, ▁on ▁its ▁way ▁to ▁P ue blo ▁and ▁Colorado ' s ▁rich ▁gold ▁fields ▁of ▁" P ikes ▁Pe ak ▁Or ▁B ust ". ▁ ▁The ▁county ▁seat ▁is ▁in ▁Ord way , ▁a ▁town ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 0 ▁that ▁quickly ▁became ▁the ▁economic ▁hub ▁of ▁the ▁area . ▁ ▁Other ▁towns ▁still ▁existing ▁along ▁the ▁Missouri ▁Pacific ▁Rail road ' s ▁route ▁are ▁Sug ar ▁City , ▁Crow ley , ▁and ▁Ol ney ▁Spr ings . ▁ ▁A ▁few ▁years ▁later , ▁developers ▁brought ▁a ▁canal ▁east ▁from ▁the ▁Ark ansas ▁River , ▁with ▁am bit ious ▁plans ▁to ▁ir rig ate ▁a ▁million ▁acres ▁( 4 0 0 0   km ² ) ▁in ▁Kansas ; ▁instead , ▁the ▁canal ▁p eter ed ▁out ▁in ▁Crow ley ▁County ▁but ▁did ▁ir rig ate ▁ ▁along ▁its ▁length . ▁ ▁This ▁turned ▁early ▁Crow ley ▁County ▁into ▁a ▁l ush ▁agricult ural ▁me cca ▁at ▁first . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁ ▁almost ▁all ▁the ▁water ▁rights ▁were ▁sold ▁from ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁called ▁the ▁T win ▁L akes ▁Canal ▁to ▁the ▁fast - g row ing ▁cities ▁of ▁Colorado ' s ▁Front ▁Range ▁cor rid or . ▁ ▁The ▁area ' s ▁economic ▁activity ▁has ▁shift ed ▁toward ▁ran ch ing . ▁ ▁Much ▁of ▁the ▁land ▁has ▁returned ▁to ▁its ▁original ▁sparse ▁pra irie ▁grass land ▁conditions . ▁ ▁The ▁Crow ley ▁School , ▁which ▁is ▁now ▁the ▁Crow ley ▁County