People

: Henrietta (Hattie) Gallo(n) Oberto; Henrietta (Hattie) Gallo(n) Oberto was born on October 21, 1882 and was the daughter of Giuseppe (Joe) and Carolina Gallo(n). Hattie's Italian name was Enrichetta Gallo, but this name was only used when she traveled back and forth to Italy (which she did frequently). Hattie immigrated to the United States in 1892, with her brother, Frank (Francisco), and mother Carolina. Hattie's parents and brother returned to Italy in 1912. Joe Gallo(n) came to America in the mid 1880's and was in mining in the Dunton, Rico & Telluride areas. Joe and Frank also owned and operated saloons in Rico and Telluride. Henrietta married Gio Oberto on March 5, 1901, in Telluride, Colorado. Hattie bore two sons, Leo in 1902 and Silvio in 1905. Hattie died July 15,1913, at age 31 from Peritonitis, resulting from a miscarriage and is buried in the Lone Tree Cemetery, in Telluride, Colorado.

: Henry "H. H." Zeigel; Early Mesa County resident and doctor who helped establish the Plateau Valley Hospital in 1926. He was born and raised in Utah, and graduated with an MD from the University of Oregon. He interned at Cook County Hospital in Chicago and then worked for a time at a hospital in Kansas City. In the Fall of 1927, Dr. W.V. Watson of Plateau City, Colorado called the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, asking for a young doctor to take over his practice while he was on vacation. Dr. Zeigel came to Plateau Valley, and helped establish the first hospital there. He pioneered the use of certain techniques in the Grand Valley area, including steam sterilization equipment, effective homemade intravenous solutions, and a vacuum pressure machine that would draw blood into the limb and help circulation. He was known as a very respectable doctor by people in the area. He also owned cattle and sheep.

: Henry "Indian Henry" Huff; A Ute Native American resident who lived in the Paradox Valley in the early 1900’s. Oral History interviewee Ella O’Brien was a child when she knew him. In the story that Henry apparently related to her, he was accidentally left behind as a baby by a Ute party that was camping near Norwood in the late 1800’s. A party of white settlers came upon the Ute camp soon after and found Henry. A woman named Huff refused to let another while settler kill the child, and raised him with her three boys. Henry stayed in the Paradox area, Bull Canyon particularly, though he lived at a spring near the Dolores River in the winter. As an adult, he was friends with John Keski, who killed Henry over a card game when both were drunk.