Ault, Colorado
Ault is a statutory town located in Weld County, in the state of Colorado, United States. With a population of 1,887 recorded at the 2020 United States census, Ault is a small but historically rooted agricultural community situated on the northeastern plains of Colorado. The town's origins stretch back to the late nineteenth century, when it served as a waypoint along developing rail lines and grew to become an incorporated municipality with its own civic identity, postal service, and local institutions. Today, Ault remains a functioning small town with ties to Colorado's ranching and agricultural heritage.
History
Early Settlement and Naming
The land that would become Ault was not always known by its current name. In its earliest days, the settlement was referred to as High Land, a name that reflected the elevated, open terrain of northeastern Colorado's plains. The community subsequently became known as Burgdorff Siding, a designation tied to the railroad infrastructure that was fundamental to frontier-era development across the region.[1]
The town was renamed Ault in 1897 in honor of Alexander Ault, described as a local hero at the time of the renaming.[2] Historical records indicate that Alexander Ault was a resident of Fort Collins, Colorado, and was the owner of a flour mill, a business enterprise that would have been essential to agricultural communities dependent on grain production in the region.[3]
Postal History
The establishment of a post office is often considered a defining milestone in the development of frontier American towns, signaling a community's recognition by federal authorities and its capacity to sustain ongoing settlement. The Ault, Colorado post office opened on March 29, 1898, roughly a year after the town received its current name.[4] The establishment of postal services facilitated communication between Ault's residents and the wider world, supporting growth in commerce, agriculture, and community organization.
Agricultural and Ranching Heritage
Ault's development took place within the broader context of Colorado's agricultural economy, which depended heavily on livestock raising and crop cultivation across the expansive plains of Weld County. The region surrounding Ault has long been associated with cattle ranching, a tradition that has continued into the modern era. Reports from the early twenty-first century highlight that Ault and the surrounding areas of the western United States have experienced periodic issues with cattle rustling, an old frontier crime that saw resurgence in more recent decades.[5] Livestock officials in western states, including Colorado, have documented cases of cattle theft that reflect the ongoing economic importance of ranching to communities like Ault, where the loss of even a small number of animals can have significant financial consequences for local ranchers.
Geography and Location
Ault is situated in Weld County, one of Colorado's largest counties by area and among its most productive agricultural counties. The town lies on the northeastern Colorado plains, a landscape defined by broad, relatively flat terrain well suited to both livestock grazing and dryland farming. Weld County as a whole is notable within Colorado for the scale of its agricultural output, and smaller towns like Ault have historically contributed to this broader regional economy.
The surrounding landscape is characteristic of the High Plains region, with open skies and horizons that stretch across the grassland and cultivated fields that dominate the countryside around the town. The proximity to larger population centers such as Fort Collins and Greeley has allowed Ault to maintain connections to regional commerce and services while retaining its character as a small rural community.
Demographics
According to the 2020 United States census, Ault had a population of 1,887 residents. This figure represents a positive change from prior census counts, reflecting modest growth consistent with broader demographic trends in northeastern Colorado communities that lie within commuting distance of larger regional centers. Despite its small size, Ault functions as a genuine municipality with local governance, municipal services, and civic institutions that serve its population and surrounding rural areas.
Government and Civic Life
Ault operates as a statutory town under Colorado law, meaning it is incorporated and governed according to the statutes established by the state of Colorado for municipalities of its type. The Town of Ault maintains an official government presence and provides municipal services to its residents.[6] Like many small Colorado towns, Ault's local government manages basic infrastructure including roads, utilities, and community facilities while engaging with county and state authorities on broader regional matters.
Education
Ault is served by local educational institutions that are part of the broader public school system in Weld County. One notable institution associated with the community is Highland High School, which serves students from Ault and the surrounding area. The school maintains a community remembrance program through which alumni and community members can honor those who have passed, reflecting the close-knit nature of a small town where school connections often define lasting community bonds.[7]
Notable Events and Media Coverage
Landfill Search Investigation
Ault gained brief national media attention in connection with a law enforcement investigation in which investigators, working with a sanitation company, determined that trash from a specific container was transported to a landfill located in Ault, Colorado.[8] Authorities subsequently organized a search of the landfill site, an operation described as covering an area approximately 25 yards wide and 100 yards long, where trash material was reported to be about 15 feet deep. Investigators noted that the search could take several weeks to complete given the scope of the site.[9]
The incident, which originated in Wyoming and involved a case in which police identified a baby believed to have been buried and charged a suspect, drew investigators to Ault as part of their effort to trace the movement of relevant materials through the waste management system. The involvement of the Ault landfill in such a significant investigation briefly brought the small town into the scope of national news coverage. The case illustrated how the infrastructure of small towns, including waste management facilities, can become central to complex law enforcement matters that originate far from their borders.
Cattle Rustling Coverage
In November 2011, Ault appeared in national reporting produced by Reuters related to the broader phenomenon of cattle rustling across western states. Livestock officials from multiple western states documented what they described as a resurgence in cattle theft, and Ault was included in photographic coverage of the issue as an example of a community embedded in Colorado's ranching landscape.[10] The attention given to livestock crime in communities like Ault underscores the continued centrality of cattle ranching to the local and regional economy of northeastern Colorado.
Community Resources
Obituaries and Memorial Services
Like many small Colorado communities, Ault has established resources for commemorating the lives of its residents. Obituary records for Ault, Colorado, are maintained and made accessible through regional publication networks, allowing community members to stay informed about the passing of neighbors, friends, and family members.[11] The existence of dedicated obituary listings for a town of Ault's size reflects the importance placed on community memory and mutual recognition in small rural municipalities throughout Colorado.
The Highland High School community also maintains a separate memorial listing through which former students and community members can be remembered, demonstrating how local schools serve as lasting institutional anchors for community identity long after graduation.[12]
Summary
Ault, Colorado is a statutory town with roots in the late nineteenth-century settlement of northeastern Colorado's agricultural plains. Named in 1897 after Alexander Ault, a Fort Collins flour mill owner, the town developed from an unnamed rail siding into a functioning incorporated community with its own postal service, local government, schools, and civic institutions. With a population of 1,887 as of the 2020 census, Ault remains a small community shaped by its surroundings in Weld County and by the agricultural and ranching traditions that continue to define the region. Though modest in size, Ault has periodically come to the attention of state and national media in connection with issues as varied as livestock crime and major law enforcement investigations, demonstrating that even small towns occupy meaningful roles within larger state and national narratives.