White River Museum | The Herald Times

Horsepower and history combine for new local OHV tours

MEEKER | “It’s pretty cool to think about, what did this valley look like before people were here? Because it wasn’t really that long ago,” said Andrea Gianinetti, local business owner and history enthusiast, describing her own interest in local history and how it sparked an idea to combine historical[Read More…]

June 28, 2023 by Lucas Turner Comments are Disabled

Museum Musings: Letters from history, No. 2

Special to the Herald Times The White River Museum has a collection of letters that Meeker founding father Thomas Baker kept for many years. There are letters from Nathan Meeker and prominent figures like Chief Ouray, ex-Indian Agents, and the violently anti-Indian Colorado Governor Pitkin, as well as various Army[Read More…]

June 22, 2023 by Special to the Herald Times Comments are Disabled

The Heritage to open this weekend in Hugus Bldg.

MEEKER | “It’s a multipurpose space for the common goal. And that really is celebrating the art, history and culture of Meeker,” said Christy Whitney Borchard, founder of new business “Heritage” in the Hugus Building on Main Street which celebrates its grand opening this weekend. Visitors to the space[Read More…]

May 31, 2023 by Lucas Turner Comments are Disabled

Gilsonite

As I was standing in the White River Museum, someone uttered the word “Gilsonite.” I thought about saying “Gesundheit!” This was the first time in my life I had ever heard the word Gilsonite. They patiently explained it was something mined in the Western part of Rio Blanco. I nodded[Read More…]

March 3, 2023 by Special to the Herald Times Comments are Disabled

Letter: Old Timers future plans

Dear Editor: There will be an organizational meeting for those interested in the future of the Old Timers organization. The meeting will be held Wednesday April 20, at 5 p.m. at the White River Museum meeting center, (old mortuary room). Please plan to attend if you can provide input for[Read More…]

April 7, 2022 by Special to the Herald Times Comments are Disabled

My stork got lost!

Or, what do you mean I was adopted? The family tree gets complicated when we start talking about infant adoptions or single parent situations with the father’s name not talked about by the family. Today parents are more open with their adopted children. In the past however, adults were often[Read More…]

March 31, 2022 by Special to the Herald Times Comments are Disabled

I have inherited my mother’s Viking knees!

No, we didn’t just open a trunk and find a surprise from Mother. It’s just an expression used by Scandinavians to complain about joint pain, which seems to be a gene passed on through generations. Sometimes genes carry the predisposition to certain ailments and diseases. The Russian Royals are an[Read More…]

March 22, 2022 by Special to the Herald Times Comments are Disabled

DNA, in Ed’s Dictionary, stands for Don’t know Ancestors

Ok, maybe Webster doesn’t agree with me. On the other hand, Daniel Webster in 1806 didn’t know what DNA was either. Today the common tests used in genealogy are available by mail order. These tests don’t unravel your whole DNA, just the segments pointing to ethnicity or parentage. Don’t strain[Read More…]

March 8, 2022 by Special to the Herald Times Comments are Disabled

What a sticky web we weave

A small ancestor tree of three or four generations involves only 30 people. Easy to keep in a scrapbook. If your goal in WEEK ONE was to collect ancestors back to colonial times, you will need a more organized approach. 300 names soon become a tangled blur. A FAMILY TREE[Read More…]

February 23, 2022 by Special to the Herald Times Comments are Disabled

Would you like dates or coconuts on your tree?

It is a matter of personal preference. Do you want to store your family tree high up in the Cloud or do you want more control by only having it on your computer? Do you want to keep your tree available on your computer only or do you want the world[Read More…]

February 23, 2022 by Special to the Herald Times Comments are Disabled

“Did great-grandma really have her pigtails dipped in the inkwell in a one-room schoolhouse?”

By now, I hope you have collected basic information on your parents, grandparents, and hopefully a few great-grandparents. Write down as many family stories as you can. You know, the story of how Grandma had the chore of running water, when running water meant her, as a little girl running[Read More…]

February 16, 2022 by Special to the Herald Times Comments are Disabled

The keeper of the keys

After you have gathered as much about your parents as you can, you are ready to tackle the third generation: your grandparents. If you can, visit your grandparents. Repeat this type of interview asking the same questions about your parents. Be prepared this time to take notes. Grandparents have richer[Read More…]

February 9, 2022 by Special to the Herald Times Comments are Disabled