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Show THE ZEPHYR JUNE 1990 v $1 A ..i Meanwhile during 18751883 Richardson was totally Involved In making the settlement work. He was the Instigator In getting a sawmill Into the area; finished the bridge across the Gunnison Just south of Palisades; developed and sold coal mines and toll roads; tried his hand at making bricks, terra cotta and cement; built a stationary and drug store which served the community as a church, law office, school, political and social gathering place. He put up buildings on many of the lots he owned and he wrote for the local papers, including the short lived one he started In 1883, and he made speeches and entertained as a musician. However, Richardson's business acumen Is best Illustrated by his deal with Otto Mears for the Cebolla Toll Road to haul coal to Lake CKy. Richardson built It for $2,000 and sold It to Mears for half that Reportedly a business deal altogether too typical of Richardson. By November of 1885 he was broke and his prospects In ruins. He packed his belongings and set out with a wagon and team and a friend, Joseph Harpole to move to what Is now known as Professor Valley along the Colorado River between Moab and Dewey. They came by way of Paradox Valley In Colorado and Richardson settled on what he called Bijou Creek, now the Professor Creek according to U.S. Geological Survey maps. His fortunes were at low ebb for It was reported that he only had three dollars In his pocket when he arrived In Utah. Gunnison papers reported that Richardson had founded the first Gentile colony In Utah. If so It consisted mostly of Richardson for he apparently had no family with him until he remarried In the fall of 1886 to Marion Muir, a writer who contributed to the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Inter-Oceand who he met while running his newspaper the Gunnison Sun. Richardson established a store at the mouth of Bijou of Professor Creek. This was built of slabs set In the ground vertically and was on the Dole Ranch property until burned some years ago. A post office named Richardson was established here on September 15, 1886 with Richardson as Postmaster. Mall came over the trail from Moab until Richardson secured an "established mall route to Cisco In July of 1888, "a much shorter trip than the present way of circling around via Moab and Thompsons", Richardson also homesteaded a farmranch further up the creek on property presently owned by Robin Wilson, the Professor Valley Ranch. Here he experimented with the growing of various trees and plants to see which would do best In the desert climate. During 1887 and 1888 he and his wife continued to submit glowing reports on the agricultural successes he and his neighbors were making In the valley and In "Little Castle Valley (Castle Valley) to the Grand Junction News. In January of 1897 the editor of the Grand Valley Times visited Richardson describing his home and ranch life. He reportedly had an orchard and vineyard under cultivation. Mrs. Richardson was contributing to "leading papers and periodicals throughout the country as a writer. Later that year, In April 30, 1897, It was reported that the fruit was In bloom at the Richardsons ranch. Almonds, Japanese plums, apricots, pie plant (rhubarb), asparagus and onions were growing there. Today there Is a dense grove of trees near the ruins of the homestead where Richardson lived. Among the trees today are honey locust, allantha (tree of heaven), elm, ash, osage orange, apricot, pear, mulberry, lombardy popular, apple, sliver maple and others. More than the soil of Richardsons Ranch was fertile for It was announced In the Grand Junction News that Mrs. Richardson produced a son on February 22, 1888; no name being given. Grand County was created by an act of March 13, 1890 and separated from Emery County. This created a need for county officers at the county seat In Moab. Sylvester Richardson was appointed prosecuting attorney until a general election could be held that fall. At the general election Richardson was voted In as a selectman. He continued his Interest In politics during his lifetime as the Grand Valley Times reported In Its weekly publication which started In 1896. He served frequently as an election judge for his area and sometimes was on the county Republican committee although he seemed to lean more to an Independent philosophy. In October of 1896 he ran as an Independent for County Attorney and lost, getting only 60 votes. Richardson, In keeping with the times, was not too fond of Mormonlsm although In his reports to the News he mentions various aspects of life In Moab, where most of the Mormons settled, very favorably. He brags about Bishop Stewarts peaches and thanks Postmaster Crouse of Moab for his help. The polygamy problem seems to have been at the bottom of most of the antagonism. However In 1900 he presided over a girls' oratorlal contest In Moab on Pioneers Day so It wasn't all bad. During the same period he was engaged In a legal battle with his neighbor, Waring, over the water In Professor Creek. It was finally settled In November 1900, with Richardson getting one third of one cubic foot per second as a primary right Waring got two thirds of a cubic foot per second after this and then the rest of the water was to be divided equally. Inasmuch as Waring settled In the area after Richardson, this seems a rather unfair division. 1900 was a bad year for Richardson as he was accused by the postal authorities of a shortage of funds at his post office. Friends raised a $2,000 bond and by the end of the year he had satisfactorily cleared the matter. The Professor died In Morrison, Colorado on May 4, 1902. Over exposure while locating and surveying oil lands around Cisco hastened his death according to the papers. The Grand Valley Times said he was 76 years old and that his son, Denver, bom In 1861 In Denver, was a conductor on the Denver and Rio Grand Railroad and was the first child bom In Denver. It Is Ironic that Richardson was prospecting so far from home as one of the earliest uranium claims In Grand County was located just across the creek from his home and less than a mile away. Such was Richardsons luck however. Richardson was described as over six feet In height and "spare of build . He wore a beard most of his life and was at home In the hills as well as the town. He was a good conversationalist and spoke In a positive manner which brought him attention. He left Gunnison with good feelings but not Grand County. His wife, who had moved to Morrison, Colorado, complained to the Denver Post that the Mormon neighbors had Interfered with Richardsons endeavors - possbly referring to the water suit The editor of the Grand Valley Times denied this. Marion Richardson sold the ranch, both parcels, by the end of 1902 with "water rights and ditches. a rocked up well located Today there are foundations of Richardsons buildings and of the Professors evidence Ranch. Wilson They give north of the grove he planted on the dreams and hopes. Perhaps they can someday be studied and preserved, for the Professor deserves some recognition for his contributions to the settlement of the pioneer wesL an J .1 A v 'K A i PAGE 19 SKILLED. PROFESSIONAL SERVICE DEDICATED TO OUR GUESTS.. 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