Events

: Nimon-Walker Award; The Nimon-Walker Award was created in 2001 to honor those who have helped preserve Eagle County history. This annual, springtime event is a joint effort between Eagle Valley Library District and the Eagle County Historical Society.

: Opening of Gunnison Tunnel; The Gunnison Tunnel was opened in September 1909, bringing valuable water from the Gunnison River, through the Uncompahgre Valley, and to users in Mesa County and adjoining Western Slope areas. The tunnel's dedication was attended by President William Howard Taft and other luminaries. At the time of its dedication, the tunnel was the longest irrigation tunnel in the world at 5.8 miles in length. The tunnel is now a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

: Operation Foresight in Grand Junction, Colorado; In the 1950s, Grand Junction was thriving due to the Uranium Boom. Growth was expected to rise, and the arrival of commercial stores and shopping malls across America kick-started this forward-thinking initiative. Alongside Joe Lacy, Dale Hollingsworth, and Leland Schmidt, a city committee created a construction redesign for Main Street. Strides to make the area safe for pedestrians, as well as planning for parades, led to the winding path the street now takes. It was officially completed in 1962. The design won an All-American City award the same year for its ‘first of its kind’ approach. It was also featured in Look Magazine. Even with all the success, the length of time downtown was under construction irked some Grand Junction citizens. Oral history interviewee Grace Wade mentions how beautiful it all came out, but notes other citizen’s reactions. “When they began to do the Operation Foresight the downtown was the biggest mess you ever saw in your life. And everyone just knew they were going to hate it. And of course, I think it’s just simply beautiful!”

: Palisade Post Office Robbery [1924]; Robbers stole a safe from the post office. It was suspected that the robbers were holed up in the Palisade Mine, and so guards, including Virgil Hickman, were posted outside of the mine. The robbers were never caught, though the safe was found without its contents along the railroad tracks.

: Parachute Train Robbery, 1904; Train robbery perpetrated by Harvey "Kid Curry" Logan.

: Parade of Lights (Salida, Colo.); Part of Salida, Colorado's Christmas festival, the Parade of Lights happens in downtown Salida, followed by the lighting of Christmas Mountain.

: Peach Days (Grand Junction, Colorado); An event in the late Nineteenth century that celebrated the annual harvest in Grand Junction, Colorado.

: Posey War; The Posey War was a Ute and Paiute uprising in Easter Utah, led by the Paiute chief Posey against white settlers near Bluff, Utah. It occurred in March 1923, and is also known as the Last Indian Uprising.

: Railway Shopmen's Strike of 1922; A nationwide strike of shop workers, who mobilized to prevent wage cuts, for better working hours, and to prevent their replacement by non-union workers. Colorado railroad workers also took part. According to Frank Simonetti Sr., who began working in the Grand Junction, Colorado roundhouse in 1922, workers in the shop struck and the D&RG responded with a lockout of workers. Scabs were hired and given a place to sleep so that they would not have to worry about getting past workers who were striking outside the station. Violence did still erupt to some extent. According to Simonetti, George the Greek, a shoe shiner at the station, beat up a fellow Greek American who crossed the picket lines. The strike ended without railroad owners making any concessions to organized labor. According to Simonetti, workers in the shop had a seven-day work week with no sick or vacation time until 1943.

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