An accessory from the 1920s is this woman�s purse in royal blue beadwork. The frame and clasp are filigree metal. The small size of the purse is appropriate for downsized clothes. Women�s fashions became less confining in the mid 1920s as hemlines rose to the knees, and sleeves could be short. Women�s figures were expected to conform to the new slim look. 

The 1920s
 

The 1920s were called �The Roaring Twenties� nationally. But in Grand Junction these years were calm and progressive. There was much construction, including a fine new courthouse, the Avalon Theatre, and many schools. The council and city manager form of administration dates from 1922. The population reached 8,665 by 1920, for an increase of 11.7 percent between 1910-1920.
 

PEOPLE

William J. Moyer, shown near a Christmas display in the Fair Store, became the leading citizen of Grand Junction. The Fair Store opened in 1890 and was the largest department store in Western Colorado. His other major investments included the Grand Valley National Bank. Mr. and Mrs. Moyer were generous with their wealth. They financed young people through college and donated the city�s first public swimming pool, the Moyer Natatorium. Unfortunately, the Great Depression of the 1930s brought financial ruin to the Moyer enterprises.

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When Franklin High School was razed at 6th and Rood, the site was used for the new Mesa County Courthouse. Construction began in 1922 on the limestone, neoclassical structure and it was built to high standards. Hallways had marble wainscoting and terrazzo floors, court rooms were outfitted in golden oak. The front doors of brass had ornate grilles. It was dedicated in 1924.
(Dean Studio Photo)

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As early as 1904 there was an attempt to establish a state college here. The idea of two year junior colleges was developing in the 1920s. Eventually the Colorado legislature and the governor agreed to an extension school of the University of Colorado. In the fall of 1925 the first college classes convened in the recently vacated Lowell School building at 5th and Rood. The nearby YMCA provided a gymnasium. Forty-one freshmen enrolled in Grand Junction State Junior College, forerunner of today�s Mesa State College.

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AGRICULTURE

The vast orchards in the Grand Valley needed chemical sprays to control insects. General agriculture also used sprays for weeds and insects. The Latimer-Goodwin Chemical Company manufactured and distributed sprays and fertilizers, and had a branch in the fruit growing areas of the state of Washington. They also made cider from apples, and fermented vinegar.
(Dean Studio Photo)

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TRANSPORTATION

The first automobile show in Grand Junction was in May, 1926. It was in the Lincoln Park Auditorium (later mistakenly called the barn ). Some familiar cars are shown. The Ford, Lincoln, Chevrolet, Dodge, and Buick brands are still with us. Hudson, Nash, Studebaker, and Willys were large manufacturers of the time, but exist no more.
(Dean Studio Photo)

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Suffragettes were the feminists of their time. They campaigned for the right of women to vote, and the 19th Amendment of the Constitution gave them the vote nationally, beginning with the 1920 election. Women had voted in Colorado since 1893 because state law assured them that right, but local women were elated that the privilege now was policy in all the states.

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