John Francis Goulet: Memoirs of Grand Junction and Western Colorado, Part One

Description

In the first of nine recordings, John Goulet, a former advertising salesman with the Daily Sentinel newspaper, relates his experiences and travels in Grand Junction and Western Colorado in the 1950’s. He talks about his arrival in Grand Junction from Boston, meeting H. Blake Manuel of Manuel’s Department Store, and his friendship with Al Look of the Sentinel. He describes trips that he and his wife took with Look and his wife around the Western Slope. He recalls visiting the set of the movie How the West Was Won, where he met Gregory Peck and Debbie Reynolds. He remembers going duck hunting in Escalante Canyon. He discusses his friendships with employees at the Daily Sentinel. He recalls time spent with close friends Dick and Jan Blackledge, and reads a poem inspired by Jan. He provides a recording of Sam Gadd’s poetry. Goulet also recites other poems and accompanies his performance with piano. He provides part of a piano piece that he wrote for Al Look, which was previously recorded on KREX radio (possibly part of the Western Colorado Fantasy). 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.