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Friday, April 1, 2011

Roosevelt Dam - 100 Years

Recently my wife and I were invited to attend the 100th Anniversary of Roosevelt Dam on Friday, March 18, 2011. This was a great honor because we attended the 50th Anniversary of Roosevelt Dam, March 18, 1961.  Many times over the years we had talked about whether or not we would be here for the 100th Anniversary. It was quite a celebration for about two hundred invited guest. We had an opportunity to visit with Marsh Trimble, Apache Junction City Councilman Jeff Serdy, Apache Junction City Councilman Chip Wilson, and many other guest while at the celebration.  Lunch was served on the dam and then various speakers talked about the importance of the dam to the Arizona, Phoenix and the Salt River Valley. The keynote speaker of the day was Governor Jan Brewer. Also a Teddy Roosevelt impersonator gave a speech similar to the one given in 1961, and of course the original on March 18, 1911.

My wife and I had mixed emotions about this historic event. Several of my relatives who lived in Tonto Basin worked on the dam. My Uncle Riley Brunson hauled freight over the Mesa-Roosevelt Wagon Road for the Packards at the Tonto Basin Store shortly after the roads completion. Riley Brunson required his family to walk down Fish Creek Hill on the return trip because of the danger of losing a wagon on the grade.  Yes, the celebration brought back a lot of memories for our families.

Tom Kollenborn