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 Ina Dyer
Ina Dyer discusses life as a schoolteacher in Mesa, Collbran, Fruitvale, and Grand Junction, Colorado, including methods of punishing students, teacher’s pay, and her relationships with fellow teachers in the area. 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 1943 Grand Junction High School yearbook.
Interview with Ira James Caley
Ira Caley talks about growing up on a farm near Grants Pass, Oregon and in the town of Springfield, Oregon. He speaks about the difficulty of his home life and joining the Marines at the age of seventeen. He recalls basic training, early rumblings about the Vietnam War in 1963, being assigned to the 1st Batallion, 11th Marines, training for jungle warfare in the Philippines, and landing in Vietnam as part of an invasion force in October 1965. He describes going on patrols and engagements with the Vietcong near Phu Bai. He discusses the daily life of a US Marine in Vietnam, interactions with the Vietnamese people, and the care most American soldiers demonstrated for Vietnamese children. He remembers getting shot in the chest during an incursion by the Vietcong, an injury that led to the end of his tour. He recounts his return to the United States and his difficulty in dealing with psychological trauma from the war. 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 Irene (Strimple) Gramlich
Irene (Strimple) Gramlich talks about her early life in Cedaredge and Delta, Colorado. She also touches on the economic downturn that effected fruit growers and employment prospects in Cedaredge in 1913, and discusses her teaching career. 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 Jack Emmett Williams
Jack Williams, an automotive dealer and realtor from Grand Junction, Colorado, talks about his experiences in World War II’s Pacific Theater. He describes sitting on the deck of a destroyer in Pearl Harbor when the bombing began on December 7, 1941. He describes the aerial attack by Japanese forces, the mobilization of US Naval forces, and receiving credit for the downing of a Japanese plane. He discusses engaging with Japanese submarines in the harbor. He touches on helping to evacuate civilians from the Midlands and other areas. He speaks about the life of people in the military at that time. He talks about different types of ships and munitions in use 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 Jake Faverman Jr.
Jake Faverman talks about his childhood in Grand Junction, Colorado, and training to become a jockey in Chino, California. He speaks about joining the US Army in 1968 and his medical training. He remembers his service as a combat medic during the Vietnam War with the 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry, which was assigned to the 11th Brigade. He discusses his view of antiwar protests and conscientious objectors. 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 James Earl Shaw
James Earl Shaw talks about his father James S. Shaw and his days running the S Cross Ranch on Pinon Mesa, Colorado, mining vanadium on Polar Mesa, Utah, and operating an early automobile dealership on Main Street in Grand Junction, 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 James Earl Shaw and Creston Ralph Bailey
James Earl Shaw and Creston Ralph Bailey talk about the history of their families in Mesa County, and discuss their families’ roles in the automobile and grocery businesses respectively. They mention people and places important to Grand Junction. They also reminisce about their experiences at the Presbyterian church camp on the Grand Mesa, and all the antics they pulled while growing up. 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 James Leslie "Les" Kittle
Les Kittle talks about growing up in Greeley, Colorado, where he worked in his father’s grocery store. He discusses his life as a musician, beginning as a child in Greeley, where he played in theaters and in bands. He speaks about his teaching career at Adams State College and the Colorado Women’s College.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 James Taylor "Jim" Rogers
Jim Rogers speaks about moving from South Park, Colorado to the town of Mesa in 1903, when he was two years old, so that his family would have access to better ranch land for their cattle. He recalls playing store using rocks for money, playing baseball with a homemade bat and ball, and riding horses. He remembers the range on the Grand Mesa as open and shared prior to government regulation of grazing. He speaks about cattle drives on the Sunnyside Road to the stockyards in De Beque, where the cattle were shipped by rail to slaughterhouses. He relates stories about strife between sheep rancher and cattle ranchers. He describes the home his parents built in 1904 and hunting experiences he had over the years. 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 James Wilcoxon "J.W." Latham
J.W. Latham describes his career of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad near Grand Junction, Colorado, including the run from Grand Junction to Minturn, his work as fireman, and different steam engines used. He also talks about the pack of grey wolves that lived in the Bookcliffs near De Beque in the early 1920’s, and touches on the sheep and cattlemen wars. 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. *Photo of James W. Latham courtesy of the Eagle Valley Library District and the Eagle County Historical Society.
Interview with Janielle (Butler) Westermire: Social Justice Series
Janielle Westermire talks about growing up in Grand Junction, Colorado, where her father ministered at the Handy Chapel. She speaks about feeling she lived in a safe, close knit community, but also about racism she experienced as a child. She describes the inspiring life of her father, Harry Butler, who worked in hydrology with the Bureau of Reclamation before becoming the first African-American school board member in Mesa County and the first African-American city councilperson in Grand Junction. She talks about her career as a deputy in the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, working in the Mesa County Detention Facility, and her successful, humanistic approach to working with people of all colors and backgrounds. She speaks about the departmental approach to policing in the jail, the role that race plays in that policing, and about an incident of racial abuse she received from a white inmate. She discusses her reaction to the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in 2020 and her views of the Black Lives Matter movement from the perspective of a Black woman and a police officer. She talks about the need for dialogue, love, and understanding among all parties and races, and reads poetry that speaks to her experiences. The interview was conducted on behalf of the Social Justice Archive in the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries, Professor Sarah Swedberg, and Black Citizens and Friends.
Interview with Jean and Benerita Urruty
Jean and Benerita Dolores (Velazquez) Urruty discuss Jean’s immigrant experience, the life of a Basque sheepherder, Basque culture, and sheepherding in Mesa County. 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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