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Show 4 - BRIEF TIMES - APRIL 15, 1996 More Silvey. from p. 2 Utes agreed to a reservation fifteen Durango, a distance of 135 miles to get against property owners who are now flour. as he could not and would not over 3 months delinquent on their POA dues. Some discussion about access to office space. Difficult situation since records nwd to be secure, but neither give them any more biscuits. Then they demanded biscuits. “Your squaw miles wide and eighty miles long in cook’em!” they ordered. southwestern Colorado, bordering New Mexico. They were also to get their rations from the Government and some money. The majority of the Indians were satisfied with this arrangement “You go! Vamoose, pronto,” Ray told them. and at the same time took up his forty-four Winchester rifle. Suddenly they left for their camp. The next day the old Indian, “Wash.” rode but some were not and more especially the younger Indians were unhappy as they liked to roam free over the country that had been theirs for so many generations. Thus a number rebelled and would not accept rations from the Government nor would they stay long on their reservation. After this territory was opened to settlement and homesteads to the whites. large numbers of the white people came into the Gunnison City country, then Montrose. Grand Junction, etc. Rich silver and gold mines were struck at Lake City, Ouray, Telluride, Silverton and Rico. Soon after the town of Durango boomed bringing in many thousands of miners, prospectors and ranchmen to this district where the Indian roamed free from the white man’s domination. San Juan County settlers being at that time only a few in number, this looked like a happy hunting ground for over to Coyote and finding no one at the best arrangement that has existed.) home but grandpa and grandma Maxwell, he was very bold. “Your May be time to review plans for squaw cook’em biscuits for me!” he told grandpa. “Dam you! Get out!”, grandpa replied. Wash was sitting on his pony near the small gate that led to their cabin. Raising his quirt he struck grandpa Maxwell over the head and shoulders. Grandpa made a rush to the cabin for his gun, and sticking it through the open window he tried to on the community lot. Maxwell saved the small bunch of settlers from a complete massacre. as the whites were outnumbered ten to one, and most of them had but a few rounds of cartridges, while the Indians were well armed and always kept a and what we called in those days, Piutes or “Renegades.” Early in the spring of 1881, a number of small bands of Piutes invaded northern San Juan County. They were impudent and married a chip on their shouldas. One band was at La Sal, another band camped near the head of Pack Creek. and a large band near Dodge Springs on South Montezuma. Their ponies were fat and they no doubt felt like going on the war path and getting some fresh new horses. The band of Piutes at La Sal were almost constantly running horse races. They madearacetracknmrla Sal and would rope yearling calves and drag them up, and down the race tracks, (trails about 20 feet apart is the way they made the race tracks those days), to make the tracks smooth and also to anger the settlers. They would beg for biscuits constantly from the housewives. Finally Mr. Ray told them that his “papooses” would soon be out of biscuits and so they must go to building a small community building More discussion about budgeting for coming year. Town will give POA budgeting information before next POA meeting. Options included possibility of reducing POA dues for next year. May be time to save some funds for office space on the community lot. get a bead on Wash to shoot him, but by this time Wash was some fifty yards away and had gained the timber, dodging among the trees. It was hard to get a good shot, but finally grandpa got a head on Wash and started to press the trigger, but just then grandma knocked the gun up and it was discharded in the air Perhaps this act of Grandma the dissatisfied Indians, who did not want any reservation restrictions. This group of Indians included both northern and southern Utes with a few Navajos Town nor POA has locking file cabinets at this time. (The present location of Town and POA files in a room in Lois Oliver’s home is by far reserve of fifty rounds of cartridges in those days. TOWN COUNCIL NOTES April 10, 1996 MEETING All TC members present. Community Lot: new design for pavillion is being prepared, but is not available yet. Road Committee: road signs almost done. Signs up for about half of valley. Oni Butterfly was given $200 dollars to help defray her costs for her last Atlas Tailings mailing. Resolution establishing procedures for processing and notification of zoning violations tabled until April 17th meeting. Next month: “Ambush” and “The Killing of Dick May.” Much appreciation to the Titus-Independent for giving permission to reprint these selections from the History and Settlement of Northern San Juan County. Utah, from the writings of Frank Silvey, an early pioneer in this area POA NOTES—BOARD MEETING April 3, 1996 Board members Melody Taylor, Richard Williams and Ray Taylor were present. Ray Taylor reported that there was no point in the POA relocating the culde-sac at the lower end of Homestead Lane, because the legal opinions seem to indicate that the Town owns the roads. About 30 liens have been recorded TC meeting time officially changed to 6:30 pm at firestation. Discussion about signs at front gate: appreciation was expressed for the CV folks who cleaned up the front gate area. Some concern was raised about needing a policy allowing a few community info signs to be up for a short time (such as. a sign announcing the CV Spring Clean-up this coming Sat). No decision reached. Town Council received two writter complaints about an alleged zoning violation in the lower part of the valley where an absentee property owner has apparently been advertising and renting out her house as an overnight rental unit. Lois Oliver submitted her letter of resignation from the TC. She stated that she will continue to serve as Town Clerk. |