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 Verne Lewis Judson
Verne Judson talks about his early life in the Pomona area of Mesa County, Colorado, and the family’s subsequent move to Loma. He speaks about his long career as a farmer prior to retiring in 1965. He remembers some of the people and places of Loma. He talks about his father Orin Judson’s career as a farmer and rancher, and about his death from Tuberculosis in 1923. 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 Vernon L. "Roy" McCoy
Mesa County resident Vernon McCoy discusses moving to the Fruita, Colorado area from Iowa in 1911, working for the Uintah Railroad and the Rio Grande Southern Railroad, his stint overseas in the Army during World War I, and his three children. 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 W.L. "Windy" Martin
W.L. “Windy” Martin discusses coming to Grand Junction, Colorado in the early 1930’s while working for a tent show named Fred G. Brunk’s Comedians. He talks about his time working for the traveling show, the types of crowds for whom they performed, how to care for a tent show during bad weather, and the different plays they liked to perform. 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 Walter August Flasche
Walter Flasche talks about his birth in Nebraska and moving to De Beque, Colorado with his parents via covered wagon around 1908. He remembers life in the Roan Creek area, severe drought and heavy snows. He recalls battles between cattle ranchers and sheep ranchers in the area. He speaks about his work as a logger and his work in the nascent oil shale industry. He describes how hard the life of a rancher and oil shale worker was, and how his wife left him to raise his two sons by himself, while she moved to Grand Junction. He talks about encounters with Ute camps and artifacts. 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 Walter Gaddy
Walter Gaddy talks about his childhood in Nucla, Olathe, and Montrose, and about his father’s barbershop and shoe repair shop. He also discusses his aunt’s honey production business and beekeeping in detail. 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 Walter Richard "Dick" Lloyd and Bertha Alberta (Robinson) Lloyd
Dick Lloyd talks about cattle ranching in Western Colorado both before and after the Taylor Grazing Act, about moving cattle around to different grazing areas in Colorado, and about shipping them to Denver by rail via the De Beque Stockyard. He speaks about training horses and using horses to herd cattle. Bertha Lloyd discusses her courtship with Dick, their chivaree and their marriage. The two of them describe homesteading in a log cabin on the Grand Mesa in 1928. Mr. Lloyd talks about cowboys and sometimes colorful characters that he worked for and with, and about different areas where people ranched. Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd speak about the history of the town of Mesa and the prominent place of pool halls in social life. Lloyd talks about the importance of brands in shipping and herding cattle, about herding dogs, and about the dangers of herding and transporting bison. He discusses managing bears, deer and other wildlife in the ranching business. He describes driving cattle over Douglas Pass to Rangely. He talks about killing sheep on Orchard Mesa that had crossed over the old Clifton bridge on the way to Gunnison, before later becoming a sheep rancher himself. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado. *Public domain photograph of Walter "Dick" Lloyd [circa 1924]
Interview with Walter Vern "Walt" Simineo
Walt Simineo talks about growing up on a ranch in Whitewater, Colorado, his father’s homestead there, and describes the town in the early Twentieth century. He speaks about working as a coal miner in Whitewater and about mining operations there. He discusses the evolution of soil amendments used in farming and the changes in area ranching practices. 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 Walter and Elizabeth Anderson
Walter and Elizabeth Anderson discuss John Otto, the Colorado National Monument, and the history of Mesa County. 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 Wayne Farley
Wayne Farley, a geophysicist who was involved in the Western Slope’s uranium boom, talks about methods of prospecting for uranium, including the use of airplanes and helicopters, and describes the characteristics of rocks that contains the element. 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 Weston Massey and Nellie (Foy) Massey
Weston and Nellie Massey discuss their family’s involvement in the earliest days of Gateway, Colorado. The couple also touch on the presence of Indians in the Mesa County area, the system of delivering mail, social activities, cattle herding and cattle thieving, Uranium mining and mining equipment in the Gateway area, and methods of travel via trails and mapped out routes. 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 Wilbur E. Downey and Mildred M. (Smith) Downey
Wilbur Downey talks about his family settling in Loma, Colorado, where his father bought a pool hall in 1919. He describes the agricultural character of Loma at that time. He and Mildred speak about running the Loma Store, a general store, and about other businesses in Loma. They talk about the settlement of Loma by people escaping the Dust Bowl in the 1930’s. They discuss Loma’s train depot, passenger train service to Loma, freight trains that carried livestock, and the poor condition of dirt roads that made transportation by foot or automobile difficult. Wilbur describes early mail service, helping to haul the mail in the 1920’s, and driving the school bus. Wilbur and Mildred talk about the automotive garage owned by Mildred’s father, Ben Smith. 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 Will Minor and Lee Warner
Longtime Fruita residents and photographers Will Minor and Lee Warner discuss their experiences in the Colorado National Monument and the surrounding areas of Western Colorado and Eastern Utah. They also talk about meeting John Otto, and about Minor’s discovery of the rare Papilio Indra Minori butterfly on the Monument. 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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