Mesa County (Colo.) -- History
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In a meeting of the Mesa County Oral History Project in January 1979, John Brumgardt, Mike Menard, and Wayne Randolph of the Museums of Western Colorado discuss the value of oral history as a historical resource, and the collections of the Museums of Western Colorado. This recording is made available via signed release by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries, the Museums of Western Colorado and the Mesa County...
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Craig Aupperle talks about Grand Junction, Colorado’s first cemeteries, funeral houses, and mortuaries. He also gives an account of pioneer funeral rites and ceremonies, including burials led by horse-drawn buggies. He then discusses the locations of early roads, including the Rhone Creek Toll Road from Mesa County to Glenwood Springs, and the Hogback Road to Plateau Valley. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a...
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Charles “Frank” Moore discusses his career as a cowboy in Mesa County, Colorado and Eastern Utah. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
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Lester Starr talks about going to swim in the Colorado River without adult supervision at five years old, about frequent fist fights with a fellow student on the way to school, and about other aspects of his early childhood near Fruita, Colorado. He also discusses raising apples for cider, about the role the Interurban played as transportation for both produce and people in the Grand Valley, and about the warming of winters over the course of his...
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Louis Pavetti and Virgil Van Dyke talk about the origins of the Mesa County Sheriff Posse, its mission, and about search and rescue missions in which they assisted local authorities. They also talk about the Posse’s rodeo riding and roping programs for youth, “cowboy polo”, the Colorado Stampede (a professional rodeo put on by the Posse), and about trail riding and wild horses. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project,...
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Voice Recording
Daily Sentinel writer William “Bill” Nelson talks about the history of the Grand Valley irrigation system during the early days of Mesa County. Nelson describes how water projects were developed, how water is doled out to people in the area, and specific water rights. He also discusses his family life, community activism, his father’s failing businesses during the Great Depression, and experiencing surgery on his retina. The interview was conducted...
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Lucille Mahannah talks about her service as the first female caseworker in the U.S. Army. She also touches on her husband’s military service during World War I, on managing the Hunter Coal Mine for her father, and her time as the Public Welfare Director for the Civilian Conservation Corps. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries, the Museums of Western Colorado and the Mesa County...
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Voice Recording
Armand de Beque, son of De Beque, Colorado founder Wallace A.E. de Beque, talks about the history of the oil shale industry in Western Colorado. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries, the Museums of Western Colorado and the Mesa County Historical Society.
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Grace Kistler talks about her childhood in rural Missouri and Pueblo, Colorado. She also describes life in De Beque, Colorado in the 1920’s and 30’s, and her husband’s role in the construction of the road through De Beque Canyon. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries, the Museums of Western Colorado and the Mesa County Historical Society.
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Voice Recording
Arthur Tufly talks about his school years in Appleton, Colorado, his life as a farmer, and the sugar beet industry. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries, the Museums of Western Colorado and the Mesa County Historical Society.
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Voice Recording
Elda Craig and her daughter Alice Devine talk about their lives in the Gateway, Colorado area, and about the history of the area. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries, the Museums of Western Colorado and the Mesa County Historical Society.
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Voice Recording
Shannon Robinson talks about attending grade school in Gunnison, Colorado, where she was largely shunned or bullied by white students as the first African-American student to attend her elementary school. She speaks about living in Aurora, Colorado, where she made friends with other Black children, but also experienced bullying from children of all ethnic backgrounds because of her mixed race. She discusses getting to know other members of her African...
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Paul and Wanda Breckler talk about the annual tours of Colorado that they conducted for teachers for many years during the 1970’s and 80’s. They speak in depth about their tour of the Colorado National Monument and working with local historian Al Look. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
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Gertrude Rader talks about the profession and lives of teachers, who were primarily women, in Western Colorado during the early Twentieth century. She discusses how, in small communities, women were expected to be much more than teachers including: Doctors’ assistants in a pinch, de facto members of the families that they boarded with in cases of illness or maternity, and moral pillars of the community. She includes many anecdotes from her own teaching...
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Frank Chiaro describes his life as the child of Italian immigrants, farm life in the Pomona area of Mesa County, Colorado, and his various jobs, including his work as a boilermaker for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. He also talks about the second incarnation of his railroading career as a clerk, about mail cars and mail clerks, about the Durham Stockyards and the many livestock trains departing Grand Junction, and about water towers for steam...
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Kenneth James Baird lectures about Daily Sentinel publisher Walter Walker’s career through the 1930’s, when he was most active in promoting community development. The lecture, on May 4, 1981, was sponsored by the Mesa County Historical Society. This recording is made available via signed release by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
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Voice Recording
Walt Simineo talks about growing up on a ranch in Whitewater, Colorado, his father’s homestead there, and describes the town in the early Twentieth century. He speaks about working as a coal miner in Whitewater and about mining operations there. He discusses the evolution of soil amendments used in farming and the changes in area ranching practices. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County...
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Carl Dewey talks about his years working for the C.D. Smith Drug Company, the most prominent drugstore and wholesale druggist in Grand Junction, Colorado and throughout Mesa County for much of the Twentieth century. He speaks about the drug business and the company’s role in liquor sales both before and after Prohibition. He discusses the company’s shift from a retail organization to a retail/wholesale organization, and their laboratory work on...
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Wyatt Wood and Al Look discuss their involvement in the construction of Rim Rock Drive on the Colorado National Monument, early scenic photography of Mesa County, early Mesa County bands and parades, and Wood’s time spent working for the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries, the Museums of Western Colorado, and the Mesa County Historical...
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Voice Recording
In a speech to the Mesa County Historical Society, David Sundal discusses the buildings, houses and architecture of Grand Junction and Mesa County, Colorado. This recording is made available via signed release by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries, the Museums of Western Colorado and the Mesa County Historical Society
