Hay stack and automobiles of peach pickers, Delta County, Colorado. Russel Lee photo, U.S. Office of War Information, 1940.
Delta was about agriculture, mining, land and water development
Ute Council Tree before truncation in 2017, Southern Ute Drum.
By Rob Carrigan, robcarrigan1@gmail.com
Many years ago, as my family traveled through Delta on the way to my grandparents house in Grand Junction, I marvelled at the low-lying onion cellars, the tall Cottonwood Tree, the produce stands, the stories of the McCarty gang's raid on the Farmers and Merchants Bank, and the colorful motel signage along the way.
"Although now just a truncated stump,
the Ute Council Tree was once a towering specimen. It was estimated to
be over 215 years old at the time of its death in 2017, with a crown
that reached 89 feet in the air," says Atlas Obscura.
"It is believed that the Indigenous Ute people who lived in the area held tribal council meetings under the shade of the tall cottonwood, before their expulsion by the U.S. government in 1881."
"It is even claimed that Chief Ouray and his wife Chipeta negotiated treaties with white settlers at the site of the council tree, though there is very little historical evidence to back that up. In fact, when these events would have taken place the tree would have been much smaller and indistinct from the other cottonwood trees that were there. Still, the centuries-old tree became linked with the Ute people and given historic significance."
"In August of 2017, the last living branch of the massive cottonwood
fell off, and the decision was made to cut down the dead canopy of the
tree in the interest of public safety, leaving the remaining 23-foot
trunk as a memorial to the tree and the Ute tribes," say Atlas Obscura.
The City of Delta was established in 1882 as a trading post for the Ute people and early settlers. The City of Delta received its name because of the delta of the Uncompahgre River. The early days of Delta were about agriculture, mining, land and water development. The area was home to the Ute Indian people and filled with pioneer spirit."
Delta County Fair in 1939, Russel Lee photo, U.S. Office of War Information.
Delta County was created by the Colorado legislature on February 11,
1883. The county was named for the City of Delta, which gets its moniker
for its location on the delta of the Uncompahgre River. Delta County's
story is also about the pioneers of agriculture, mining, land and water
development. More than 100 years ago the Delta County area was the
homeland of the Ute Indian people. Today, visitors can learn about the
cultural traditions of western Colorado by visiting Delta County, according to the the County's site.
"Delta's 200-year old Ute Council Tree is an historic cottonwood that was designated a Colorado Landmark and is dedicated in memory of the Ute tribe's Chief Ouray and his wife, Chipeta. Interestingly, Chipeta is said to be the only Indian woman ever permitted to sit in council meetings, which were held at this site."
Also in Delta, visit the Delta County Historical Museum, which is housed in an old fire house. Here, you can see many items of interest from Delta's pioneer days, such as house wares, toys, clothing and early farming and ranch utensils. Fossil, dinosaur bones and a world-class butterfly exhibit with specimens from all over the world are on display here. The museum also has on display a robe from the 1800s that was worn by the King of Siam. Additionally, there is an eight-foot tall clock that used to be in the French palace of Louis the 14th. It is said to be one of only three clocks he owned. The museum also displays a bridle crafted by the western legend Tom Horn.
Many people stop in to hear the story of the McCarty Gang and the hero William Ray Simpson, a local hardware store owner who brought the gang down.
In Cedaredge, stop by Pioneer Town, to get a taste of frontier life during the past century. The museum's signature wooden silos are the last remaining structures of the Bar I Ranch, a cattle ranch that was established in the early 1880s. Walk along the wooden sidewalks of Main Street to visit the early-day businesses like a general store, print shop, saloon, bank, barbershop (which doubled as a dental office) and the jail house. The fossilized jawbone of a rare Mosasaur, a marine reptile, is also housed at the museum.
The Hotchkiss-Crawford Museum (970.872.3780) in Hotchkiss offer ample history experiences. Among the items on display are grinding stones, a lard press, post card photos from 1910, a butter churn, stamps used for fruit boxes and photos of Crawford from bygone days. Appointments can be arranged by calling the museum.
In Paonia the historic Bowie Schoolhouse has been moved to its current location from the Bowie mining camp. Here, visitors may see textbooks the students used, trophies they won and carvings on the desks. The museum is open through Labor Day 1-4 p.m.
Electrification of this Western Slope town played a huge role in its evolution over the years, according to Delta Municipal Electric Light and Power, City of Delta.
"In 1897 the members of a small, western Colorado community named
Delta led a remarkably different life from that of the present. Light
and heat were provided primarily by burning kerosene and wood. During a
town meeting earlier that year the townspeople requested that the city
council investigate a lighting system for public and commercial uses," says the city site.
"On April 21, 1897 the Delta City Council passed an ordinance to approve W.S. Bristol and R.B. Bushaw to put in an electric light plant and granted a 20 year franchise."
"Land, funding and equipment had to be secured for the power plat; then poles had to be set and transmission lines strung and connected. Paperwork and bureaucracy existed even then, slowing the installation and hookup process. Finally, electric lights were turned on for the first time in the City of Delta on New Year's Day in 1903. To say the least, the community found this new, convenient source of light to be a great improvement."
At the turn of the century, only about 800 residents made up the population Delta. By 1910, the population had almost tripled. By the mid-1930's the city's dwellers had surpassed 3,000 and the need for additional electrical supply became increasingly apparent.
The Municipal Electric Light and Power System of the city of Delta was established in 1935. By 1938, three small Fairbanks-Morse diesel generators had been installed in the power plant. Two of these units were three-cylinder, 125kW engine/generators; the third was a four-cylinder, 172kW engine/generator.
Between 1939 and 1956 four additional Fairbanks-Morse engine/generator units of greater output were purchased and installed. These four units were later converted to use natural gas as well as diesel fuel. The seven generators provide a total output of 4989kW.
Although the population of the city of Delta remained the same from about 1940 to 1990, electrical usage had increased considerable both in homes and in business establishments. As technology improved the area's quality of life, the community's electrical usage required that the Delta power plant purchase additional electricity from neighboring utilities. This tie-in occurred in 1967, requiring the installation of a substation behind the existing plant.
The Fairbanks-Morse engine/generators with Woodward governors have provided an effective power source to the residents of Delta for nearly half a century but the Power Plant is no longer operational. The City of Delta purchases their power.
Delta, Colorado, John Margolies, photographer, 1991
Over time, the City of Delta now has 30 buildings which have received local designation. Eight buildings have received state designation and four buildings have earned national designation.
According to county information, many of the buildings in Delta are on the local and state historic registers are as follows:
The Fairlamb House Bed and Breakfast was built in 1906 and was the first house in the area built by workers on an eight-hour work day. The Victorian house is constructed of Delta Brick from the Delta Brick and Tile Company. The historic Westways Court Motel was built in 1946 and still boasts its signature iconic neon sign.
Many of the buildings in Eckert are built using local volcanic rock. The Eckert Presbyterian Church is nearly 100 years old and also boasts some fine examples of this unique rockwork. The historic Eckert Creamery, now a site for retail space, sold butter to the public until the 1980s. The Surface Creek Winery and Gallery doubles as an Oddfellows Hall on Sundays and sells wine and art the rest of the week.
The Bross Hotel in Paonia is more than 100 years old and has been used as a lodging establishment throughout its history. It is now Bed and Breakfast.
The Lovett House in Cedaredge was the original post office for the community and now serves as a delightful B&B. While in Cedaredge stop into the AppleShed Art Complex, once an apple packing shed, it is now used as retail space selling art, furniture, gifts and lattes.
Delta County Fair, 1939, Russel Lee photo, U.S. Office of War Information.
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