Shannon Robinson has led a brave and transformational life in Grand Junction. She overcame racism from some fellow students to become the first African-American president of student government at Mesa State College (now Colorado Mesa University). In the midst of the AIDS epidemic, she helped stage on-campus demonstrations to educate students about the dangers of […]
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Patrons searching for local history information often approach librarians at Mesa County Libraries for help. Sometimes, these patrons are best served by a book on local history, of which we have many (both in our circulating collection and in the Rashleigh Regional History Room). Other times, we connect patrons to information from the Mesa County […]
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In his second interview with the Social Justice Archive at Mesa County Libraries, David Combs turns his attention to the death of George Floyd (who died at the hands of recently convicted Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin). As an African-American from Minneapolis, Combs gives unique and powerful perspectives on ethnic relations in that city, and on […]
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Today, you can still see a small orchard if you look to the west from 1st Street when ascending the hill that used to be known as First Fruitridge. Believe it or not, the hill bisected by 1st Street […]
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In many ways, Shannon Robinson has lived an enviable punk rock kind of life, going her own direction and setting her own rules. She bought a fake ID so she could start working at the age of fourteen, was in the pit at Denver hardcore punk shows during the scene’s heyday, became a Vespa-riding SHARP […]
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Mesa County Libraries is pleased to present an interview with local activist David Combs, the first in the Mesa County Oral History Project’s new Social Justice Archive (created in partnership with the Black Citizens and Friends organization, Professor Sarah Swedberg, activist Shannon Robinson, and Mr. Combs). The Social Justice Archive will explore the local manifestation […]
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Before The Giving Tree, Toys for Tots, and the other wonderful programs that provide gifts to children in need, there was an organization called The Soup Eaters that helped thousands of Mesa County youth during the holidays.* The Soup Eaters was founded by Al Look during the Great Depression. Look, a columnist and advertising manager […]
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Are you interested in knowing when your home was built, who lived there before and other information? Whether you own or rent your house, you can use these resources to research your house’s history (or your apartment or business’s history, for that matter). Mesa County Assessor records You can use real property records held […]
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Reading through hundreds of oral history transcripts, I’ve found out some interesting things about my hometown of Grand Junction, Colorado. There were teacher-sanctioned boxing matches at the old Clifton School, a bear cub that lived in a South Street brothel, and of course (I mean, who couldn’t see this happening?), the time they allowed a […]
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The Colorado River has been dammed and diverted so many times, by so many entities and people, that it may never truly flood again in the Grand Valley (at least not within humanity’s tenure… although you can never […]
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