The Elk Mountain pilot., 1923-09-20
THE DREAMS OF PIONEERS
BID FAIR TO BE REALIZED
(Contributed.l

across the mountains of Colorado,
will be pleased to know that at last
efforts to have a road built around
the point of Black Mesa and along
the rim of Black canon are beginning
to bear fruit, which fact was evil
denced by the presence in Crawford
last week of Messrs. A. E. Palen and
George F. Kelliso. These two gentle
men are in the service of the U. 5.
Bureau of Public Roads and their
business in Crawford last week was
to go over the proposed Black Mesa
road for the purpose of selecting
camp sites for the surveying crew
that moved in on the 11th inst, to
begin work. This corps of surveyors
consist of twelve men and they will
make the survey from Crystal creek
to Curecanti creek. The State High
way Department will cooperate with
this party of surveyors and will have
their corps of State Highway engin-
eers make the survey from Sapinero
to Curecanti creek and from Crystal
creek to an intersection with the
present Delta Hotchkiss Crawford
Gunnison branch of the Rainbow
Route. The work by the State High
way Department will be under the
supervision of Major John ]. Vande-
moer and Mr.. H. T. Reno.
Each of the following engineers
and officials have gone over the pro-
posed Black Mesa road for the pur-
pose of making reports to the various
Departments represented by them:
Major John J. Vandemoer, Messrs. Ed
Cowden, George Toupain and H. T.
Reno, all of the State Highway Dept.
Messrs, A. E. Palen, L. A. Hamilton
and George F. Helliso of the U. S.
Bureau of Public Roads Messrs.
Fred d. Mendenhall, Theo, Kreuger
and Ben c. Heilman of the u. S. For
est Road Dept. Each of these gen.
tlemen, after making a thorough in
vestigation of the proposed location
for the road, said that it would afford
later Fall and earlier Spring travel;
that it was feasible road PROPOSE
tion and that it would serve the peo-
ple in a practical way for utility
purposes.
Everyone who has been over the
proposed road says that for majestic
beauty and mountain grandeur the
scenery is unsurpassed. For num-
ber of miles the road will follow the
world famed Black Canon, whose diz-
zy heights you can see far below, the
silvery, restless Gunnison river wind
ing it's way.
The estimated cost of the entire
survey is $4,000. A sum that surely
would not be spent, were it not for
the fact that all the preliminary in
vestigations showed the proposed road
to be a practical proposition.
If all the early pioneers, those
brave hearted men and women. who
first came to the Western Slope,
nearly all of whom came across the
Black Mesa, from whose crest they
first glimpsed the fertile valleys in
which they were to make their future
.homes-where they and their chill
dren and those who were to follow
in their footsteps, were to work, toll
and spend their lives, could know of
the beginning of the survey, no doubt
all those old pioneers would say "Our
dreams are coming true.
Those pioneers who first travelled
into the Western Slope across Black
Mesa saw the wonderful opportunity
offered by the rift through the noun
tains, around the point of Black
Mesa, for the construction of road
most of which would have a southern
exposure and be from 300 to 1000
feet lower than any other road that
could be constructed through the
mountains. Each of these pioneer
men and women as well as all who
have followed in their footsteps have
had dreams of the day when a road
would be built around the point of
Black Mesa and tits but natural that
now, after many years of waiting. the
FIRST steps in the construc tion of this
long-dreamed of road are about to be
taken. it brings a feeling of rejoicing
to each of those who are living and a
wish from all, that the pioneers who
have passed away could be with us
now to see their dream being realized.
Much credit for the present favor
able status for the construction of
the Black Mesa road is due the vari-
ous officials of the State Highway
Department; the U. S. Forest Ser
vice, Delta, Montrose and Gunnison
county commissioners; the Bureau of
Public Roads and the Western Slope
newspapers and the numerous com,
m"rcial. civic and bankers organiza-
lions of the Western Slope, as well as
hundreds of individuals; all of whom
have never lost an opportunity to do
everything possible. at all times. for
the construction of the Black Mesa
road
The first pioneers who came to the
Western Slope looking for locations
were: Samuel Wade, Enos Hotchkiss,
and John Mcintyre These three
men crossed Black Mesa in the year
1881 These men with many others
who came later did much for the de-
velopment of this country and by
their grit, determination and rigid
honesty which cbaracterizec oil +r,,