1895 Potato Day crowds in Lincoln Park.
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Greeley’s first “Potato Bake” was celebrated in October 1894, and the Greeley Tribune reported that nearly 10,000 people came from as far away as Laramie and Denver. Potato growing had become the leading industry of the district. W. R. McClellan, in his 1917 essay “The Story of the Greeley Potato”, recorded that J. Max Clark along with Henry Watson and W. H. McAllister began growing potatoes here in 1871, though not yet on a commercial basis. Other names and events help paint the picture of the potato’s early success.
The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 caused massive devastation requiring urgent donations of money, clothing and food from across the Nation. Eager to help fire victims, Rufus H. Clark, who grew potatoes north of Denver and is described as Colorado’s “Potato King”, began the local relief effort by driving a load of potatoes to a grocery store owned by the Salomon Brothers. Adolph Z. Salomon, with brothers Hyman and Fred, arrived in Colorado around 1860 and ran successful dry goods and grocery stores in downtown Greeley and Evans, as well as in Denver. When Clark’s load of potatoes reached the Salomons’ store, the brothers themselves added many more sacks of potatoes. “Potato King” Clark served as auctioneer and together they raised over $1000 for victims of the Great Chicago Fire.
According to Greeley pioneer W. R. McClellan, discovery of the commercial value of potato growing was something of a fluke. In 1876, Ed VonGohren of Greeley had 10-20 acres of his wheat crop blown out, and at A. Z. Salomon’s suggestion, he planted potatoes. The rest is a history of commercial success, market expansion, and growing recognition of Greeley potatoes as among the best in the country. The market grew for several years, ultimately being curbed by competition nationally from Idaho and locally from the sugar beet industry.
Train car containing Greeley Potatoes, circa 1931.
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Greeley potatoes played a part in disaster relief again, 50 years after the Great Chicago Fire. The Mirror reported on February 5, 1931 that the Colorado State Teachers College (now UNC) was the first in Colorado to make an organized contribution for the relief of flood and famine sufferers of the eastern and southern United States. The railroad car pictured here contained 4,000 pounds of local onions and 36,000 pounds of “the best potatoes that can be purchased from local farmers, and there is never any dispute about the quality of Greeley potatoes”. The whole college community was involved in this rapid response to need coordinated by Dr. O. M. Dickerson and the Red Cross.
The lowly white potato, once referred to as “King Spud”, no longer has the esteem it once did. If you are intrigued by the history of Greeley potatoes and want to see images of giant spuds, check out Weld on the Web!, an online database of 5,000+ historical images.
Originally published in the Greeley Tribune in 2020
By Lenore Harriman, former Archives Assistant for City of Greeley Museums