Montrose - Daily Press

By the early 1890s, entrepreneurial farmers settling the Uncompahgre Valley had plenty of customers in neighboring mining communities and the soil was fertile beyond expectations. But the only source of irrigation water, the Uncompahgre River, did not meet the demand. Droughts were common. Ideas for obtaining water included digging a canal from the Gunnison River into the valley. Then a French immigrant who traded his mining gear for a plow had a dream that would change everything. He dreamed of a tunnel from the Gunnison River to the valley.

Thanks to Muriel Marshall, the Delta, Colorado historian and long time feature editor for the Delta County Independent, we know his first name.  In “Where Rivers Meet,” Marshall identifies the Montrose area farmer/dreamer as Francis Lauzon. We had references to F.C. Lauzon and Stanley Lauzon, as the Gunnison Tunnel Celebration History Committee started compiling the story of the tunnel construction. Stanley was likely Francis’s son, who apparently died young, and at least one source listed Stanley as the dreamer.  Such is history.

Francis introduced his idea to the townspeople who began to call him the “Crazy Frenchman.” Lauzon was able to convince the Montrose County Commissioners to put funding his idea up to a vote, but the measure failed. Tireless, Lauzon continued to push his idea and in 1894 the U.S. Geological Survey performed the first surveying expedition to determine if the tunnel was feasible. Lauzon appears to have disappeared shortly after this, but a new advocate, one with clout and admiration, soon took up the cause.

The Gunnison Tunnel dedication. (Photo courtesy of the Montrose Historical Museum) Advertisement

By all accounts, Mead Hammond of Paonia was an upright, humble public servant who represented the district in the state house. Hammond’s passion for and belief in the future of the Uncompahgre Valley clearly motivated him. He introduced and worked to pass House Bill 195, “a bill for State Canal No. 3,” in the 1901 General Assembly. The bill authorized $25,000 to begin boring the tunnel using convicts for labor.

Already the object of great affection, Hammond became an icon of progress and prosperity to all Coloradoans. The value of the project to the valley was obvious as the front page story, “Gunnison Tunnel Bill Passes,” in the April 6, 1901 Montrose Enterprise proclaims, “The power to be generated from such a flow would be almost beyond estimate. It would be simply immense, and of great value not only at home, but also in Ouray and the mines of the San Juan. It will furnish light and heat for all the valley, and be of untold value.” Tragically, Hammond lost his battle with diabetes before his, and Lauzon’s, dream was realized.

Incidentally, a walking stick with engraved gold plated cap presented to Hammond commemorating passage of H.B. 195 will be on display at the Delta County Historical Society Museum at Delta through September.

Next week, as construction of the Gunnison Tunnel began in earnest, it gave rise to two towns which would fade into history while bringing water to growers cultivating “the best land on Earth.”

Editor’s note: This is the second of a five-part Sunday series highlighting the 100th anniversary of the Gunnison Tunnel. The first segment was published Aug. 23.

Comments

Pam wrote on Sep 5, 2009 6:06 AM:

" I have been truly enjoying Kerri’s stories about the Gunnison Tunnel. They go a long way to making people understand how fortunate they are to have water in our valley and what it took to get it here.Thanks to Kerri for doing such a great job. "




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Me Too wrote on Sep 3, 2009 9:55 PM:

" Ditto what Carey said. "




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J.D.Carey wrote on Sep 2, 2009 8:28 AM:

" I love these historical stories about the town I adopted as my home. Keep up the good work. "




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