During the Depression, George Pickens’ father used to leave coal in the open chute that fed coal into wagons and trucks. That way, people who desperately needed coal could come and take small amounts for their home use.
As a young man, George Pickens, now 93 years old and a resident of Fruita, began working in various coal mines, some owned by his father and some that were owned by others.
kAm“x =:<65 >:?:?8[” !:4<6?D D2:5 C646?E=J] “x H@C<65 2E D6G6C2= >:?6D H96? x H2D 😕 J a_D]” qJ E96?[ @DE @7 E96 :?6D H6C6 A2CE:2==J 6492?:K65] “p== H6 5:5 H2D D9@G6= 4@2= :?E@ 4@2= 42CD]”k^Am
kAm%92E H2D 2 72C 4CJ 7C@ H@C< :? E96 62C=:6C D>2== :?6D[ H9:49 !:4<6?D C676CC65 E@ 2D “A:4< >:?6D]” w6 6IA=2:?65[ “*@F 925 E@ =2J @? J@FC 324< 2?5 A:4< 2E E96 4@2= D62>]”k^Am
kAm|6D2 r@F?EJ 92D 925 2 76H =2C86 :?6D[ DF49 2D E96 q@@< r=:77 r@2= |:?6[ E96 r2>6@ |:?6 2?5 !@H56C9@C? r@2=] qFE :E 5:5?’E 56G6=@A 2 2DD:G6 4@2= :?5FDECJ =:<6 @E96C A2CED @7 r@=@C25@]k^Am
kAm(92E :E 5:5 92G6[ 368:??:?8 😕 E96 =2E6 `g__D 2?5 4@?E:?F:?8 E9C@F89 E96 `hd_D[ H6C6 5@K6?D @7 D2== :?6D E92E AC@5F465 4@2= 2:?=J 7@C =@42= 4@?DFAE:@?] p?5 E9@D6 4@2= :?6D H6C6 A2CE @7 E96 723C:4 @7 E96 4@F?:EJ]k^Am
kAm%9C@F89@FE E96 7:CDE 92=7 @7 E96 a_E9 46?EFCJ[ 25G6CE:D66?ED DF49 2D E96D6 7C6BF6?E=J 2AA62C65 😕 %96 s2:=J $6?E:?6=ik^Am
kAm“w:556? %C62DFC6 r@2=] uC@ :?6 E@ J@FC 3:?] r2== _d`g#a]”k^Am
kAm“%H@ 8@@5 4@2= :?6 F=6D … !9] fah[ ~C492C5 r@]”k^Am
kAm“r@2= :?6 7@C D2=6] p 8@@5 4@2= :?6 H:E9 A=6?EJ @7 4@2= 23@FE ab :=6D 7C@ vC2?5 yF?4E:@?]”k^Am
kAm“(2?E65 – v:C= 7@C 86?6C2= 9@FD6 H@C< 2E 4@2= >:?6 … x?BF:C6 abg $@FE9 pG6]”k^Am
kAm%96C6 H6C6 6G6? D@4:2= @FE:?8D[ 2D H96? E96 $6?E:?6= C6A@CE65 😕 `hbh[ “|C] 2?5 |CD] uC2?< *@F?8>2? 6?E6CE2:?65 2 8C@FA @7 E96:C 7C:6?5D 2E 2 H:6?6C C@2DE 2E E96 $E@G6 r2?J@? :?6 =2DE uC:52J 6G6?:?8]”k^Am
kAm&?7@CEF?2E6=J[ E96C6 H6C6 2=D@ A=6?EJ @7 DE@C:6D 9:89=:89E:?8 E96 52?86CD @7 H@C<:?8 :? 4@2= >:?6D] u@C :?DE2?46[ EH@ 6? H6C6 <:==65 2E E96 w:556? %C62DFC6 >:?6 ?@CE9 @7 vC2?5 yF?4E:@?[ H9:49 v6@C86 !:4<6?D 72E96C 925 @?46 @H?65[ 7C@> 2 C@4< 72== :? `hd_] xE H2D E96:C 7:CDE 52J @7 H@C<:?8 :? E96 >:?6[ E96 $6?E:?6= D2:5]k^Am
kAmr@2= H2D 2? :A@CE2?E 4@@5:EJ 😕 62C=J vC2?5 yF?4E:@?] sFC:?8 D6EE=6CD’ 7:CDE H:?E6C 96C6 😕 `gg`\ga[ C6D:56?ED 5F8 H92E 4@2= E96J 4@F=5 7C@ D2== DFC7246 56A@D:ED]k^Am
kAmqJ E96 D64@?5 H:?E6C[ 9@H6G6C[ 562?5 7@C 4@2= H2D 8C@H:?8[ 2?5 2 76H A6@A=6 3682? D66<:?8 4@>6C4:2=\8C256 4@2= 56A@D:ED]k^Am
kAm$6G6C2= D2== 4@2= :?6 H6C6 =@42E65 2=@?8 E96 vF??:D@? 2?5 vC2?5 C:G6CD ?62C vC2?5 yF?4E:@?] %96C6 H6C6 =2C86C :?6D ?62C #2A:5 rC66< 62DE @7 !2=:D256 2?5 2?@E96C 2E $2=E (2D9[ 3FE EC2?DA@CE2E:@? 7C@> 6:E96C H2D 5:77:4F=E]k^Am
kAmx? pF8FDE `ggc[ 2 2? ?265 v6@C86 $:E9 EC6<<65 E@ E96 q@@<4=:77D ?@CE9 @7 vC2?5 yF?4E:@?[ 2 76H >:=6D H6DE @7 |@F?E v2C7:6=5] %96C6[ 96 5:D4@G6C65 2 =2C86 G6:? @7 4@2= E92E[ E96 vC2?5 yF?4E:@? }6HD D2:5[ H2D =2C86 6?@F89 E@ DFAA=J D6G6C2= EC2:?=@25D 2 52J]k^Am
kAmqJ $6AE636C[ $:E9 2?5 EH@ @E96CD 925 7@C65 E96 q@@< r=:77 r@2= r@>A2?J] (:E9:? 2 J62C[ E96 :?6 H2D AC@5F4:?8 2?5 4@2= H2D 36:?8 92F=65 E@ vC2?5 yF?4E:@? 3J H28@?]k^Am
kAmqFE :E H@F=5 E2<6 2?@E96C >2?[ (]%] r2CA6?E6C E@ 7F==J 56G6=@A E96 q@@< r=:77 r@2= r@>A2?J]k^Am
kAmr2CA6?E6C 925 6DE23=:D965 E96 |6D2 r@F?EJ q2?< D@@? 27E6C 96 2CC:G65 :? E96 G2==6J :? `ggb] x? `ggg[ 96 AFC492D65 $>:E9’D q@@< r=:77 |:?6 2?5 E96 ?62C3J vC2?5 '2==6J |:?6[ 2?5 H:E9 =@42= :?G6DE@CD[ 96 4C62E65 E96 vC2?5 '2==6J uF6= r@]k^Am
kAmw6 2=D@ D2H E96 ?665 7@C 2 36EE6C 62?D E@ 86E E96 4@2= E@ 2C<6ED] x? |2J `gh`[ E96 ``\>:=6\=@?8 {:EE=6 q@@< r=:77 #2:=H2J 3682? 92F=:?8 9:D 4@2= E@ vC2?5 yF?4E:@?]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ EC2?DA@CE:?8 4@2=[ E96 C2:=C@25 76CC:65 A2DD6?86CD E@ E96 :?:?8 4@F?:EJ 2?5 E@ 2 C6D@CE E92E r2CA6?E6C H2D 3F:=5:?8 2E 2 DAC:?8 2E E96 6586 @7 E96 q@@<4=:77D] xE H@F=5 364@>6
kAmqFE (]%] r2CA6?E6C’D 7@CEF?6D D@@? 3682? E@ 564=:?6] x? `ghf[ 96 D@=5 E96 :?6D[ E96 C2:=C@25 2?5 E96 E@H? @7 r2CA6?E6C E@ xD224 (J2? 7C@ |2DD249FD6EED]k^Am
kAm(96? 96 5:65 😕 `h`_[ (J2? H:==65 2== @7 E96 724:=:E:6D E@ !C:?46E@? &?:G6CD:EJ] %96 xGJ {628F6 $49@@= <6AE 6G6CJE9:?8 @A6C2E:?8 F?E:= `hab[ H96? 2? F?56C8C@F?5 7:C6 7@C465 :E E@ D62= E96 q@@< r=:77 |:?6] x? `haf[ :E 4=@D65 E96 >:?6D[ 232?5@?65 E96 E@H? 2?5 D@=5 @77 E96 C2:=D 2?5 C@==:?8 DE@4< @7 E96 {:EE=6 q@@< r=:77 #2:=H2J]k^Am
kAmqFE @E96C :?6D 4@?E:?F65 E@ @A6C2E6] ~?=:?6 C64@C5D 2E E96 |6D2 r@F?EJ pDD6DD@C’D ~77:46 D9@H @C6 E92? d_ :?6D H6C6 =@42E65 2=@?8 E96 q@@<4=:77D 7C@> r26@ E@ $2=E (2D9] |@DE H6C6 D2== @A6C2E:@?D H9@D6 4@2= H2D D@=5 AC:2C:=J 7@C C6D:56?E:2= FD6]k^Am
kAm!:4<6?D’ 72E96C[ v6@C86 $C][ 925 366? 2 >:?6C 😕 {F5=@H 😕 `h`c[ H96? DEC:<:?8 >:?6CD 2?5 E96:C 72:=:6D H6C6 2DD24C65 3J DE2E6 :=:E:2] w6 2CC:G65 😕 E96 vC2?5 ‘2==6J 😕 `haa[ H96? =@42= 562?5 7@C 4@2= H2D ?62C :ED A62< 2?5 2E =62DE `g >:?6D H6C6 @A6C2E:?8]k^Am
kAm$E2E6H:56 AC@5F4E:@? H2D 2=D@ 9:89] |@C6 E92? `_ :==:@? E@?D @7 4@2= H6C6 :?65 😕 r@=@C25@ 😕 `haa[ 2? :?4C62D6 @7 2=@DE h A6C46?E @G6C `ha`[ 6G6? E9@F89 ?2E:@?H:56 4@2= DEC:<6D E6>A@C2C:=J 4=@D65 D@6 :?6D]k^Am
kAm#@F89=J 92=7 @7 E96 DE2E6’D `haa AC@5F4E:@? 426 7C@ D2== :?6D H96C6 E96 4@2= H2D A:4<65 @FE 3J 92?5[ C2E96C E92? 3J >249:?6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2 DE2E6 :?:?8 C6A@CE]k^Am
kAm%96 6=56C !:4<6?D 42>6 E@ |6D2 r@F?EJ E@ H@C< 2E E96 p?49@C |:?6[ 2?5 96 DF3D6BF6?E=J @G6CD2H :ED 4=@D:?8] {2E6C[ 96 H@C<65 2E E96 u2C>6CD |:?6[ E96 w:4
kAmtG6?EF2==J[ 96 3@F89E E96 $E@G6 r2?J@? |:?6[ H9:49 H2D ;FDE ?@CE9 @7 E96 |6D2 r@F?EJ 3@C56C 😕 v2C7:6=5 r@F?EJ] “xE H2D 3:8 5FC:?8 E96 H2C J62CD W(@C=5 (2C xxX[” 9:D D@? C642==65]k^Am
kAmqFE 27E6C (@C=5 (2C xx[…
Read More: Small coal mines were a mainstay of 20th century Mesa County community |