The daily sentinel., 1908-01-09


tiol of the Grand Junction Chamber
of Commerce with the work done in
the interests of the High Line canal.
a brief history of this organization is
entitled to a place in the columns of
this Jubilee edition.
As a prelude to this history 1t is
not out of place to give a little re-
view of the earlier commercial or
ganizations.
The Grand Junction citizens were
early imbued with the advantages of
organized effort in promoting the
material interests of the community.
In December, 1884, there was or
ganized the first commercial body.
called the Board of Trade, of which
d. Cranjall was president, sW. Il.
shaffer secretary and w. T. Carpen-
ter treasurer.
We have no records to show how
long this body was III existence, but
II appears to have been short lived.
In 1887 the Grand Junction Social
Club was organized, with a dual pur-
yertising the resources of the town
and valley.
The late Judge Charles F. Caswell
was one of the leading spirits in this
movement. orson Adams. Jr., John
w. Bridges. w. G. Connely. ]. F.
Brink, S. G. McMullin and others
were also active factors. Rooms ov-
er the old News building, where the
Majestic theater now stands. were
fitted up In elegant style.
A little later a real estate exchange
was organized to work in conjunc-
ton with the Social Club. and there
was great activity for time and
much was done to attract attention
to this section. Miss Jessie Gray,
who afterwards became Mrs. Judge
Caswell, was secretary and had the
charge of the office work. Ten thou
sand dollars was expended through
this work in advertising, and there
is no doubt but that much of this
was "bread cast upon the waters"
some Of which has returned to bless
the valley.
On July 20. 1889. the second
Board of Trade was organized, with
Mcfarland secretary.
The first action taken by this body
was to assist in securing the right
of way for w. II. Carpenters rail-
road along the line now occupied by
the Little Book Cliff coal road.
Under the direction of this body
$4,000 was raised to promote smell
ter scheme, and a man named Dun
can was sent east to do the promot-
Ing. 1t appears that the $1,000, Dun
can and the scheme all got lost in
some way-lost to Grand Junction,
at least.
Then for number of years there
was no commercial organization.
Then the late Charles w. Steele took
up the matter of organizing a Cham
ber of Commerce, and. though he
met with but little encouragement
at first, he continued the agitation
with the persistence characteristic of
the man, with the result that the
present Chamber of Commerce was
organized on the 3rd of March, 1903,
with charter membership of 116.
To Charley Steele more than to any
other man is due the credit of the |
present organization, and In this we
believe that he "builded better than |
he knew" for this body has been and |
will continue to be a very potent fac
tor In building up this Little Empire |
of the Western Slope.
On March 3. 1908. the constitu- !
board OF directors chosen. consisting
of the following men: orson Adams, |
Jr., c. ID. Fisher, John f. Moore, Ed |
win Price. ]. II. Ramey. David Rob-
erts, A. R. Sampliner. E. NJ. Slocomb.
George Smith. C. w. Steele and Geo. |
A. Currie.
On March the board organized
by electing the following officers.
President. Roberts; first vice presi-
dent. Sampliner; second vice presi-
dent. Adams; treasurer. Currie; sec
retary. Steele; and the board was In |
working order.
1t is notable that the first positive |
action taken by the board was on the |
High Line canal question.
At the first regular session of the |
board held on March 12. Mr.. II. C. |
Bush of the Colorado Midland rail-
road appeared to confer on plan !