Museum Musings are a collection of letters compiled by Tom Baker that were found in the White River Museum. They highlight the situation and conditions locally and nationally during the time that Nathan Meeker was the Indian Agent in this area. Department of the Interior Office of Indian Affairs Washington,[Read More…]
Tag: Meeker History
HISTORY LESSONS: Swede Anderson
In Rio Blanco, we are rightly proud of our White River fishing. Our lake fishing is equally impressive. Early on, upriver landowners recognized that bigger lakes meant better fishing. One individual single-handedly improved the fishing lakes upriver: Swede Anderson. Using mules and a Fresno scraper, he dug ditches and moved[Read More…]
MUSEUM MUSINGS – Letters from history No. 72
HON. E. A. HAYT, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D.C. White River Agency, Colorado August 11, 1879 Sir: I think a statement as to our crop prospects will be acceptable. We are now cutting the 20 acres of wheat, the quality is good and the yield will be about 150,[Read More…]
WHAT’S THE STORY HERE?
This framed collection of photos related to the draining of Sable Lake in the early 1930s as part of a missing persons investigation was found at the White River Museum, where it has been since sometime in the 1950s. If you have information about who created it, please contact the[Read More…]
HISTORY LESSONS: The Hame Cover
The mystery photo (inset above) is something you would find on a team of horses pulling a freight wagon or stage coach. It is made of leather. If you look close at the photo of the J. W. Hugus & Company team of horses, you will see a rider on[Read More…]
DAYS GONE BY – January 30th, 2025
Meeker Herald ~ 125 years ago Don’t gouge other people while carving out your fortune. The gentle house-fly was around this week, which would indicate that spring is approaching. All the best authorities on prices of beef cattle–present and prospective–predict a long spell of prevailing high prices. Meeker Herald ~[Read More…]
HISTORY LESSONS: What happened to Agent Danforth?
MEEKER | There were four Indian agents appointed to the area prior to Nathan Meeker’s arrival on the scene in 1878. Two of those agents, Joseph Littlefield and Edward Danforth, were missionaries sent from The American Unitarian Church based in Boston. Their goal was to convert the Utes to Christianity[Read More…]
Days Gone By – January 2nd, 2025
Meeker Herald ~ 125 years ago John H. Setzler, D.D.S., Wednesday noon December twenty seventh, eighteen hundred and ninety nine, at her home Balzac, Colorado. Miss Peterson was one of White river’s most popular young ladies, and The Herald joins with her host of friends in wishing her and the[Read More…]
HISTORY LESSONS: Address books
MEEKER | My mother-in-law, Pat Hendrickson lived in Meeker about a year before passing at the age of 94. She didn’t get to meet most of you, so I would like to share some of her humor with you now. Her Christmas letters were hilarious stories of life. You will[Read More…]
History lessons: Holiday greetings from Bittercreek and the resident wolf
MEEKER | My mother-in-law, Pat Hendrickson lived in Meeker about a year before passing at the age of 94. She didn’t get to meet most of you, so I would like to share some of her humor with you now. Her Christmas letters from Bartlett, Kansas, population 69, were hilarious[Read More…]
History Lessons: Before email or voicemail, there was Victory Mail
RBC | Last month, we honored our veterans with a special day and this week we’ll remember the anniversary of Pearl Harbor (Saturday, Dec. 7). Every day should be one to thank them for their service. It was estimated in 2023 that there were 100,000 WWII veterans alive with a[Read More…]
MUSEUM MUSINGS: Letters from history, No. 71
White River Agency, Colorado. August 11, 1879. Sir: I send this day requisition for funds for the present quarter. The pay for herder should be increased to $720 a year with the rest [of the] employees, for the reason that the present herder is one of the best men I have,[Read More…]
