On a visit to the Saguache County Museum last summer, we discovered this beautiful, hand-colored photograph of a young boy on his tricycle as part of their collection. Museum Director Dorraine Gasseling was kind enough to let us rephotograph it and use it as this month’s cover.
The photo is of Saguache native, Jack Redhead, son of Mabel Redhead, according to a note on the back of the photo. The back is also stamped with “Hand Colored De Luxe Kodak Enlargement Made by Broome Bros., Pueblo, Colo.” Jack was born in 1920, so the photo probably dates back to the mid-20s.
Museum volunteer Connie Rapalski looked into this further and met with Mickey Claire, who is 97 1/2 years old, and is currently residing at The Legacy in Monte Vista. Mickey confirmed it was indeed Jack, and that Mabel was her sister-in-law. She offered a little background on him. Jack Redhead was an only child and his mother worked as the Saguache County Clerk for a number of years. He graduated from Saguache High School, and later joined the Army where he was stationed at Lowry Field in Denver with the 3705th Army Air Force Base Unit during WWII. Jack was an avid hunter and fisherman but never married. His grandmother, Della Claire, was the first cook at the Saguache Hotel. His father, William, died in a car accident while crossing the Rio Grande near Del Norte in 1936. Ten years later, Jack himself perished in an auto accident during a winter snowstorm south of Saguache near the “cuts” on U.S. Hwy. 285. He was discovered by a sheriff’s deputy the following morning. He was 26 at the time of his death. Jack is buried alongside his parents at the Saguache County Cemetery. – Mike Rosso
