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Mausoleum For Grand Junction Founder Restored

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) — Residents of Grand Junction have restored a mausoleum for their founder.

Over the years, vandals pried raised letters for George Crawford from the mausoleum entrance and it fell into disrepair.

According to the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, the structure has been restored to its former glory thanks to local residents who raised $23,000 in private donations and got some of the work done by volunteers.

Crawford's body was placed in the mausoleum above Orchard Mesa Cemetery 116 years ago. Museum of the West Curator of History Dave Bailey says Crawford reportedly requested his body be buried on the hill because it is where he first glimpsed a dusty Grand Valley with just a few riverside trees breaking up the desert landscape and envisioned the city it could become.

LINK: Museum of the West

(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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