With the gruesome discovery of the bodies of First Nations children on the grounds of residential schools in Canada, people are also turning their attention to American Indian schools in the United States. These boarding schools operated in the late 1800’s and 1900’s. They were dedicated to the forced acculturation of Native American children, who […]

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 […]

These 90 degree temperatures have kicked ice cream cravings into high gear. According to the International Dairy Foods Association, ice cream is a commodity that was first documented in America around 1744.  It was originally a treat of the elite, its cool flavors only to be enjoyed by the rich.  Time and technological advances changed […]

Ahh the Wild West.  Tumbleweeds, dry and dusty landscapes, cactus, cowboys chewing on straw and riding horses across the desert… A less featured but equally important symbol of the American West is that of the cowgirl. Annie Oakley and Lucille Mulhall were two tough women who became nationally known for their lassoing, riding skills and […]

Women’s History Month was celebrated in March, but it’s never too late to honor the life of a hardworking pioneer woman of Mesa County’s past.  As heard during an interview with the Mesa County Oral History Project, Mary Belle (Powers) Plaisted had a strong, poetic voice that paints you a distinct picture of what western […]

Local history buffs, rejoice! A new book has been published by the Palisade Historical Society. Written by local historian and railroad enthusiast Matt Darling, “The History of Railroads in Palisade, Colorado” has made its way to our library shelves. This read explains the complications, successes, and technicalities of the railroad making its way through the Grand […]

Dudley Mitchell was an early Mesa County resident and an interviewee of the Mesa County Oral History Project.  In multiple interviews with Dudley, he discusses his fifty-year employment working an assortment of jobs for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad (D&RG). If you ever needed any information on how the railroad worked in the early […]

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 […]