It all started in 1986 when the city was awarded funds for an urban renewal project. A portion of these funds were set aside to begin the “mural project”. The success of this project has led to the expansion of the Delta Public Art Committee which is currently continuing the mural project and initiating a new program for sculpture and other 3 dimensional media art in public places.
In this series of multi-caches, the coordinates given are a virtual (the mural) from which you will gather information to find the second stage which will contain the log to be signed. The second stage has a connection to the first, perhaps only in the owners’ minds, but can you read our minds?
Delta area was home of the Utes for many years. The story of being crowded out by government and settlers is a sad but not unique story, unfortunately.
“After the Meeker Massacre, an 1880 treaty demanded the Utes turn over to the U.S. any Indian who was implicated in the massacre. Many Utes were moved to reservations in Utah. They were given specific land allotments, along with supplies and money. More pressure was put on them and they ran out of options. One September Sunday in 1881, 1,458 Indian men, women and children slowly and sadly headed to their new lands. Before the Indian fires were cold, the American settlers moved in.” https://coloradowest.auraria.edu/newspaper-histories/delta-county . An 1891 article in the Delta County Laborer made this comment:
At times a venturesome trapper or prospector had entered this, the "Garden Spot" of Colorado, but was not permitted to remain, as the Ute Indian had possession of the lands, and forbidden intrusion.
But enough had been seen by those who had been so fortunate as to enter, to convince them that it had vast resources and were not slow in communicating it to friends.
These little ripples of communications became waves of such magnitude and pressure that the government in 1881 caused the removal of the Indians to a reservation....The pioneers who had been waiting to enter this forbidden territory became a little too eager, and some of them entered before the allotted time [and] were arrested by government authority, taken to the post and there held.
On the 3rd day of September 1881 the reservation was thrown open for settlement, claims were rapidly taken by the hardy pioneers who had waited patiently for this opportunity. These men were hardy, progressive and enterprising....
More than 130 years later, Delta looks back with respect and a share of regret to its Native American heritage. As a result: the magnificent 200 year old Ute Council tree (GC3WN2P-“Historic DC#1) is protected, recognized, and its story preserved; each September the pow wow area (GC46WGT – “Silent Drums”) in Confluence Park is host to the Ute Council Tree Pow Wow and Cultural Festival; sculpture and art, such as this mural, are part of the city’s visual esteem and acknowledgment of the Ute chapter in history.
August 2018 - Regrettably the 200+ year old Ute Council tree recently dropped it’s only remaining side “limb” leaving only the “crown”. There was minor damage to the surrounding buildings and after extensive research it was determined that the bulk of the trunk was hollow and the decision was made to remove the tree. After a short “blessing” ceremony by a local Ute Indian, using a 200 ton crane the 85’ tree was cut down leaving only the bottom 25’ trunk as a memorial. A slab of the limb that came down can be seen at the nearby Ft. Uncompaghre visitor center. Along with smaller limb sections, a historical booklet of the tree is also available for sale.
“Ute Country” is a mural that uses a rather monochrome palette. The artist, Connie Williams, wanted this mural to look like sunset, which can be so stunning on Colorado’s western slope. This mural depicts the native Ute Indians at camp and travel.
Williams is a well-known and highly regarded artist living in Cedaredge. Williams has had a long time fascination with the spirit of Native Americans, a subject matter she treats with respect for the people while portraying her unique and fascinating vision.
To compute the second stage of this multi:
North: fill in the blanks with the number of mounted Ute depicted. N38 4__.28__
West: fill in the blank with the number of tipis depicted. W108 04.16__
http://www.deltacountycolorado.com/about/history.aspx
https://coloradowest.auraria.edu/newspaper-histories/delta-county
Congratulations to sjclimber and j92 on first to find
