Mancos Valley Oral History Project

Quilt depicting scenes from Mancos, Colorado, including mountains, animals, and historical elements. Center text: "Settled 1876, Mancos, Colorado."

Installment 1

We were contacted by Elizabeth Manus , author and writer and editor, back in early May of this year. She was anticipating a move to CO from NY City…

A fabric quilt depicts two people with a pack animal walking through a mountainous landscape.

Installment 2

“Since 1841 when the Spanish made a treaty with the Utes, several expeditions had explored the Mancos Valley, either prospecting for gold and silver…

A quilted image of oxen pulling a covered wagon through hilly terrain with a mountain backdrop.

Installment 3

“News of the beautiful valley spread to relatives and friends. Soon homesteaders were making the arduous journey in covered wagons. The wagons were…

A textile artwork depicting a horse pulling logs in a snowy landscape with trees, signed "Sandy Jones."

Installment 4

Many farmers went to the woods in the slack season to fell trees for their own use or to haul logs to the mills for ready cash. At first the mills…

Patchwork quilt with landscape design: hills, trees, and two crosses on a grid-patterned border.

Installment 5

“Honoring their religious heritage, the pioneers gathered in homes for Sunday school classes, ministered to one another and to strangers, and welcomed…

A quilt with a woodland scene featuring mountains, logs, a tree, and a riverbank against a plaid border.

Installment 6

The J.M. Rush Grist and Sawmill opened in 1883. Soon many mills were located in the alley. The arrival of the railroad in 1891 provided transportation…

A quilt patch depicting a person in a wagon pulled by two horses, set against a green and blue landscape background.

Installment 7

At first all supplies had to be hauled in by freight wagon or pack animals from the railroad terminal in Alamosa. After the Rio Grande Southern…

A quilt with a landscape and architectural design, featuring brown and green tones and checkered patterns.

Installment 8

Undoubtedly, the 18th century explorers caught glimpses of the Anasazi ruins, and William H. Jackson of the Hayden Geological Survey photographed the…

A quilt with a landscape design featuring mountains, sky, a tree, and a longhorn.

Installment 9

The first class graduating from the Mancos High School in 1908 included James Rickner, Belle Roberts, Eva Rutherford, Sadie Todd, Ruth Wattles, and…

A quilt featuring a mountain landscape with trees and sheep on green hills.

Installment 10

Founded in 1893, the Mancos Times published all the news fit to print. The advertisements alone reveal much about the goods, services, and…

Quilt art depicting Guillet's Flour Mill with buildings, smoke, and mountains, labeled "1898" and "Barbara Chapman."

Installment 11

In 1898 the Guillet brothers build a flour mill in the northwest corner of Mancos. The mill ground flour, bran, for livestock and for the community…

A quilted scene featuring a person with a fishing rod and a cat, set against a background of mountains and trees.

Installment 12

“Homesteaders located along the river to obtain water for their fields. Root and Ratliff, Crystal Creek, and other ditch companies formed to cooperate…

Quilt art depicting a horse pulling a red cart in a mountainous landscape.

Installment 13

The hills surrounding Mancos were rich with coal. Coal was needed to power the smelters in Durango and Rico, fuel the steam engines, and heat homes…

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