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<br />188-' -" ..... ". .<I
<br />
<br />COLORADO MAGAZINE
<br />
<br />Lauzon, had come to view the waters of the near-by but inac-
<br />cessible Gunnison River with proprietary anticipation in the
<br />late nineteenth century. Irrigation had come into vogue in the
<br />Uncompahgre Valley about 1875, the first crop being hay for
<br />shipment to the southwestern Colorado mines.' Availability
<br />of water by irrigation ditches, starting about 18B4, made pos-
<br />sible the raising of either crops and fruit trees. However, water
<br />resources of the valley soon proved inadequate under the
<br />increased demand. Much of the agricultural land was aban-
<br />doned and many a valuable house was deserted. Those settlers
<br />who remained naturally began toying with the idea of divert-
<br />ing the greater flow of the Gunnison into their own valley by
<br />means of tunnels and canals.
<br />
<br />If a tunnel were to be constructed, it was imperative that
<br />the canyon be surveyed to ascertain the best location for such
<br />a project. Up to 1882 the Black Canyon had generally been
<br />considered as impassable, and little specific information was
<br />available about it. The local Utes occasionally crossed the river
<br />within the present national monument area, especially at Red
<br />Rock Canyon, but reputedly felt that anyone going down-
<br />stream would never come out alive.' Gunnison had avoided
<br />the canyon in 1853, by-passing it to the south and west as had
<br />Escalante before him in 1776. In 1874 the Middle Division of
<br />the Hayden Survey skirted the north rim of the canyon
<br />throughout its length, establishing several survey stations
<br />within the present extent of the Monument. Someone with
<br />this party reportedly gazed into the gorge and declared it
<br />inaccessible.' At one time an unidentified geologist who had
<br />been lowered 1000 feet into the chasm commented that "no
<br />man could go farther and live.".
<br />
<br />The winter of 1882-83 saw the first successful, though par-
<br />tial, survey carried out within the canyon.' By this time the
<br />Denver and Rio Grande Railway had completed its line from
<br />Gunnison into the Black Canyon to Cimarron, the first pas-
<br />senger train passing to the end of the tracks on the morning
<br />of August 13, 1882.' One hundred twenty-one tickets had been
<br />
<br />3 U. S. Reclamation Service, First A1~n.ual R.eport of the Reclam.ation Service
<br />from. June 11 to December I, 1902 (1903), p. 133.
<br />-4 Forbes-Lindsey, op. cU.. 9377.
<br />ri A. L. FeJlows. "The Gunnison Tunnel," Forestry and Irrigation, Vol. 9
<br />(No,'ember. 1903). 530,
<br />. Rolker and Willey. op. cit... 508.
<br />1 The account of this triIJ given here is based upon the following sources:
<br />Byron H. Bryant, MSS XI-26, Library, State HistorIcal Society of Colorado.
<br />Denver. This is a typed copy of a letter written to Bryant's brother, Dr. Emory
<br />A. Bryant; Byron H. Bn:ant. "Exploration of the Black Canyon," The Trail,
<br />Vol. 12, NO.3 (1919), 5-10. This js a published copy of the letter cited above;
<br />J. Fred Hunter, "Pre-Cambrian Rocks of Gunnison River, Colorad()." U. S. Geol.
<br />Surv. Bull." No. 777 (1925), ;;-4. Bryant's trip is sometimes incorrectly dated
<br />as having taken place in 1881-1882 or even 1881-1883.
<br />8 George A. Root, "Gunni~on in the: Early 'Eighties," The Colorado .Mn.Qn~inej
<br />Vol. IX, No.6 (Nov., 1932), 208. So difficult had railroad workers found access
<br />to the upper Black Canyon that they had had to use ladders from boats or hang
<br />su!:'pp.n{.ll:~11 in rope cradles from tlle cliffs above t~ put in their black powder
<br />charges for blasting out the railroad bed. Brighafl}.' 'op. dt., p. 133.
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