By Steve Plutt, Special to the Courier In celebration of Colorado’s 150th birthday and the United States’ 250th, local historian Steve Plutt and the Ute Pass Historical Society have written a series of stories to bring the area’s colorful history to life. The life of Julia Holmes was dynamic, full of adventures and daring escapades. And she never backed down from anything, especially when it meant fighting for justice. Her commitment to the Underground Railroad and her staunch support for women’s suffrage were issues she believed were worth standing up for. Julia also served as the secretary of the National Women’s Suffrage Association. Holmes was born in Nova Scotia on Feb. 15, 1838, the second of eight children in a large abolitionist family. The family’s decision to join the Anti-Slavery movement led them to settle in Lawrence, Kansas in 1854, a city that was a hotbed of anti-slavery sentiment at the time.…