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Show CHAPTER VI The Critchlow Decade There are countless examples in the Indian Service where a man would take the helm of a United States Indian Agency, be unsuccessful in his attempts, move to another agency and repeat his poor performance. The Uintah Agency was faced with a parade of this type of men in its early years. Kinney, Carter, Rhodes, Dodds and Graffam each took a turn at attempting to manage the agency. Each did a little, but in the end it was not enough. In 1871, a man of great personal strength and amazing tenacity took control. John J. Critchlow was to dominate, encourage, browbeat, cajole, encourage again, and threaten the Utes until after a dozen years of struggle, through Critchlow, the Ute's faith in the government of the United States was partially restored. His story could result in a large book alone. Critchlow was appointed in November, I87O and took control in February, 1871. Further, when he arrived at the Uintah Agency he soon understood some of the basic problems that faced him. In spite of his clear ideas, Critchlow little realized what lay ahead over the v next twelve troubled years. A native of Pennsylvania and resident of Tonawanda, New York, he took his oath at Buffalo on November 9, |
