Cross Orchards Virtual Tour

Scroll over and click the icons to watch the videos associated with this tour.  You can either start at the Introduction or watch the videos in any order you like!

Introduction Summer House Orchard Equipment '45 House and Victory Garden Bunkhouse Cook and Herb Garden Bunkhouse Men's Quarters Bunkhouse Orchard Boss's Office Barn Blacksmith Woodshop Irrigation Swanson Building Tractors and Trucks Uintah and LBC Railways

Topics covered on tour stops

Stop 1: Introduction

Curator Matt Darling gives us an overview of the history of Cross Orchards and explains what a curator does.

Stop 2: Summer House

When Walter Cross visited his family’s orchard, he needed a place to stay. During the hot summers in the Grand Valley he stayed at a summer house on the grounds. In this video, Sandi Pittenger tells us about Walter Cross and his visits to the orchard.

Stop 3: Orchard Equipment

In order to keep an orchard running, there are a lot of tools and farming equipment needed.  Sandi Pittenger shows us some of the orchard equipment used at the time of Cross Orchards.

Stop 4: ’45 House and Victory Garden

During the 1940s the original house on the property had to be torn down and the materials were reused for the house on the site today.  Sandi Pittenger explains how the ’45 house came to be, and then Kathy Kimball describes her work on the victory garden outside the ’45 House.

Stop 5: Bunkhouse Cook and Herb Garden

Cynthia Dobbin shows off the Cross Orchards herb garden and explains why herbs were important for the cook.  Then, Judy Shelp describes what life was life for the cook during Cross Orchard’s heyday.  

Stop 6: Bunkhouse Men’s Quarters

Some workers lived at Cross Orchards year-round.  These workers slept, relaxed, and bathed in the bunkhouse.  Judy Shelp describes what life was life for these workers.

Stop 7: Bunkhouse Orchard Boss’s Office

The orchard boss had his own office and quarters in the bunkhouse.  Judy Shelp explains the orchard boss’s job and what life was like for him and the families that came to work at Cross Orchards.

Stop 8: Barn

The barn was a hub of activity for the women and children who worked at Cross Orchards.  Sandi Pittenger explains how apples were picked, sorted, and packed for shipping.  

Stop 9: Blacksmith Shop

In the early 1900s, when you needed materials, sometimes you had to make them yourself.  Matt Darling explains why the blacksmith was an important part of the operation of Cross Orchards.

Stop 10: Woodshop

A carpenter and working woodshop were also very important to the operation of Cross Orchards.  Matt Darling describes why an orchard needed a woodshop.

Stop 11: Irrigation

Living in a desert environment makes proper irrigation vital to the success of an orchard.  Dennis Gorsett describes how irrigation systems have changed over time in the Grand Valley.

Stop 12: The Swanson Building

The Swanson Building houses exhibits on transportation and farming history.  In this video, Matt Darling discusses different vehicles and mechanic tools.

Stop 13: Tractors and Trucks

Cross Orchards is also a transportation museum.  Matt Darling shows us some of the trucks and tractors in the collections at Cross Orchards.

Stop 14: Uintah and Little Bookcliff Railways

Railroads played an important role in the growth of the Grand Valley.  Matt Darling discusses two of the smaller railways that were based in the area.