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John Collier explains his childhood growing up as a homesteader in Pinon Mesa and the Glade Park area, and living in a tent until a cabin could be built. He talks about how his father made money in real estate, farming hay, selling horses, selling lumber for corrals, raising sheep and cattle, and skating on the frozen Redlands Canal. He mentions important landmarks and buildings in and around Grand Junction, Colorado. The interview was conducted by...

Frosty Tilton describes his career as a banker in Palisade and Grand Junction, Colorado. He talks about bank closures and runs on banks during the Great Depression, the economic impact of the peach industry, and the history of local fruit grower cooperatives. 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. *Photo...

In a lecture sponsored by Mesa County Libraries, Professor Don MacKendrick talks about the cultural history of the Grand Valley, framing that history in the context of the broader American settlement of the West. He reports on the rowdiness on Colorado Avenue that accompanied Grand Junction’s founding, followed by the quick establishment of social norms and cultural organizations. He describes Grand Junction’s early theaters and performance spaces,...

Emma McCreanor and David Leach speak about the history of the Civilian Conservation Corps in Mesa County, Colorado, part of the third annual Al Look Series of lectures at the Museum of the West in 1983. Leach gives particular attention to the CCC camps on the Colorado National Monument and describes the road-building disaster in which several men died. This recording is made available via signed release by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration...

John Goulet remembers a piano concerto that he played with the Grand Junction High School woodwind orchestra in 1958. He describes his recitation of the Cremation of Sam McGee at the Daily Sentinel party in 1959. He talks about night life in Grand Junction in the 1950’s. He recalls attending a concert of the Paganini Quartet at Mesa College, and meeting John F. Kennedy at Café Caravan during his campaign for president. He remembers his friend Boots...

Bill Rump talks about his father Charlie Rump and his roll in developing the Redlands in Mesa County, Colorado as a member of the Redlands Company and the Redlands Water and Power Company. He recounts the efforts of those companies in creating orchards and other agricultural enterprises on the Redlands. He speaks about the Redlands School, roads, sports, youth activities, and other aspects of life on the Redlands and in Grand Junction. He remembers...

Ethel Keleher talks about growing up in Kansas, moving to a ranch near Trinidad when she was nineteen, and her family. She remembers her husband, children, and how cancer affected their lives. She speaks about living on a homestead in Fowler, where they raised poultry, and sold eggs and milk. She recalls arriving in Mesa County in 1923, shopping and riding the streetcar in Grand Junction, and businesses in Fruita. She speaks about working with fruit...

Arline Cantril talks about her childhood in Salida, Colorado. She speaks about her marriage to James Cantril, their subsequent move to Leadville, where her husband worked in the Climax Mine, and mining life. She remembers her move to the Starr District of Mesa County, near Loma, after her husband’s bout with pneumonia in the 1930’s, and describes their farm. She recalls returning to Lake County and mining life after the Federal Government mandated...

Dick Woodfin talks about his early life growing up on farms in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Cheyenne Wells, Colorado. He speaks about his schooling in animal husbandry at Colorado State University and his brief career as a vocational agriculture teacher in Nebraska. He remembers his career as a county agricultural extension agent in Crowley County, Kit Carson County, and Mesa County, Colorado. He recalls the different government and agricultural organizations...