Since long before I was a young whippersnapper, there have been some interesting slang expressions thrown around the Grand Valley region. The Mesa County Oral History Project is full of interviews with original settlers to this area. Indulge in a listen, and you may pick up on some ways of speech that inspire confusion, […]
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Explore, Learn, and Discover with the Western Colorado Astronomy Club
“For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.” – Vincent Van Gogh Astronomy is defined as the branch of science that deals with celestial objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole. There’s no doubt that people have been curious about our night sky and […]
Continue readingLocal History Thursday: The Fremont Culture
November gets a lot of recognition for Thanksgiving, but a different reason to celebrate this time of year is National Native American Heritage Month. Mesa County and its surrounding areas were once home to multiple Native American cultures; one of the earlier cultures was a group of Native people known as the Fremont. The Fremont were […]
Continue readingLocal History Thursday: Spooky Stories of Mesa County
Do you like things that go “bump” in the night? As a kid, did you read so many ghost stories before bed that you had to sleep with a nightlight on until you were 14? Did you ever ask for EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) equipment for Christmas, then scoff when your mom got you a […]
Continue readingLocal History Thursday: The Legend of Charlie Glass
According to an article written by Katie Nodjimbadem for Smithsonian.com, “Few images embody the spirit of the American West as well as the trailblazing, sharpshooting, horseback-riding cowboy of American lore. And though African-American cowboys don’t play a part in the popular narrative, historians estimate that one in four cowboys were black.” One such man was Charlie […]
Continue readingLocal History Thursday: Mesa County’s Wild Horse Country
Tucked back behind the prominent sandstone face of Mt. Garfield and the sprawling Book Cliffs of Mesa County, there lies a place of desolate solitude called the Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range. Although it is certainly lacking in human dwellers, the dry and dusty landscape is home to a band of wild horses who […]
Continue readingLocal History Thursday: Dr. Everett H. Munro, Private Detective
When you utter the word, “detective,” a couple different characters may come to mind: Sherlock Holmes lurking around in his Milford coat with a magnifying glass, or perhaps a group of sleuths who don the motto, “We Never Sleep,” and call themselves the Pinkerton Detective Agency. According to David Grann in his highly applauded book, […]
Continue readingLocal History Thursday: The Slaughterhouse of the West
Paradox Valley, just south of Mesa County, was where an assortment of early western Colorado newcomers decided to homestead and create a life. Original settlers came to the area to raise cattle, and eventually Uranium and Copper mines began to pop up around the valley. The area looks peaceful enough with its sweeping mountainous views […]
Continue readingLocal History Thursday: How to Discover a New Butterfly Species
Imagine you are walking through the Black Ridge area of the Colorado National Monument, admiring the dusty hunks of sandstone and dramatic, red-walled canyons. You see a large, swallowtail butterfly flit past, and using your keen vision you observe that it is quite unlike any others you’ve spotted before. You return to this place up on […]
Continue readingWho Wants to Go Ice Swimming?
Crank up those swamp coolers and chug frosty pitchers of lemonade: it’s (still) extremely hot outside. If you’re feeling drained from the summer heat, it may appease you to sprawl out in front of a fan with a mentally cooling read! The following titles are about swimming in abnormally cold waters for competition, thrills, health […]
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