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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Interview with Charles A. Smelzer
Charles Smelzer talks about his work in a variety of jobs during his teens and twenties. He also discusses his arrival in Gunnison, Colorado and his work as a cowboy for a cattle ranch, including an incident in which he confronted members of the Ku Klux Klan who were trying to disrupt cattle operations and intimidate cowboys and ranchers. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
Interview with Charles Edward Thomas
Charles Thomas, an early resident of Garfield County, discusses the history of the area, including Thompson Creek, and early ranching and mining activity. 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.
Interview with Charles Elmer "Charlie" Benson and Leta Ruth (Funk) Benson
Ruth and Charlie Benson talk about running a hunting camp near Parachute, Colorado for several years and tell stories about foolish hunters. They remember songs they sang and games they played as children. Charlie talks about irrigation and building fences. Charlie speaks about his youth on a dairy farm in Parachute and on a nearby homestead. He recalls helping to build the Granlee Trail in the 1960’s. Ruth recalls the Granlee School, where she taught from 1927 to 1929. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado. *Photograph courtesy of Garfield County, Colorado COGenWeb
Interview with Charles James Huffaker
Charles Huffaker talks about enlisting in the US Navy as a teenager from Jal, New Mexico, about his basic training in San Diego in 1941, and about serving on the Tennessee, a battleship stationed in Pearl Harbor. He describes attending signal school in San Diego to become a signalman. He discusses the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, manning a gun aboard the Tennessee during the attack, the sinking of battleships around them, and the burning of the Tennessee. He speaks about using semaphore and arc lights to send messages between ships. He describes life in the Navy aboard a battleship, the life of a signalman, and the signal bridge. He talks about a large brawl between the crews of different ships while on a brief shore leave. He speaks about enduring kamikaze attacks from Japanese fighter pilots late in the war, and about the guns and gunners that manned the Tennessee. He gives details about battles he was involved with on the Tennessee, such as the Battle of Tarawa and the Battle of Iwo Jima. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado. *Photograph of Charles and Josephine Huffaker
Interview with Charlotte (Jackson) Claar
Charlotte (Jackson) Claar describes growing up on a homestead in Cheyenne County, Colorado, where the family witched for water, built an adobe house, and held jack rabbit drives. She speaks about moving to Grand Valley, Colorado (now Parachute) in 1920. She talks about her 37-year career as a teacher and then principal in Grand Valley, at the Clifton School, and at the Fruitvale School. She discusses her father and husband’s careers on the railroad. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
Interview with Charlotte (Wood) Barnes
Charlotte Barnes talks about her early life on a farm in Hays, Kansas, about farming with her husband in the Fruita area, and about dancing and other aspects of social life in early Twentieth century Western Colorado. 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.
Interview with Chester Fred "Chet" Crowley
Chester Crowley, who grew up in Western Colorado, talks about his experiences in the U.S. Army. He remembers the basic training that prepared him for the Korean War, and being assigned as a military intelligence analyst with the US Army’s First Infantry Division during the Vietnam War. He speaks about his contacts with the Vietnamese people, with allied Vietnamese units, and about fighting against the Vietcong. He gives his view of race relations among troops during his time in Vietnam, from 1966 to 1967. He speaks about the recruiting tactics used by the Vietcong among the Vietnamese. He gives his views on the role of the United States in promoting freedom and combatting Communism in Vietnam. He recalls the hostile reception he got from some people when he returned to the United States in 1967 and his difficulty adjusting to the 9 to 5 life of a career person. He talks about being sprayed with Agent Orange and his difficulty in securing care from the Veterans Administration. He speaks about his battles with psychological damage from the war and gives his opinion about Delayed Stress Syndrome (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
Interview with Clarence Frederick Prinster: The history of City Maket
Clarence Prinster talks about his father’s meat market and grocery store in La Junta, and about the Prinster brothers moving to Grand Junction in the 1920’s to start a grocery store at their father’s urging. He talks about the founding of the first City Market grocery store at 400 Main Street in 1922, the Prinster’s purchase of the store in 1924, and renovations made. He speaks about the lard rendering business housed first in a shed behind the store and then in the Riverside neighborhood. He remembers Leo Prinster’s friendship with Lloyd King of King’s market (now King Soopers), and using ideas gleaned from King’s in the design for the City Market at 4th Street and Rood Avenue in 1939. He discusses City Market’s decision to sell wholesale groceries, the construction of the company’s third location at 9th and North, and becoming a chain store with the purchase of a location in Montrose. He talks about the Prinster’s children and grandchildren, how many of them became involved in the grocery business, and vacationing with his brother Leo in Hawaii. He remembers Leo Prinster as the main force behind the growth and success of the City Market business. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado. *Photograph from the 1923 La Junta High School yearbook
Interview with Cleaola Alice (Livesay) Ernst
Cleaola Ernst talks about moving to Colorado from Kansas on a narrow-gauge train in 1897, when she was five years old. She speaks about her nursing education and working as a nurse. She remembers her family’s life in Hotchkiss, Colorado, and the general store that her parents ran. She tells the story of an eagle that purportedly picked up a small girl near Norwood, and how her family came to be in possession of the eagle after it was shot. She remembers a Chinese-American man who had come to do work in Hotchkiss, how as a school girl she tried to protect him from cowboys who were angry that someone of his ethnicity was in town, and how the man was ultimately lynched. She recalls games and dances at school, a baseball game where she was knocked out by a wayward pitch, and a prank where cowboys put cows upstairs in the high school. She talks about packing apples and peaches and working for a dressmaker. She speaks about homesteading in Montana with her first husband, and about writing the book, “Homesteading in Montana.” The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
Interview with Clemont G. "Clem" Goettelman: Walter Walker Series
Clem Goettelman explains his time as an employee for The Daily Sentinel under Preston Walker as the publisher. He discusses his position as a union leader before the Typographical Union Strike, conflicts within the work environment, Walter Walker’s involvement with and subsequent opposition to the Ku Klux Klan, and The Daily Sentinel being one of the only papers in the country to quickly cover President Theodore Roosevelt’s death with a full obituary. 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 above photo of Walter Walker is a public domain image from the U.S. Senate Historical Office.
Interview with Clifford A. "Cliff" Knesel Jr.
Cliff Knesel talks about his upbringing in Staten Island, New York. He recounts his experiences in the Vietnam War with the US Army 5th Special Forces Group and the 173rd Airborne Brigade from 1968 to 1970. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
Interview with Clifford Granville Houston
Clifford Houston discusses his employment at Grand Junction Junior College starting in 1929 (now Colorado Mesa University), including his efforts to increase student enrollment, create student housing, and secure funding for scholarships. Houston served as the third dean of the school, from 1932-1937. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado. *Photograph from the 1949 University of Colorado annual, The Coloradan.

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