Bookcliff Avenue seems an obvious enough name. You would think that it was named, of course, for the Bookcliffs, our rugged desert mountains to the north of town, but this is only indirectly the case. Bookcliff Avenue seems to have been named instead for a railroad that once ran along part of its length on […]
Continue readingDoubious Brothers concert June 29 to benefit library foundation
Later this month, you’ll have a chance to enjoy some good music, sip some great wine, and help the Mesa County Libraries Foundation – all at the same time! The Doubious Brothers, a unique band of Western Slope musicians from a variety of musical traditions, will appear in concert Saturday, June 29, 2019, in a […]
Continue readingStaff Reading Recommendations
If you’re looking for something new to read but don’t know where to start, a great place to look is the Reader’s Café: Reviews guide on our website. To navigate to this guide, click on Book Reviews and Recommendations under the Books + More tab on the Mesa County Libraries home page. After that, click on […]
Continue readingLocal History Thursday: The Colorado Civilian Conservation Corps
Between 1933 and 1942 if you were an unemployed man, there existed a Depression-era project called the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) that would bring you on board to work. The CCC was created as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. It existed throughout the United States as a public work relief program […]
Continue readingLibrary Foundation to launch new white wine, The Grape Gatsby
The Mesa County Libraries Foundation is proud to announce the launch of The Grape Gatsby, a refreshing white table wine benefiting the Foundation. A wine launch party is scheduled 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 6, 2019, at Grande River Vineyards, 787 N. Elberta Ave. in Palisade, just off I-70 Exit 42. The launch party is open […]
Continue readingLocal History Thursday: Walter Walker’s Involvement in Grand Junction’s Ku Klux Klan
As a world-wise newspaper man, certainly Daily Sentinel publisher and owner Walter Walker could not have been ignorant of the Ku Klux Klan’s campaign against immigrants, Catholics, African-Americans, alcohol consumption, “impure morals,” Jews, and just about anything else the Klan insisted was tearing at the fabric of white, Protestant America. Yet, according to several […]
Continue readingLocal History Thursday: Main Street Murder of J.W. “Big Kid” Eames
Back in early 1900s Grand Junction, the scene on Main Street was exactly what you may expect for a town in the Wild West. Gambling, prostitution, and bootlegging weren’t uncommon, and a popular fellow named J.W. “Big Kid” Eames decided to join in on the action. J. Walter Eames moved to Grand Junction from […]
Continue readingGame of Thrones Read-Alikes
In case you haven’t heard, Game of Thrones season 8, the final season, came to a close this past Sunday. But fear not, for we have some Game of Thrones read-alikes to tide you over! To find more read-alikes for this series, or other series, check out Novelist (library card required to access).
Continue readingDiscovery Garden’s first spring: new sprouts and unique artwork
From planting some of the first produce to installing some unique artwork, things have been busy at the Mesa County Libraries Discovery Garden as spring progresses. Groups from both Chipeta Elementary and East Middle School have planted leafy green starts and vegetable seeds in the raised beds and community food plot. In a collaboration with […]
Continue readingLocal History Thursday: Where Was Grand Junction’s First Hospital?
St. Mary’s Hospital and Community Hospital have both been valuable parts of our community for many years, beginning in 1896 and 1946 respectively. But did you know that Mesa County had a hospital that existed earlier than 1896? The Grand Junction News August 25, 1883 edition mentions that the Mesa County Commissioners were looking for […]
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