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 Dottie (De Hart) Wiley
Dottie Wiley, who homesteaded on the Grand Mesa with her first husband Richard Kilburn in the early Twentieth century, discusses the Surrender Tree, a tree where the Utes supposedly bound Arvilla and Josephine Meeker, wife and daughter of Nathan Meeker, following the Meeker Massacre. 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 Douglas Edward "Doug" Westcott Sr.
Doug Westcott talks about his youth in Southern California, and about playing music and making records with a band called the Esquires. He describes the deep US Marine ties in his family that led, in part, to his enlistment in 1960. He recounts his experiences as a Radio Relay Electronics Technician in the 7th Communication Battalion. He remembers training in jungle warfare techniques in the Phillipines, becoming an expert, and teaching jungle warfare at a guerrilla training school in Okinawa as an enlisted man. He speaks about his awards for Distinguished Rifleman and Expert Pistol, and becoming a 5th Echolon electronics repairman. He decribes coming ashore in Vietnam as part of Operation Starlight in 1965. He recalls being harrassed by people attending an antiwar rally on the day of his return to the United States from the Vietnam War, and his subsequent disillusionment as he realized that public opinion was largely against the war. He remembers his wife’s severe injury to her hip after a fall, breaking his own back during a game of “jungle volleyball” at the barracks, his wife’s heart attack after a plane flight, and giving his children to her parents to raise, since he was paralyzed from the neck down at that time. 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 Dr. Henry "H.H." Zeigel and Eleanor (Barr) Harris
Dr. Henry “H.H.” Zeigel and Eleanor Harris describe their experiences founding and operating the Plateau Valley Hospital in Collbran, Colorado. 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 Dwain Thompson Jackson
Dwain Jackson talks about his family history and their arrival in Delta County in the 1880’s. He remembers taking the Grand Junction streetcar line and automobile rides in the 1920’s and 30’s. He speaks about living north of Cedaredge as a child and time spent fishing on the Grand Mesa. He talks about the reluctance of Delta County residents to adhere to new fish and game management laws in the early 1900’s, and tells the story of William Radcliffe, the English aristocrat who fled for his life after his employee killed a local who was fishing on the lakes Radcliffe owned. He discusses the history of the Hotchkiss family in settling Delta County, and recounts other aspects of local history. He talks about the history of the Masons in Colorado and in Hotchkiss. 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 1946 University of Colorado yearbook
Interview with Earl Frederick Land
Earl Land talks about the arrival of his German parents in the United States, their lives in Russia prior to relocating, and their lives in the United States after immigrating. He recalls his early life in Colorado and the West and his education as a mining engineer. He remembers his service as a 2nd Lieutenant in an aviation engineer battalion in the US Army during World War II. He speaks in general about the history of Germans from Russia in the Americas. He discusses his work for the Emigrant Gap gold mine in Nevada City. He talks about his arrival in Grand Junction as an employee of the US Atomic Energy Commission, about life during the uranium boom, and about how uranium miners went about staking a claim. He speaks about the many organizations he volunteered with after retirement. 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 1939 Washington State University yearbook
Interview with Eben "Dean" Massey
Eben Massey talks about growing up on a ranch in Gateway, Colorado. He remembers riding horseback and playing with his cousins. He recalls encounters with rattlesnakes, bull snakes, pack rats, rabbits, and deer. He tells stories of deer hunts he was involved with. He remembers being a “flanker” who helped to brand cattle, working as a cowboy and ranch hand as a boy, riding horses, and calf roping. 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 Eben "Dean" Massey from the 1969 GJHS yearbook
Interview with Eddie "Ed" Hughes
Eddie Hughes talks about his upbringing in Weld County, Colorado, and his move to Mesa County in 1937 as part of a Federal resettlement program for people affected by the Dust Bowl. He describes the crops that he planted over the years in the Hunter District, raising cattle, and other agricultural practices. He recalls elements of farm life, such as purifying drinking water with a homemade system. He describes what his family did for fun and recreation, including playing in the Grand Valley Canal, playing baseball, and going to dances. He remembers the fire that destroyed their house in 1968 and the subsequent sale of the farm. He talks about other people that came to Mesa County under the auspices of the United States Resettlement Administration. 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 Edith Louise (Strain) Patton
Edith Patton talks about her life in Clifton, Colorado, including her job as a “traveling secretary” for School District 51, working in her mother’s restaurant, baking pies, making and delivering food to farm laborers, and packing fruit. She also discusses her father’s role as one of the original members of the Mesa County Planning Department, and his Mobile gas station on F Road. 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 Edith Marie (Huffer) Sisac
Edith Sisac talks about growing up in the Pomona area of Mesa County, attending the Pomona School, and riding her bike to Grand Junction High School along the railroad tracks in the early Twentieth century. She recalls the grocery store in Grand Junction owned by Roy Sisac, her husband’s father. She speaks about the Mesa Lakes Resort and the Mesa Lakes Ski Run, which were owned and operated by the Sisac and Foster families, and about the development of skiing on the Grand Mesa. She describes the Grand Mesa’s lakes, fish, and instances of poaching and overzealous game wardens. She talks about her husband, Russ Sisac, and his passtimes of basketball and fly fishing. She and interviewer Al Look tell about John Otto’s role in building early trails on the Grand Mesa. She remembers Model T cars and what it was like to drive them. She discusses the foliage and flora of the Grand Mesa. She describes a pet bear named Coco that the Sisac family kept at the Mesa Lakes Resort. She and Look talk about a dog named Sandy that was owned by both of their families at different times. 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 1937 Grand Junction High School yearbook
Interview with Edithe Lilly (Lloyd) Pryor
Edithe Pryor discusses her upbringing on a farm in Palisade, Colorado in the early Twentieth century as the daughter of a Welsh immigrant father, and the agricultural history of Palisade, Clifton and the east end of the Grand Valley. She also talks about irrigating land, her mother’s homemaking and recipes for apple deserts, using an old wood-fired cook stove, and getting drinking water from an irrigation ditch. 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 Edna (Monson) Brenton
Edna Brenton talks about her pioneering family near Steamboat Springs, Colorado and touches on the homesteading life, country schools, and childhood games. She also discusses farm life with her husband, contributions farmers made to keep roads plowed and open, medical care, and the growth of Steamboat Springs over time. 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 Edward Alexander Martin
Edward Martin talks about the history of Martin Mortuary, where he was owner and mortician, and about funeral customs. He also discusses the history of Grand Junction and its economic growth, and his involvement and leadership in several local and national organizations. 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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