Organizations

: United Fruit Growers Association (Mesa County, Colorado); An organization of fruit growers founded around 1920 by George W. Bowman, a Palisade resident and inventor of the Bowman picking sack. H.C. Huber, the Palisade postmaster, Albert Phillips, and Arthur Merle Echternach (secretary/treasurer) were also charter members. It was a strictly grower-run organization formed as an alternative to the Grand Junction Fruit Growers Association, which was a stock-based company and not a true cooperative. Beginning in 1937, Fred Powell managed the organization after coming from the Paonia Fruit Growers Association. According to peach grower and Palisade resident Marion Echternach, the United belonged to a larger cooperative called the Federated. This arrangement was profitable to the farmers, but the Federated went under. The United then contracted with the Blue Goose, a different fruit sales outfit. The farmers did not do well and so the United hired its own salesperson, a practice they maintained at least until 1982. Although the heyday of fruit growing in Palisade ended before 1970, by 1981 the UFGA marketed, packed, and shipped fruit produced by up to 60 growers in Palisade. Crops included, peaches, cherries, and apricots. They maintained a station in Clifton, which had been originally established by Mountain Lion Fruit, until 1979 when it was no longer profitable.

: United Sand and Gravel Company (Colorado); A company founded by George Tilton, William Arcieri, Ollie Hyashi, and Loyd Files in the late 1950s. The company expanded to include United Redi-Mix and United Paving. It is still an active company in Mesa County and on the Western Slope, with its local office located at 2273 River Road. The company now seems to be headquartered in Ogden, Utah.

: United States Bank of Grand Junction; A bank in the town of Grand Junction, Colorado. According to William McHurg Ela, whose father and grandfather Wendell Dennett Ela and Wendell Phillips Ela worked for the bank for many years in the early Twentieth century (as vice president and president, respectfully), the bank was founded by Orson Adams. E.D. Blodgett took over as the owner of the bank of Grand Junction after Orson Adams was arrested for embezzlement. A.A. Milne was also an employee of the bank during that time. Al Look describes him as “tighter than the bark on a tree… to get a nickel out of him you had to squeeze tight.” The bank was presided over by Elbert L. Bacon for many years in the mid-Twentieth century.

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