in the present location of Ault. In 1893, Alexander M. Ault, a grain buyer and distributor, created a business along the rail line to buy and ship wheat and cattle. The community evolved into a crossroads for rural farms and ranches and became an economic center for the shipping, selling, and distribution of agricultural products.
Liberty Park, located right off of the main street in Town, displays a statue of our own Congressional Medal of Honor and Purple Heart winner Pfc. Joe P. Martinez, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on Attu, Aleutian Islands on May 26, 1943.
Today, Ault remains an important crossroads for transporting goods and services but is no longer heavily reliant on agriculture alone. Instead, the town has developed a variety of businesses and services such as banking, insurance, retail, and the Highland School District headquarters amongst many others. The community has also transformed into a bedroom community for residents working in Cheyenne, Fort Collins and Greeley, all of which are less than 45 minutes from town. Future regional growth will impact many facets of the community and present residents with the challenge of addressing the impacts of growth while preserving the unique attributes that make Ault special.
Ault residents, business owners, staff and officials came together to develop a comprehensive plan that can help guide important land use decisions and evaluate development proposals in the face of potential change in the future. The plan represents the voices and hopes of the populous and those that have a vested interest in Ault’s future.