GIANTS OF SAN JUAN
by Buckley Jensen
Jose Prudensio Gonzales arrived in Monticello with his family in March of 1900 at the age of 16. He lived for nearly a century in this small community at the foot of the Blue Mountains.
J.P. made an enormous contribution to the Hispanic Community...
Ranching Adams brothers
GIANTS OF SAN JUAN
by Buckley Jensen
Making a living in San Juan in the early days was generally by farm, ranch or both.
It was never easy. Drought, price fluctuations, predators (both animal and human) and other obstacles were a constant challenge.
Three...
Missionary to the Navajos
GIANTS OF SAN JUAN
by Buckley Jensen
Harold Baxter Liebler was born, raised and educated in Brooklyn, New York.
In his youth, he very much wanted to go west to Montana and become a sheepman. His parents and family pleaded with him to go to college for at...
Promoter, cowboy known as Father of Canyonlands
GIANTS OF SAN JUAN
by Buckley Jensen
Ross W. Musselman was one of the most colorful of San Juan’s early cowboy promoters. His love for the beauty of this area, and his efforts to promote it in the East won him the title of “Father of...
Big-4 Tractor, an early pioneer, may make appearance on Pioneer Day
GIANTS OF SAN JUAN
by Buckley Jensen
The giant green tractor that resided in the Monticello City Park for over 40 years fascinated thousands of tourists.
The Big-4 has a rich history in San Juan County, as the...
A life of selfless service and an uncanny knack to elicit support
GIANTS OF SAN JUAN
by Buckley Jensen
Dorothy Rasmussen Adams moved to San Juan County as a child in l915. With her father, mother and two brothers, they homesteaded in the Ucola area. Her mother died suddenly in 1920,...
Old Settler Albert R. Lyman was the Father of Blanding
GIANTS OF SAN JUAN
by Buckley Jensen
When Albert Lyman was born in Fillmore, UT on January 10, 1880, his father was building a road through the Hole-in-the-Rock. He spent part of his boyhood in Scipio, but his first love was Bluff...
Monticello’s first mayor had a hand in many enterprises
GIANTS OF SAN JUAN
by Buckley Jensen
Fifty-two years ago, in 1955, a granite slab was placed on the front lawn of the Courthouse in Monticello. It was placed there to remind those who came later who came first. The inscription...
“Sticka ta toody” comes to San Juan
GIANTS OF SAN JUAN
by Buckley Jensen
Kuman Jones wrote: “As for the physical or practical part of the establishing of the San Juan Colony, Bishop Jense Nielson stands first. I have met many men in whose hands I would be willing to place my life and...
While long term impact slight, “prophetess” left mark on area
GIANTS OF SAN JUAN
by Buckley Jensen
This tiny woman, who stood less than five feet tall, garnered world-wide attention and fame. Her fascinating story as told by the world’s press is extraordinary. The notoriety that came...
