Lawrence Aubert talks about his father’s immigration from France and his arrival on Pinon Mesa in 1926, where he homesteaded and ran sheep. He remembers changes in sheep ranching after the passage of the Taylor Grazing Act, sheep rustling, and friction between sheep and cattle ranchers. He discusses the effect of predatory animals on sheep herd size on Pinon Mesa. He talks about Basque and Mexican immigrants who came to herd sheep in Colorado and Utah. He speaks about aspects of sheep ranching, such as shearing, disease control, and lambing. He names early sheep ranchers on Pinon Mesa. He remembers his service on the board of the Colorado Association of Counties in regard to land use issues. He recalls his election as a Mesa County commissioner and the commission’s role in decisions regarding the building of a new Mesa County Library and the Veterans Memorial Park. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
