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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First Interview with William Lyman Chenoweth
William Chenoweth, a longtime geologist and area supervisor for the United States Atomic Energy Commission, talks about the history of radium, vanadium, and uranium mining in Colorado and the world, with a focus on Uravan, Colorado and the Western Slope. He details the history of mining efforts in Uravan, methods of extracting vanadium and uranium there, the role of both elements in the United States war effort during World War II, and the corporations and government organizations behind these efforts. He speaks about his long career in geology and the uranium field, beginning with his master’s project at the University of New Mexico, and including his employment by the US Government, and his eventual work as a consultant. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
First Interview with Winifred C. Bull
Winifred Bull discusses her education in Grand Junction’s schools, her career teaching Latin at Grand Junction High School, the medical career of her father, Dr. Heman R. Bull, the life of her uncle Edwin Price (founder of Grand Junction’s first newspaper), and the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918-19. 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. *Photograph from the 1943 Grand Junction High School yearbook.
First Interview with Wyatt M. Wood
Wyatt Wood describes his time as the manager of the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce and talks about the people he met there, including John Otto, who at one time was allowed to keep a desk in the Chamber office. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
First Lecture by Abbott Eastman Fay: Early Spanish influence in Colorado
Professor Abbott Fay speaks to a meeting of the Mesa County Historical Society about the Spanish influence in Colorado, the expedition of Escalante and Dominguez in 1776, and trapper Antoine Robidoux. This recording was provided by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
First Lecture by Al Look: Dinosaurs, Geology and Natural History of Mesa County, Colorado
Al Look speaks to an unidentified audience about dinosaurs, mammals, and the geology and natural history of the Mesa County, Colorado area. 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.
First interview with Emma (Hollett) Nicolay
Emma (Hollett) Nicolay discusses her parent's journey to Colorado by covered wagon, how she kept busy growing up on a homestead near Norwood, Colorado and her schooling to become a dietitian. She also talks about her work in US Army hospitals as a dietitian during World War ll, and her later work in hospitals in Denver and California. 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.
First interview with Raynel "Ray" Bernal
Ray Bernal talks about his early life in the Grand Valley and the wide variety of jobs that he held, including work as a "gandy dancer" on the railroad, mining, farming, thinning beets, janitorial work, and herding sheep. He also discusses a group breakfast he had with President Harry S. Truman, where Truman's daughter staged a musical performance. 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.
Folk Art: Fanfare for the Common Man, a Lecture by Steve Friesen
Steve Friesen, longtime director of the Buffalo Bill Museum in Golden, Colorado, speaks to an audience at the Museum of Western Colorado about American folk art. 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.
Fourteenth Interview with Al Look
Al Look talks about doing publicity for The Daily Sentinel and about organizing events, such as a local basketball tournament, for the newspaper. He also talks about his role in creating both the Soup Eaters, an organization that provided charity to local children, and the Grand Junction Cancer Society. He details his experience selling advertising for newspapers, and his techniques for selling advertising. He talks about his wife, Margaret (Langen) Look, about parenting techniques, and about his children, Al Jr., Ann and Jean Look. He reminisces about the California Zephyr. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
Fourth Interview with Al Look
Al Look details the murder of Maggie Herrick by Henry Herrick in 1883, committed shortly after the founding of Mesa County, 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.
Fourth Interview with Andrew E. Riddle
Andrew E. Riddle, an early Mesa County resident, discusses evidence of early Native American presence around the Paradox Valley area, including artifacts such as arrowheads, skeletons, and metates. Riddle also speaks about the early days of uranium mining, the impact of wild burros on public lands, and local people. 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.
Fourth Interview with Charles "Frank" Moore
Charles Moore discusses ranch life in Western Colorado and Eastern Utah, and the ranchers and cowboys who populated the area in the early Twentieth century. 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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