The Great Depression
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Josephine “Jo” Ferguson describes her life as a teacher in Rifle, Colorado, Las Vegas, Nevada, and at Central High School in Mesa County. She talks about running a dairy and cattle ranches with her husband in Garfield County in the 1920’s and 30’s. She speaks about the boarding school in Louisiana that she attended as a child, and about experiencing the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic in Louisiana. Josephine describes social activities she enjoyed,...
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Compound
Thelma Moore talks about her youth on a fruit farm in Pear Park, life in early Grand Junction, her involvement in 4-H clubs, the Locust Ranch fruit growing operation in Clifton, and the other members of the Kettle family to settle in that area. She discusses her career as a seamstress and work making drapes, county extension work with quilters, craft competitions at the Mesa County Fair, and chautauquas and variety shows. She also goes into her life...
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Voice Recording
Morgan Goss describes his days as a cowboy, including daily tasks on a ranch, driving cattle long distances and bull riding. He also talks about his dating and social life, Fruita’s Cowpuncher’s Reunion, riding the Interurban, and farming during the Depression Era. 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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Compound
Gilbert Baylis explains his relationship with former United States Senate appointee Walter Walker’s son, Preston, who was a close friend of his growing up. Baylis describes Preston Walker as a very popular fellow and a friendly rival to him. Baylis also discusses his own education in politics, and Walter and Preston’s family life and social activities. This recording is made available via signed release by the Mesa County Oral History Project,...
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Compound
Glenn McFall talks about his various jobs around Mesa County and about witnessing the unveiling of Christo’s Valley Curtain installation in Rifle Gap. He also discusses fishing and battling snow storms on the Grand Mesa, the deer population around Mesa County, his experiences during childhood growing up in Clifton, the old Midland Trail automobile route, drinking and making bootleg whiskey, Italian-Americans making bootleg wine, the Book Cliff Railway,...
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Voice Recording
Glenn McFall shares a range of anecdotes and stories about life on Colorado's Western Slope, from "lobo wolves" and fish fries, to cowboys and bootleggers, to morticians and doctors during the depression. 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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Compound
Darwin Burford discusses growing up in Whitewater, Colorado in the early Twentieth century, and going to school in Mesa County, Colorado. Darwin talks about the early narrow gauge railroad that serviced Mesa County, about the Barnum and Bailey Circus, daily childhood chores, playing cribbage as a family, and his argument with John Otto. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries,...
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Voice Recording
In an interview from May 14, 1981 (audio only, no transcript), Basil T. Knight talks about his youth in Michigan, meeting his wife’s family in Palisade, Colorado and ultimately moving there, operating a fruit farm, and becoming a lifelong teacher and school administrator. He explains the mechanisms that originally funded the many smaller school districts on the Western Slope, including taxes on railroads, and the reasons for the consolidation that...
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Voice Recording
Harry Peck was the grandson of Routt County pioneers Harry B. Peck and Emma Hall. Harry and his father, Ray Peck, both worked for the United States Forest Service in the Grand Mesa National Forest, and he describes their experiences there. He also talks about helping John Otto with trail-breaking on the Grand Mesa. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western...
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Compound
Andrew E. Riddle describes life in the Paradox Valley area of Montrose County, Colorado. He focuses on the violent history of the valley, and describes several murders that occurred there. In the second recording, Riddle talks about religion in Paradox, Colorado, including the building of the non-denominational Red Church in the 1940’s, which once had a shooting range in the basement. Riddle also touches on bootlegging days, burial procedures of...
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Article
Bill Lee talks about his experience working in Routt County mines, his memory of the Wadge Mine explosion, as well as his time in the U.S. Navy during World War II. His wife Lorene Lee talks about raising a family in a close knit mining community.
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Article
Pioneer Frances (May) Dorr Wheeler describes growing up and raising a family in rural Routt County. She also explains her philosophy of life. Included are three of her original poems.
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Voice Recording
In this interview Albert Hitchens describes the 1884 origins of the Hitchens family ranch and life as part of a ranching family. The Hitchens are the longest continuous ranching family in Routt County. The family operated the post office in Pool, Colorado and later in Milner, Colorado.
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Article
Elaine Gay describes her life growing up during the Depression in Routt County and her married life at the Green Creek Ranch in Pleasant Valley.
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Voice Recording
In this interview with Bill McKelvie, Troy Keller and Kent Fletcher, Roger Butler describes his experiences growing up in Routt County and the time he spent in the United States Army during World War II. He mentions how he went AWOL numerous times without getting caught and his participation in the campaign in Italy during World War II. Roger also talks about some of his hunting and fishing experiences in Routt County.
16) Roger Butler
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Article
Roger Butler describes his experiences growing up in Routt County and the time he spent in the United States Army during World War II. He mentions how he went AWOL numerous times without getting caught. Upon returning to Routt County after the war, Roger held jobs with the US Forest Service and the Routt County Assessor's Office. Roger's wife, Lucille, (a frequent accomplice in his AWOL escapades) talks about her teaching career in one room schools...
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Voice Recording
In this interview with Bill McKelvie and a Steamboat Springs high school student, Elaine Gay describes growing up in rural Routt County. She tells about trudging through deep snow to get to school and life on her family's ranch during the depression. When she became a ranch wife, she and her husband, Bob, worked hard to raise cattle and a family on their scenic ranch in Pleasant Valley.
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Compound
Dorothy Tindall talks about the early days of Whitewater, Colorado as a rail center for cattle and stock. She speaks about the administrative organization of schools prior to the consolidation of Mesa County School District 51, her development of Mesa County’s first school hot lunch program at the Star School, games kids played at recess, about her work educating the children of migrant laborers who lived in La Colonia, and her role in the development...
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Article
Wayne Whitecotton describes growing up on a Routt County ranch in the early 20th century. After leaving school at age 13, Wayne made a living as a rancher and coal miner supplementing his food supply by hunting and trapping. He served with General Patton in World War II.
Other contributors to this article include Shane Jacobs and Russell Snowden.
