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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Second Interview with Velma E. (Borschell) Budin
Velma (Borschell) Budin discusses the history of her family in early Twentieth century Fruitvale. 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 1925 Colorado Agricultural College yearbook.
Second Interview with Vesta (Price) Fitzpatrick
Vesta Fitzpatrick talks about her mother’s skill as a seemstress and how she made the family’s clothes. She remembers family life and entertainment during her youth, her parents reciting poems, and her father’s storytelling abilities. She recalls taking care of the family from a young age after her mother became ill. She speaks about seeing Buffalo Bill’s wild West show in Lincoln Park and going to chautauquas in Collbran. She remembers the De Beque family and dances at the Odd Fellows Hall in the town of De Beque. She talks about the lives of women in Collbran, their pregancies, their chores, and their marriages. She tells about her brother’s work on a Federal land survey near De Beque, early oil exploration that took place in the area, and what people used for fuel for their cooking stoves and heating. She remembers one of the Vulcan Mine disasters in New Castle, when many miners died. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
Second Interview with Virgil Francis Hickman and Edithe M. (Eakin) Hickman
Early Mesa County resident Virgil Hickman discusses farm life in Palisade and East Orchard Mesa, including irrigation ditches and dams, water rights of farmers and ranchers, hunting deer during the Great Depression, the methods used in keeping peach orchards bug-free, weekly band concerts, making apple butter, and the Palisade Peach Festival. He also talks about building Skyway Road on the Grand Mesa with picks, blasting powder and horses. 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.
Second Interview with Wayne Aspinall
Wayne Aspinall discusses a political career that spanned his election to the Mt. Lincoln School Board near Palisade, Colorado to his last election for the US House of Representatives in 1972. He speaks about campaigning in what was then the Fourth Congressional District in Western Colorado. He talks about his eight-year career as a teacher and school bus driver at the Mt. Lincoln School, taking students camping, dealing with ticks, and coaching girls basketball. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
Second Interview with Wilbur J. "Bill" Raber
Bill Raber, a longtime rancher, discusses the history of ranching in Delta and Mesa Counties and the relationship between cattle and sheep ranchers. He also talks about the history of Grand Junction and its growth, and about water development and rights disputes on the Grand Mesa. 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.
Second Interview with William "Bruce" Howard
William Howard talks about the proper care of cattle, cures for bovine ailments, and birthing calves. He also touches on horse training, planting time, weather predictions, and pigs. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
Second Interview with Winifred C. Bull
Winifred Bull recalls the childhood of her father, Dr. Herman Bull Sr., and his life as one of the original doctors in Mesa County, Colorado. She talks about the prevalence of Typhoid fever and waterborne illnesses in Grand Junction, known among doctors as “Belly Ache Flats” before the advent of modern water treatment facilities. She discusses her father’s medical practice, his love of horse racing, and how he rode his horses to house calls. She describes local theaters. She talks about her father’s medical practice during the global flu pandemic of 1918, the Grand Junction Pest House, local vaccination efforts, and her father’s jobs as the doctor for the Denver & Rio Grande and the Teller Indian School. She also shares stories of growing up around Mesa County and social activities she enjoyed. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
Second Interview with Wyatt M. Wood
Wyatt Wood and Al Look discuss their involvement in the construction of Rim Rock Drive on the Colorado National Monument, early scenic photography of Mesa County, early Mesa County bands and parades, and Wood’s time spent working for the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce. 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.
Second Lecture by Abbott Eastman Fay: Early Spanish influence in Colorado
Professor Abbott Eastman Fay speaks to a meeting of the North Fork Historical Society about the Spanish influence in Colorado and the expedition of Escalante and Dominguez in 1776. This recording is provided by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries, the Museums of Western Colorado and the Mesa County Historical Society.
Second Lecture by Al Look: Dinosaurs, Geology and Natural History of Western Colorado and Eastern Utah
Al Look speaks to an unidentified audience (possibly the Mesa County Historical Society) about dinosaurs, and about the geology and natural history of Mesa County and Eastern Utah. 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.
Second Lecture by Robert "Bob" Johnson on the Folklore of Colorado and the American West
In this program of the Museums of Western Colorado’s Museum Folklore Series, Robert Johnson, a longtime professor at Colorado Mesa University, talks about American Folklore and oral tradition, and about the folklore of the American West and Western 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.
Second Lecture on Mesa County, Colorado Buildings and Architecture by David Sundal
David Sundal, member and former president of the Mesa County Historical Society, talks about the original settlers of Mesa County, Colorado, and about their buildings and roads. He discusses examples of different architectural styles in the Grand Valley, including Queen Anne, Italianate, Victorian, California Bungalow, Spanish Mission Style, and Classical Revival. He also talks about the owners and architectural details of certain homes and buildings, and the influence of architectural exhibitions at World's Fairs on the popular styles of the day. 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.

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