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B+History
History · Julesburg

Julesburg dates to 1858, and 25% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 72% of U.S. towns. What drives it

Its Register listings are the Union Pacific Railroad Julesburg Depot, the Sedgwick County Courthouse and the Gibello's Caves. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1893 on, and the census since 1890.

1858founded
3on the National Register
25%homes built before 1940
3old photos & papers
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Julesburg’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Julesburg began

When was Julesburg founded?

1858

Julesburg dates its founding to 1858 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1890.

First census: 202 in 18902020 census: 1,307168 years

How historic is Julesburg?

B+

More historic than 72% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1864.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Julesburg’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Julesburg is more historic than 72% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Julesburg’s overall grade.
Founding era1858, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194025.0% of homes (±5.7) · typical CO town 2.5% · U.S. 8.4%A−National Register3 listings, 25.4 per 10,000 residents · typical CO town 1.1 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 72%
NewerOlder

Few Colorado towns list much on the Register (a typical Colorado town has 1.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Julesburg’s 25.4 sits above most of its state (81% of Colorado towns have fewer) while its 3 listings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1858.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.7 points).

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Julesburg’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 3 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 1,951 in 1950; 1,307 people lived here in 2020.Mapped building by building5 fire insurance maps, 1893 to 1921, drew every building in Julesburg.Old housesHalf of Julesburg’s homes were built before 1958.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Julesburg’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Julesburg’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewPass issued to Col. Livingston, 1st Reg…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Julesburg, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 1,951

Peaked at 1,951 in 1950; 1,307 people lived here in 2020.

14 censuses, 1890–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Julesburg’s Wikipedia page.

Every building

Julesburg, building by building, 1893–1921

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Julesburg fire insurance map, 1893, sheet 11893Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

The story

How Julesburg came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Julesburg.

Read it all →

The original trading post was named for Jules Beni. Julesburg was on the Pony Express (1860–1861) route from Missouri to California.

In 1858, Joseph A. "Jack" Slade, a superintendent for the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company, was tracking down horse thieves, including Jules Beni. Slade caught up with him at Julesburg, but Beni shot him five times. Thinking that Slade was dead, several angry townsfolk chased Beni out of Julesburg. When they returned, they found Slade struggling to his feet, having miraculously survived.

ChaptersJack SladeBattle of JulesburgUnion Pacific

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Julesburg, 1858 to 1992

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1858
    FoundingJulesburg is established
  3. 1864In the archivePass issued to Col. Livingston, 1st Regt., Neb. Vol. Cav., between Julesburg and Thompson…
  4. 1864Post officeThe Julesburgh post office opens
  5. 1885Post officeThe Julesburgh post office closes
  6. 1886Post officeThe Julesburg post office opens
  7. 20th century
  8. 1923Born hereFred Dutton is born here
  9. 1943In the archiveColorado - Golden through Paoli
  10. 1944Born hereJames Pappas is born here
  11. 1950CensusPopulation peaks at 1,951
  12. 1953On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  13. 1992In the archiveSedgwick County Courthouse
By decade

Julesburg, decade by decade

3 decades in the archive, from the 1860s to the 1990s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1860s1 item
Pass issued to Col. Livingston, 1st Regt., Neb. Vol. Cav., between Julesburg and Thompson's Station (NBY 15568)1864Pass issued to Col. Livingston, 1st Regt., Neb. Vol. …
1940s1 item
Colorado - Golden through Paoli1943Colorado - Golden through Paoli
1950s–1980snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
1990s1 item
Sedgwick County Courthouse1992Sedgwick County Courthouse
Today9 recent
This looks much like a movie-theater marquee, but this sign in little Julesburg, Colorado, on the Nebraska border, is a…2014This looks much like a movie-theater marquee, but thi…The 1919-vintage Hippodrome Arts Centre, originally a movie theater and now used for community events as well in little2014The 1919-vintage Hippodrome Arts Centre, originally a…A welcome sign of sorts in dowtown Julesburg, Colorado, in the very northeastern corner of the state, near the Nebraska…2014A welcome sign of sorts in dowtown Julesburg, Colorad…A rare movie theater and marquee in dowtown Julesburg, Colorado, that doesn't mention the establishment's name2014A rare movie theater and marquee in dowtown Julesburg…Julesburg area P60605722012Julesburg area P6060572Julesburg P60605742012Julesburg P6060574Julesburg P60605732012Julesburg P6060573South entrance to2010South entrance toCOMap-doton-Julesburg2005COMap-doton-Julesburg
On the map

Julesburg on the map, 1953 to 1984

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Julesburg. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Julesburg on the 1953 USGS mapJulesburg on the 1971 USGS mapJulesburg on the 1984 USGS map1953Julesburg sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Julesburg.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Pass issued to Col. Livingston, 1st Regt., Neb. Vol. Cav., between Julesburg and Thompson's Station (NBY 15568)
Retake this viewPass issued to Col. Livingston, 1st Regt., Neb. Vol. Cav., between Julesburg and Thompson's Station (NBY 15568), 1864

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Julesburg’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

3 historic places in Julesburg

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
3
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
3
each building in a district counts
first listed
2004
Union Pacific Railroad Julesburg Depot
Union Pacific Railroad Julesburg DepotSedgwick County Courthouse
BuildingsSites

Architectural styles listings

Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements1
WPA Art Deco1
Union Pacific Railroad Julesburg DepotLate 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements
Sedgwick County CourthouseWPA Art Deco
All 3 listings
Gibello's CavesSite · listed 2025

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Julesburg

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Fred DuttonRecipient of the Purple Heart medal · b. 1923
J
James PappasAmerican politician · b. 1944
Places that used to be

Lost post offices

Julesburg’s post office has been open since 1886. Another post office, Julesburgh, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Julesburgh
1864–1885
Julesburg
1886–today
18601940today

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Julesburg’s history

What year was Julesburg founded?

In 1858, according to Wikidata. Julesburg’s post office opened in 1864, and the census of 1890 counted 202 people here.

How does Julesburg rank for history?

Julesburg is more historic than 72% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Julesburg?

Three places: the Union Pacific Railroad Julesburg Depot (listed 2004), the Sedgwick County Courthouse (2007) and the Gibello's Caves (2025).

How old are the homes in Julesburg?

25% of Julesburg’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.7 points), against a typical 2.5% for a Colorado town; the median home was built in 1958.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (12), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.