Relive the Grand Valley's Past Farmers + Growers Through Photos

My early morning drive through Palisade last Wednesday sparked a few memories of Western Colorado farmers and growers of the 1970s. Here's a look at a handful of orchards and farms of the past, captured by the lens of Grand Junction photographer Robert Grant.

Last Wednesday morning warranted an early morning hike up Mt. Garfield. By the time the sun was up, I was at the top of Mt. Garfield, enjoying the view of the valley. Looking back on the early 1970s, I spent quite a bit of quality time in Palisade with my Grandpa, Bob Grant. He loved to photograph the growers in the Palisade and Clifton area and use the photos for his annual calendar.

The gallery below consists of photos selected at random from Bob Grant's collection. Not a single one of these prints included a date of information about those pictured. That's part of the fun of putting together these galleries - getting them in front of the public and finding out who these people area.

Judging by those photographed, it appears this gallery includes photos from the 1950s through the early 1980s. The bell-bottom pants are a dead giveaway when it comes to the shots taken in the 1970s.

Take a look, you might see someone you recognize. You'll definitely recognize the surroundings.

Growers and Farmers of Western Colorado

One of my agendas in life is to identify those pictured in Bob Grant's photos. The photos I publish in the posts are from his personal collection and not those used during his career at the Daily Sentinel. When I inherited his collection, the photos came to me in cardboard boxes and dozens of file cabinets. They were in no particular order and came with no information as to those pictured or the dates. It's fun to get these out in front of people, and when possible, get the prints to those pictured or their families.