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Grand Canyon Pioneers Society - Monthly Bulletin - October 1999 |
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GCPS Meetings for 1999
| October 16: |
Luncheon, Annual Board Meeting, and Slide Presentation on the Grand Canyon - Flagstaff Stage Line at Little America (I-40 and Butler Avenue) in Flagstaff. A meeting room has been reserved for the occasion.
At 12:00 Noon there will be a sit down banquet lunch (the cost is $11.33 which includes tax and gratuity). We need to know how many people will be having lunch so let Sibyl Suran know if you are attending the luncheon.
You may contact her at (520) 525-1863 or by e-mail at cwsuran@infomagic.com.
The Annual Board Meeting will start at 1:00 PM. All board members and interested members are invited to attend. Following the Board Meeting, Dick and Sherry Mangum will give a slide presentation on the Grand Canyon - Flagstaff Stage Line. The presentation is based on their recently published book on the same topic. Copies of their book will be available. A field trip next year along parts of the stage line is in the works. Previously Dick and Sherry have given the Pioneers two excellent talks; this one should be no different. |
| November 13: |
Plans are in the making for a first ever meeting of the Grand Canyon Pioneers in Tucson. We'll start with our own personally guided tour of the Arizona State Historical Society Museum from 10:30 to 11:30 AM. After lunch in a nearby restaurant, we'll gather in the Historical Society Boardroom for two presentations. Ruth Stephens Baker will talk about her climb up Shiva Temple with Emery Kolb. Then Betty Leavengood will show slides from the Bass Collection that is housed at the Historical Society and talk about Ada Bass. Mark your calendar for a visit to the Old Pueblo.
For those who may need a place to stay overnight in Tucson, GCPS member Donna Weissenborn has graciously offered two spare bedrooms in her home to out of town Pioneers. You may contact her through e-mail at lugnut@theriver.com. |
| December: | No meeting |
The Top Grand Canyon Events of the Century
The Editor received the following request from Brad Fuqua, Editor of the Grand Canyon News:
I'm currently in the process of attempting to compile a list of the top 10 historical news events of the 20th century at Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon News intends to publish an all-century edition later this year.
The first group I could think of to help me compile this list was the Grand Canyon Pioneer Society. Perhaps you could pass on a request to all your members to submit their opinions on the top Grand Canyon events of the century. A natural one to start with would be the park's opening in 1919.
I'm going to come to some sort of conclusion about the list and then follow up with research for my stories which will appear in our special section.
Any help the society could lend would be appreciated.
Brad Fuqua
Editor, Grand Canyon News
[You may send your comments to: Brad Fuqua, Grand Canyon News Editor, Williams - Grand Canyon News, P.O. Box 667, 118 S. Third Street, Williams, AZ 86046-0067 or at his e-mail address: gcnews@grand-canyon.az.us - Ed]
A Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
I'm sure you did not list all of the presidents who visited the Canyon in the July / September issue of the Ol' Pioneer, but I wanted to make sure you had Herbert Hoover on your list.
This visit is documented in my dad's old movies, showing him walking alongside the train. I think you have video copies of this film. If not let me know and I will send one to you.
Roy Burris
Schenectady, NY
[Note: Copies of this film are in the GCPS Collection at the Cline Library, Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ. - Ed]
A New Book
The Harvey Girls: The Women Who Civilized the West by Juddi Morris was written for a middle grade/young adult audience, but adults are enjoying it as much as the kids are. The author states that the book was a joy to write since she interviewed many surviving Harvey Girls who were full of wonderful stories. The book has won several awards from American history societies, the American Association of State and Local History, and the American Library Association. This 101-page book with over 40 historic photos, menus, maps and illustrations seems a perfect fit for your society.
Any independent book store, Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com can get it or if you'd rather, you can order it directly from the publisher: Walker & Co, 435 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014, 1 (800) 289-2553. The book ISBN is 0-8027-7520-9.
Outings for Next Year
A list of GCPS outings for 2000 is currently being prepared. Suggestions for next year's outings are being requested. Send your suggestions to our Vice-President and Outings Coordinator, Betty Leavengood, via e-mail, to HikerBetty@aol.com.
A Report on the September Meeting
After lunch (and a lot of visiting) on Saturday September 18, twenty members of Grand Canyon Pioneers Society headed for the Liberal Arts Building at Northern Arizona University. Here John S. Westerlund spoke on the Austrian prisoner of war camp at the Navajo Ordnance Depot.
John, retired from the military, embarked upon a second career by continuing his education. He is currently studying for a Ph.D. degree in history. The Society awarded him the GCPS Scholarship for his research on the prisoner of war camp at the Navajo Depot in both 1998 and 1999. Judging by his interesting and informative talk he spent the money wisely.
The United States, rather than burden the military in Europe with attending to the numerous prisoners of war there, utilized the troopships on their return trip to the States to bring the prisoners back here. The prisoner of war camps were established mostly in the Southern states. Local citizens feared the Nazi soldiers after reading of the atrocities the Germans carried out in Europe and objected to the intrusion. However, once settled, the foreign soldiers went to work on farms and in factories replacing the American men fighting overseas.
As World War II in Europe began to wind down the number of prisoners of war increased more rapidly than the U.S. Government anticipated. The camp administrators needed more accommodations. At the same time the Navajo Depot in Belmont outside Flagstaff needed help to load and unload the railroad cars of ammunition. The prisoners of war were the answer to the dilemma. A small number of Austrians were brought north from Florence, Arizona and put to work, relieving the situation.
The men behind the fences were treated well in the U.S. unlike those American soldiers in Europe. They were fed good food, given proper medical attention and were paid for their labors. The Austrians at Belmont were content with their way of life and some hated to go home at the end of the hostilities in Europe.
Since the war the POW camp has been torn down and now only a few concrete footings, foundations and a lone leaning pine tree remain as a reminder of the wartime activities there.
We Want to Know
For the past couple of years there has been a movement circulating regarding the draining of Lake Powell behind the Glen Canyon Dam in Northern Arizona. This has caused considerable controversy and The Grand Canyon Pioneers Society has avoided taking a stand one way or the other on this. We would like to know just how our members feel about the matter. Would you take a few minutes of your time and drop us a card or send us an e-mail message giving us your opinion. You need not sign your name if you prefer to remain anonymous. The mailing address is Grand Canyon Pioneers Society, Box 2372, Flagstaff, AZ 86003-2372. The e-mail address is carmonys@extremezone.com
An Exhibit at NAU
Silent Voices of a Lost Land is the name of a new exhibit opening at the Museum of Northern Arizona on October 9, 1999. The exhibit features stunning photographs of Glen Canyon and Lake Powell taken from the 1930s up through today. Also included are the scientific explorations in the region. The exhibit is funded by the Bureau of Reclamation and will travel to communities around Lake Powell after its run at MNA.
The Bulletin welcomes comments, stories, or Reflections and Remembrances.
Please send them to
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Tom Carmony
206 W. Caroline Lane Tempe, AZ 85284-3021 |
or e-mail them to carmonys@extremezone.com
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