Organizations
Collection for organization entities.
Pages
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- Handy Chapel (Grand Junction, Colorado)
- The Handy Chapel housed a congregation affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church when it was built in 1892. The Grand Junction Town Company formed in September 1881, shortly after the forced relocation of the Ute Indian population. As part of its platting of the city, the Town Company offered free land, on the Northeast corner of the blocks between 3rd and 7th Streets on White Avenue, to religious organizations wanting to construct churches. African-American residents originally attended the Methodist Episcopal Church South on the corner of 5th and White, but asked for a church of their own. The Town Company deeded the land at 2nd and White Avenue to the African-American citizens of Grand Junction (and not to any particular church) for $1. The church served as both a chapel, and as a place of shelter and aid to traveling African-Americans, the homeless, and others in need. The physical church is the only of Grand Junction's original church buildings to survive. Booker Thomas Washington Taylor served as the pastor for several years, starting in 1939. According to oral history interviewee Josephine (Taylor) Dickey, favorite songs sung at the chapel included Steal Away and Standing in the Need of Prayer. Dickey remembers that the congregation held picnics on the banks of the Colorado River, to which townspeople were also invited. Historically, local law enforcement would get in touch with the Handy Chapel when an African-American was noted to have arrived in town and required assistance. The Handy Chapel would aid not only African-Americans in need when they came through town, providing them a place to sleep if they could find no one willing to accommodate them due to segregation, but also poor whites in need of assistance. The members would also try to find work for the newcomers. The Rocky Mountain Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church attempted to sell the church property in the 1970's and 80's. Grand Junction's Black community contended that because the original warranty deed from the city of Grand Junction specified that the church and property belonged to the Black citizens of Grand Junction and not to any specific church, that the church should remain in the hands of the congregation. In 1981, a district judge agreed and the Handy Chapel was saved. During the early 1980’s, the congregation met in the homes of members instead of in the church, due to needed maintenance on the church. Due to the community campaign of Josephine (Taylor) Dickey and others, the church was renovated and placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1982, it began hosting what is now an annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, organized by the Black Citizens and Friends organization. The following history of the Handy Chapel was most probably written by the Mesa County Oral History Project [1980], as the history is contained in the Oral History Project files of Josephine Dickey: The African Methodist Episcopal Church was built by Hunt McDonald and Company for a cost of $962.50, starting construction May 17, 1982, at Second and White where it still stands (Book 2, page 143). However, this is not when the church received the property, which was achieved on March 24, 1883 (Warranty Deed Book 16, p. 21). The story I wish to tell starts at the residence of Edwin Price (publisher of the Grand Junction News and one of the Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church), where it was decided to change the name of the church to the First Methodist Church and to get the Black members of the church their own place (Methodist Episcopal Church Records, Book 1) (The Grand Junction News, March 10, 1883). In just over two weeks the wheels were put into motion as Charles Shanks (the first mayor of Grand Junction and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church) put pressure on George Crawford (President of the Grand Junction Town Company and another member of the Methodist Episcopal Church) to give Town Company property to the Black citizens of the community (Methodist Episcopal Church Records, Book 1). After coming to the decision of giving property to the Black citizens of the community, George Crawford would probably have referred to the original plat of Grand Junction, which states: "The streets, alleys, parks and other grounds therein set apart for public uses are hereby dedicated to the purposes named in plat (Book 1, p.1-2) (Book 4, p.17-18). Chances are he looked at one of the six sites (lots 29, 30, 31, and 32 of blocks 80, 81, 82, 83, 86, and 87) set aside in the original plat for church use and decided that because all of the sites had been taken already, that he would have to make one more in public interest, which resulted in a decision to offer lots 29, 30, 31, and 32 in block 79 (one block east of the western most church site and conforming ot the other church sites dedicated in the original plat) to the African Methodist Episcopal Church of Mesa County (Book 1, p.1-2) (Book 4, p.17-18). However, the Town Company asked for a token sum of one dollar (Book 16, p. 21). When the African Methodist Episcopal Church of Mesa County accepted, a warranty deed was issued by the Grand Junction Town Company to the African Methodist Episcopal Church of Mesa County. However, the Town Company made the following consideration: "In consideration of the use of the ground for church purposes... As shown by the Grand Junction Town Company's original plat" (this dedication is like all other churches that are named in the original plat, even though a church site and 2nd and White was not dedicated). It was not until March 22, 1892 that the African Methodist Episcopal Church of Mesa County incorporated to the name African Methodist Episcopal Church (the name of a church founded in 1816 by Reverend Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, because they were denied equal privilege of worship with white Christians), and adopted the Rule of Discipline (a set of AME church laws that states how an AME church will conduct business) as a mode of government (AME handout) (Interview with Josephine Dickey). At that same time they adopted the name Wrights Chapel for their church building. We do know that the Wrights Chapel was named after their pastor, Silas Wright, of the church. At which time the name Handy Chapel was adopted is not known (Museum file #312) (Interview with Dickey). It is believed that because of the lack of interest on the part of the Denver Church, that the African Methodist Episcopal Church of Mesa County amended the affidavit (corporation) of name on November 19, 1892, only seven months after incorporating, in which they changed their name to read The African Methodist Episcopal Church of the City of Grand Junction (Interview with Dickey). Then it went on to say that they were going to accord to the usages and customs of such church society with the powers and duties usual to trustees according to the usages of such society. At this time they did not say they would keep the Rules of Discipline (File 344).
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- Happy Day Rides carnival (Colorado)
- A carnival with a Ferris wheel, merry-go-round and other rides, and a tent show. It was a small show that traveled mostly in Colorado in the early Twentieth century. It played smaller communities like Palisade, Steamboat Springs, and Craig. According to oral history interviewee Chuck Thomas, it was a “clean” show.
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- Harvey's Comedians (Colorado)
- A traveling tent show, vaudeville, and drama troupe. It played in small towns, and in US Army and Civilian Conservation Corps camps around Colorado.
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- Hayden Congregational Church of Christ (Hayden, Colorado)
- It was organized as the Hayden Congregational Church in 1899. According to longtime member George Watts, music and singing were very important parts of worship in the church. The church is currently located at 202 E. Jefferson.