▁major ▁water ing ▁stop ▁for ▁the ▁rail road ▁( a ▁ 6 0 - room , ▁$ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁" c rown ▁j ew el " ▁hotel ▁was ▁initially ▁built ▁there ), ▁but ▁the ▁water ▁was ▁too ▁al kal ine ▁to ▁use ▁and ▁the ▁trains ▁instead ▁stopped ▁in ▁Kansas ▁to ▁tank ▁up . ▁The ▁hotel ▁was ▁soon ▁torn ▁down , ▁its ▁materials ▁sh ipped ▁to ▁other ▁Colorado ▁locations ▁to ▁use ▁in ▁construct ing ▁other ▁facilities ▁— ▁a ▁common ▁occurrence ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁Colorado , ▁as ▁bo om ▁towns ▁went ▁b ust . ▁ ▁Ki owa ▁County ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 9 , ▁taking ▁its ▁name ▁from ▁the ▁Ki owa ▁Indians ▁who ▁lived ▁in ▁eastern ▁Colorado ▁before ▁the ▁Europe ans ▁arrived . ▁Sher idan ▁Lake ▁was ▁the ▁county ▁seat ▁of ▁Ki owa ▁County , ▁and ▁was ▁not ▁at ▁first ▁a ▁stop ▁on ▁the ▁rail road ▁line ; ▁only ▁after ▁local ▁citizens ▁built ▁a ▁rail road ▁dep ot ▁and ▁turned ▁it ▁over ▁to ▁the ▁Missouri ▁Pacific ▁did ▁the ▁rail road ▁build ▁a ▁te legraph ▁station ▁and ▁make ▁Sher idan ▁Lake ▁a ▁stop . ▁The ▁county ▁seat ▁moved ▁to ▁rival ▁E ads ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 2 . ▁ ▁Ki owa ▁County ▁today ▁Agricult ure ▁in ▁eastern ▁Colorado ▁col lapsed ▁in ▁the ▁dust ▁bow l ▁days ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ; ▁today ▁mostly ▁dry - land ▁far ms ▁and ▁some ▁ran ch ing ▁interests ▁surv ive . ▁Colorado ' s