Alta Allan & Myrtle Israels' Oral Histories

Description

An oral history, that is currently on cassette tape at the Wilkinson Public Library: Museum Tape MU38 Side A: Alta (Wood) Allan. Interviewed by Sandra Johnson and Alta Cassietto 4/25/75: 00-12 Introduction of Alta Allan. She lived in Telluride for a number of years and first moved there in 1919. Not married at the time. Worked in the telephone office. Named various girls that worked there. Future husband (Charlie) was in the service and they married after he returned in 1921. Bought cafe from Joe O'berto. The Tremont Cafe. Moved to Montrose in 1929 after the bank closed. 12-40 Names various hotels and cafes that were open during the time she was in Telluride. The Sheridan, The Alpine Rooming House, Mrs. Jackson had rooming house, Victoria Hotel, The Chicago Store, The Golden Rule Store, Perinos Grocery Store, Krakaws, Elscamps. She lived with brother Chap Wood. Brother and mother lived together after he got out of service Brother was superintendent of the Smuggler Mill. Describes the house she lived in. 40-80 Speaks of working at the telephone office when it had the switchboard. Names the people she worked with. Speaks of the avalanche that killed Mrs. Gifford and Mrs. Hicks. Talks about the little boy that was saved. Talks about all the people in town at that time. Very busy. Alta Cassietto talks about how busy Montrose was in 1905, but not as busy as Telluride. 80-111 Sandra introduces Myrtle Israel who came to Telluride in 1911. She was the mother of a five-month-old baby when she came to Telluride. Her husband was looking for work and he had a brother working at the Black Bear. Speaks of the Smuggler or Tomboy being the richest gold mine in area. Her husband and brothers worked in the mill for a long time. Later moved to Town and put in a little cleaning parlor, which he operated for a long time. Speaks of the only time she was at the Tomboy. She watched the gold being processed at the mill. 111-214 Describes the dances held at the Tomboy. Alta Allan's husband Charlie worked for the Transfer and would drive a sleigh and team full of women to the Tomboy. Also had a bowling ally there. She speaks of the night the sleigh tipped over coming down from the dance. Describes how the men brought the bodies down the hill from the Black Bear slide. All the people in town watched them come down. Describes where the mine was. Myrtle speaks of her daughter that still lives in town, Mrs. Dick (Elmer) Summer. She was five months old when they first went to Telluride. Her parents were in Telluride before she (Alta) was born. Speaks of her uncle that was murdered in Telluride. Was the first man buried close to the tree at Lone Tree. That was before Myrtle was born and she was born in 1891. Alta speaks of brother's nickname. Myrtle names the churches in town at that time, Presbyterian, Catholic and Community Church. She attended the Community Church. Alta talks about living in Aspen. 214-256 Myrtle lived in Telluride from 1938 until 1943. She worked at Alvie Adams dairy. They had the Adams ranch and Mrs. Adams was an invalid. She was second mother to the whole family. Ski area bought ranch from their son Gene. Describes where the dairy was. Milk was delivered on their milk route in town. She hurt her leg falling off the porch and was in the Telluride hospital for a month. Dr. Parker took care of her. Speaks of studying to get her LPN degree after moving Idaho. 256-349 Speaks of her daughters. Talks of all the people that had left Telluride when she went back in 1938. Many of the houses were empty. Seemed to be a ghost town. Mines and mills were closed down. Her father's brother had the first pack train in Telluride. Charlie Seevers. Describes the areas he packed into. They lived in Fall Creek. Speaks of Seevers family and how they were related. Her father worked on the railroad, as did her mother. Talks of the work her mother did for the railroad on Old Dallas. Followed the railroad, working on it, over to Ophir. Father helped build the railroad over Dallas in late '1800s. Describes riding the train and the Galloping Goose. Tells of driver describing one of the times when the Goose lost it's brakes and the passengers had to jump off. 349-467 Her daughter had a hotel at Ophir and Myrtle worked there. There were mines and mills there at that time. Describes her daughter's first husband's death, a mining accident. Speaks of the Miner's Union building and where they lived and the cleaning parlor they owned. Talks about Grandma Spencer who lived next to the Miner's Union. Talks about Ed Vizina's dairy. Lots of people lived in San Miguel then. Names people that had dairies there. Speaks of different houses there. KEYWORDS FOR THIS TRANSCRIPT 00-12 Nellie Mines 12-40 Smuggler Mill 40-80 Avalanches, Pandora 80-111 Black Bear, Smuggler, Tomboy 111-214 Black Bear, Smuggler 214-156 Dairy, Hospital 256-349 Old Dallas, Narrow Gage Railroad, Galloping Goose 349-467 Ophir, Miner's Union Building, Dairy, San Miguel People mentioned in this recording: 00-12 Thompson Girls, Joe O'berto 12-40 Mrs. Jackson, Pete Machone, Wunderlicks, Perino, Elscamp, Johnny McAdams, Mrs. Goldsworthy 40-80 Lena Sand Blixt, Tiny & Lillie Thompson, Ethel Larson, Mrs. Gifford, Mrs. Hicks 80-111 M rytle Israel 111-214 Dick (Elmer) Summer, Sam Seevers 214-256 Alvie Adams, Gene Adams, Dr. Parker 256-349 Charlie Seevers, Crissie Ross 349-467 Grandma Spencer, Ed Vizina, Kelly McKnight, Collins