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Grand Canyon Pioneers Society - Monthly Bulletin |
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| Vol 5, No 9 | September 2001 |
Glen Canyon ~ The Early Fight
by Bill Suran and Harvey Leake
Harvey Leake, the great-grandson of John Wetherill, presented the story of a 1928-34 endeavor to preserve Glen Canyon and the region to the south as a huge "Navajo National Park". Harvey set up in his computerized presentation in the Screening Room of the NAU Cline Library for an exceptional history lesson on screen. John Wetherill, was an early pioneer who established a trading post on the Navajo Reservation. John through the years explored the dry barren area in the northeastern corner of Arizona and southern Utah, was one of the first white persons to see Rainbow Bridge, and served as a guide to numerous exploring parties.
In 1928, a lobbying effort began in Washington DC to create the national park. Leading the fight was John's client, Charles Bernheimer, who was a veteran explorer of the canyons and author of the book Rainbow Bridge.
The proposal faced three obstacles. First, the residents of southern Utah were opposed to federal involvement in lands that they were interested in for grazing. Bernheimer held a meeting in Blanding Utah and was able to convince the attendees that the national park would benefit them. Second, the Park Service knew nothing about the region and was skeptical that it was worthy enough to be included in their system. To convince them, three different surveys were conducted. Finally, the Director of the Park Service, Horace Albright, came out west, saw the beauty of the country, and became one of the strongest proponents of the park. Third, a movement was afoot to extend the Navajo Reservation north to the banks of the San Juan and Colorado Rivers, which would include all of the proposed parklands. The Commissioner of Indian Affairs worked out an agreement to proceed with the expansion of the Reservation under the provision that the Tribe would then work with the Park Service to establish the park.
However, this clause was somehow omitted from the final bill that Congress passed and the President signed. Lacking a legal mandate, the Navajo Tribal Council later decided to exclude the Park Service from their affairs, and the idea of a national park in the region died.
About the same time, the idea of building a dam on the Colorado River was under consideration. Glen Canyon Dam was approved by Congress in the 1950s, and its impounded waters--Lake Powell--slowly covered the deep canyons which had been envisioned as the northern boundary of the Navajo National Park.
June 1932 Park Service meeting at Kayenta Arizona to discuss Navajo National Park.
Left to Right: Frank Pinkley, Chief of Southwestern National Monuments;
Horace Albright, Director of the National Park Service; John Wetherill,
Custodian of Navajo National Monument; M. R. Tillotson, Superintendent of
Grand Canyon National Park; Marshal Finnan, Superintendent of Mesa Verde
National Park.
[Photo from John and Louisa Wetherill collection]
Note: A special thank you to NAU Cline Library for opening the library for this event.
GCPS Outings for 2001
| September 15: |
Rock Art Ranch tour with owner Brantley Baird.
Come tour Rock Art Ranch, owned by Brantley and Katie Baird, near Winslow. The ranch was featured in the October 2000 Arizona Highways. Rock Art Ranch is a working cattle ranch and offers a variety of experiences for the most avid adventurer or the most casual tourist. Visitors will be treated to sweeping vistas of the San Francisco Peaks, volcanic buttes of The Navaho Reservation and the beautiful Painted Desert. The Ranch itself contains a pioneer and cowboy museum. The 2-hour tour includes the ranch, pioneer museum, and a trip down Chevelon Canyon, one of the largest petroglyph sites in the world (requires only a short walk).
Directions to get to Rock Art Ranch
If you need additional directions or information, call the Rock Art Ranch at 520-288-3260. The last 17 miles is on dirt road, but the Baird's report that the road is in good condition and suitable for passenger cars. | ||||
| October 20: | Board Meeting. and a talk about "Sunk Without A Sound: The Tragic Colorado River Honeymoon of Glen and Bessie Hyde" by author Brad Dimock. We'll meet at Perkins Restaurant at 1900 S Milton Road in Flagstaff for lunch at noon and then go to the Cline Library for the presentation at 1:30 PM in the Screening Room. | ||||
| November 17: |
Backpacking remote areas of Grand Canyon - a slide program by
Carol Castleman. Carol has lead Sierra Club trips around the world --
including many, many Grand Canyon backpacks to remote areas as well as
about two dozens rafting trips. Program will be at the Church of the Red Rocks
off 179 in Sedona.
[Directions: "Church of the Red Rocks" Sign on Highway 79 -- From I-17 it is 13.1 miles on 179; left on Bow String Drive. -- From 89A it is 1.3 miles on 179; right on Bow String Drive.] | ||||
| December: | No Meeting |
Letter to the Editor
August 8, 2001
Dear Grand Canyon Pioneers Society and Mr. Gene Wendt,
I do not know if the interpretation of the word "Wii'i gdwissa" means red butte in Havasupai, but the context of the word in the article, "this red butte you see," led me to that way of thinking.
The Canyon Mine is located almost due north of Red butte, just past Owl Tank, off Forest Road 305A. It was constructed in the mid-80s, so if you were in that area earlier, you didn't miss it. The mine has never operated, due to litigation and the price of uranium.
The current owner of the mine is International Uranium Corporation, based out of Denver. The Bush/Cheney energy plan calls for hundreds of new power plants for the future, but the owners say they have no plans to restart mining unless uranium prices increase significantly. The Havasupai Tribe is still very opposed.
Thanks.
Linda Knutson
PO Box 946
Grand Canyon, AZ 86023
New Route 66 Book
At Last Arizona has its own Route 66 guidebook! And you don't have to ride backward to use.
For decades, anyone interested in traveling Route 66 in Arizona had to depend on short write-ups in books covering the entire eight-state Mother Road. These same travelers also faced the problem of directions for driving in one Book Review that was the way you were traveling, not so great if you wanted to start at the other end.
At last, Route 66 buffs and die-hard roadies alike can "take it easy" with award-winning authors Richard K. and Sherry G. Mangum's latest book, Route 66 Across Arizona: A Comprehensive Two-Way Guide for Touring Route 66. In a long overdue departure from current 66 books, the Mangums have written full directions running both east-to-west and west-to-east.
This deluxe, 112-page, all color Route 66 guidebook recaptures the fun and freedom of driving Route 66. It features maps for every inch of Route 66 in Arizona, scores of historic and modern photographs and detailed descriptions.
The Mangums have broken the historic road into thirteen (13) separate tours, each one illustrated with maps, photos, a road log and commentary. Detours, sightseeing trips, hikes and bike rides are added. Foreign travelers will welcome the inclusion of all mileage figures in metric equivalents. Richard and Sherry Mangum, Flagstaff, Arizona natives, are a husband-writer and wife-photographer team. They have produced eight previous books about northern Arizona. The Mangums are best known for their books, Flagstaff Hikes and Sedona Hikes. They are also famous for the free Flagstaff Historic Walking Tours they have given every summer since 1993.
Route 66 Across Arizona is available for $21.95 in most bookstores and by contacting Hexagon Press by phone at 928-774-8800 or by e-mail to SMangum@mns.com.
Tour Celebrates Pioneering "Harvey Girls",
Santa Fe Railway and Fred Harvey Company
Many Americans have ties to the Santa Fe Railway and the Fred Harvey Company, which together "invented" and aggressively promoted the Southwest as a travel destination between 1880 and WWII. The Santa Fe/Fred Harvey hotels and restaurants set the standard for accommodations, fine food, and excellent service between Chicago, California, and Texas.
Follow Me Tours is proud to announce the Harvey Girls tour, an 8-day escorted tour across Northern Arizona and New Mexico on November 3-10. The tour visits remaining Santa Fe depots and historic Harvey Hotels and introduces participants to surviving Fred Harvey and Santa Fe employees. Guest lecturers provide insight and historical background to enhance this exciting study tour experience.
Numerous historians and museum curators have reviewed and endorsed the tour concept and itinerary. In addition to the tour, Follow Me Tours organized and staged a Harvey Girls reunion and lecture series at the Phoenix Museum of History, April 19 and 21, 2001.
Our goal is to provide an enjoyable, educational travel experience that brings to life a fascinating period of Western history. The tour seeks to encourage interest in and preservation of historic buildings and vintage passenger trains. Thank you for your interest and support!
Sincerely,
Linda Swain
Tour planner, Harvey Girls tour
Coordinator, Harvey Girls lecture series
Past president, Family History Society of Arizona
July 19, 2001
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Linda Swain, (480) 893-0469 or (480) 893-0469
Sunk Without A Sound
There will be a full one-hour show about Brad Dimock and the book Sunk Without A Sound: The Tragic Colorado River Honeymoon of Glen and Bessie Hyde on the Discovery Channel, on a show called Deadline Discovery, scheduled to air on September 12. This was filmed in the lower Grand Canyon with Brad Dimock and his wife Jeri Ledbetter, along with three NBC cameramen -- one on shore, one in a speedboat, and one in a helicopter. Should be fun.
Note: Brad is our guest speaker at the October meeting.
Outings Contacts Information
Outings Coordinator:
Betty Leavengood
6045 Edison St.
Tucson AZ 85712
520-885-3570
HikerBetty@aol.com
The Bulletin welcomes comments, stories, or Reflections and Remembrances.
Please send them to
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Diane Cassidy
8540 N. Central Ave. #27 Phoenix, AZ 85020 |
or e-mail them to GCPioneers@yahoo.com
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