Ovid, originally called "Morgan," began as a water stop on the Denver Line of the Union Pacific Railroad, and a 1907 document approved a post office for the town under its new name. Jumbo Reservoir's 1906 completion created a controllable water supply so crops could flourish in the area's fertile soil, with sugar beets as one of the primary cash crops. Sugar beet production slowed when the Ovid sugar factory ceased operations in 1985, but the valley still produces beans, wheat, corn, sunflowers, and feed for livestock. Seven miles west of Ovid on Highway 138, Sedgwick's Main Street offers an excellent view of early 1900's architecture. Six miles west of Sedgwick, the 1500-acre Jumbo Reservoir irrigates over 19,000 acres of farmland and provides opportunities for camping, fishing, boating, and water skiing, while bald eagles and other wildlife make their homes around the lake.