Mesa County Oral History Project

The Mesa County Oral History Project began as a joint project of the Museums of Western Colorado and Mesa County Libraries (MCL) in 1975. The Oral History Project collected tape-recorded interviews with pioneers of Mesa County and surrounding areas, and interviews with the children of pioneers. The Central Library housed the duplicate audio cassettes and provided patron access to the histories. The Museum stored the master tapes and kept files and transcripts related to the oral history collection. The Mesa County Historical Society also contributed significantly to the Oral History Project by collaborating with the library and museum to select interviewees, and by providing interviewers and other volunteers. Mesa County Libraries no longer partner with the Museum in housing duplicate copies of tapes. But the library now works with the Museum to digitize interviews from the Mesa County Oral History Project and to provide online access to the interviews through Pika, the library catalog. The Museum continues to house the original audio cassettes, interview transcripts, and other source material for the project. The Library and the Museums of Western Colorado still record oral histories with residents who have important knowledge of the area’s history. Please note that some interviews contain language that listeners or readers may consider offensive. Mesa County Libraries does not condone such language, but has included interviews in their entirety in the interest of preserving history.

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"Early Development of Law Enforcement in Mesa County", Mesa County Historical Society Newsletter
In the May-June 2023 newsletter of the Mesa County Historical Society, Ruth G. Moss discusses early sheriffs in Mesa County and early marshals in Grand Junction. She talks about jail breaks, cattle rustling, shootings on the range, prostitution, vice, and the murder of popular gambling parlor owner J.W. “Big Kid” Eames.
"Local Scene" Radio Show with Al Look, Raymond Taylor and Samuel Taylor: Western Colorado's Uranium Boom
Al Look appears on a radio show called the Local Scene with the Taylor brothers (possibly on KREX), discussing the Western Slope’s uranium boom of the 1950’s. 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.
"Local Scene" Radio Show with Al Look: Geology, Archaeology and History of Mesa County, Colorado
A series of radio interviews on a show called the Local Scene (on an unidentified radio network, possibly KREX) with Grand Junction newspaper columnist, amateur historian, geologist and paleontologist Al Look. Look discusses the geology and archaeology of Mesa County, the geologic history of the Colorado National Monument, and local personalities Harold Bryant and John Otto. These broadcasts are made available via signed release by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
"The Story of Luisa Durante Landini": Mesa County Historical Society Newsletter
In the May-June 1984 newsletter of the Mesa County Historical Society, George Woolsey Jr. writes about the life of Italian immigrant and Mesa County resident Luisa (Durante) Landini.
1980 Meeting of the Last Squad Club
During 1980’s annual meeting of the Last Squad Club, an organization of World War I veterans, Al Look reads the memorial service and former U.S. Representative Wayne Aspinall gives the keynote address. The club remembers deceased members and friends of the club. 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.
1981 Meeting of the Last Squad Club
The thirty-one surviving members of The Last Squad Club, a group of World War I veterans established in 1937, meets in 1981. Different members, including Al Look and Glenn Berry, are recorded speaking. 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. 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.
1983 Meeting of the Last Squad Club
During the 1983 meeting of the Last Squad Club, a group of World War I veterans that began meeting in Grand Junction, Colorado in the 1930’s, member Al Look reads a eulogy for those veterans who have passed. 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.
1983 Mesa County Commission Centennial Celebration
County commissioner Maxine Albers serves as spokeswoman during a Mesa County centennial celebration, in which surviving former Mesa County Commissioners from the previous 100 years were honored by the present commission in 1983. 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. *The recording suffers from poor audio in places
50th Anniversary Salute to the Civilian Conservation Corps: Lecture by Emma McCreanor and David Leach
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 of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
80 Years of Progress: C.D. Smith Drug Company brochure
A brochure for the former C.D. Smith Drug Company of Grand Junction and Mesa County, Colorado. The brochure was given to attendees of the C.D. Smith Company 80/80 Gift Show in 1980 and contains additional documents: A welcome letter to attendees, a list of restaurants in Grand Junction, and a Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce map of Grand Junction. The brochure itself contains photographs of the company's original Main and Fifth Streets location, its later Fifth Street and Ute Avenue location (now the location of the Museum of the West), photographs of staff, a map showing the range of the C.D. Smith drugstore chain by 1980, and photographs of C.D. Smith and his sons.
A Brief History of the Ray Quan Family and the Far East Restaurant
A history of the Ray Quan, the Quan family, and the Far East Restaurant. The Far East was an important community destination and meeting place in Grand Junction, Colorado from 1955 to 2006. George A. Woolsey Jr. delivered a lecture on this topic on January 31, 1984, and the date at the bottom of the document would seem to indicate that these are his lecture notes.
A History of the Faquawah Organization of Grand Junction, Colorado
Al Look describes the history of Faquawah, a group of Mesa County, Colorado businessmen who enjoyed camping and carousing in Southeastern Utah. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado. *A recording of the Faquawah meeting itself was not put online, but can be requested at the Museums of Western Colorado.

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