His canals, perhaps more than any other single factor, led to the initial success and sustained growth of the community.  Dr. Ella Avery Mead, the first female doctor in the Greeley area, practiced from 1905 into the 1940s.  She dedicated her professional life to the improvement of children’s and women’s health.  As the City Health Officer for Greeley she enforced quarantine laws, instituted milk inspections, and implemented a health screening system in the area’s public schools.