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Grand Canyon Pioneers Society - The Bulletin |
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| Vol 5, No 11 | November 2001 |
Rock Art Ranch
by Nancy Green
On September 15, we were given a tour of the bunkhouses, one dating back to the turn of the last century from the Hashknife Outfit.
We got to wander around an old barn which has been converted into a museum of Old West. Meals were also served there with advance reservations. The most astonishing part came when we were led into a small room containing the most eye popping, jaw dropping collection of Indian artifacts ever seen outside of a museum, All the magnificent pieces of pottery (many intact) were found within the boundaries of the ranch.
The tour continued on down the road with the viewing of some Indian ruins and a petroglyph panel depicting a map of the area's water sources. We then continued on to Chevelon Canyon. There was a ramada overlooking the canyon that was perfect for our picnic lunch. We then climbed down into this sweet canyon with its year round flowing stream to view the incredible collection of pictographs. We were touched by Brantle's obvious love for his ranch and the respect he has for the treasures therein.
This pleasant day ended with a dramatic thunderstorm as we drove back to Winslow. On a side note we had a scrumptious dinner at the La Pasada Hotel.
GCPS Outings for 2001
| 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.
Time: 2:00 PM
Directions:
-- From I-17 it is 13.1 miles on 179;
-- From 89A it is 1.3 miles on 179; The Church of the Red Rocks is on the left as you are coming up on l79 from Phoenix - the church you refer to as the "touristy" is called Chapel of the Holy Cross and is on the right as you are progressing on l79. Our church is AFTER The Chapel of the Holy Cross. The street is Bow String Drive. Know you will find it without any trouble. (Lunch wherever you want and then to come to the church for the program.) |
| December: | No Meeting |
Horsey Folks
by Maureen (Sue) Flynn
Back in the late 1950s and early 1960s there was a little group of kids who spent many hours at the various mule barns/corrals around Grand Canyon Village. Probably the worst were Harvey Terry and I.
There were two horses at the Park Service corral named Frances and Blackie. Frances was a sweet-tempered chestnut with a blaze face, and the black guy was what some might call "nippy." One needed to watch their hands when they were loving this guy (which was, of course, against all the Park Service rules). One day I got a new western belt, and with that and some rope, I fashioned a pretty workable halter so we could put it on Blackie and someone could hold him so the rest of us could pet him without getting in the way of his teeth. Of course, about the time we got the halter on, a Park Service truck drove by and, as luck would have it, we couldn't get the halter off fast enough to hide it, and we got chewed on pretty seriously by Fred Carter, the trail crew member who was there to feed the horses their evening meal. This was not quite as dangerous as being chewed on by Blackie. It didn't even faze us.
Carol Sheppard also loved the horses, especially the gentle Frances, and her dad told her he would buy Frances for her if she could pick a ton of wild oats in a month to feed the horse. Carol and I obtained a refrigerator box from Babbitt's Store, and commenced picking. We picked every day for hours, and even after we got the box full, it only weighed a few pounds. We finally gave up on that project, and just sneaked back to the corral to tell Frances - with tears in our eyes - that she had to stay there.
Harvey and I spent quite a bit of time at the Fred Harvey mule barns. There were always plenty of cowboys there who were willing to pay us $0.50 each to clean the horse stalls and supply fresh hay for the horses that were out on tourist rides during the day. Sometimes we'd be fortunate enough to find feral cats in the loft of the horse barn, and some of the kittens were tame enough to pet and play with. We'd never tell anyone about them though, because it was park policy at that time to search out and destroy any "exotic" animals.
My mother never approved of these forays into the equine world, and I had to carefully plan my activities to take place during the hours when Mom was working or when she was visiting Dad on the North Rim during the summer. My favorite "uniform" was a pair of tan jeans, tucked into a pair of fancy red and black cowboy boots that had to be at least a men's size 10 or 11 that one of my uncles abandoned at our place. (My shoe size now is a women's 7.) I also wore a plaid shirt with it, because I thought it "looked western." After a day working in the barn, we'd go to Babbitt's and get a fountain coke and sit outside on the steps to enjoy it. I really can't imagine how Mom always seemed to find out about my secret barn life.
Another of my favorite hangouts was the Fred Harvey Blacksmith Shop. At the time, the blacksmith was Dick Muller, and his assistant was Gene Waldrip. All the horseshoes were forged there and custom fit to each animal. I loved the sound of the hammers, the heat of the forge, the smell of the hoof trimmings, and the congenial atmosphere. Dick and Gene usually had a pot of coffee going, but they never did get me to have a cup with them - even though they promised me a hairy chest, or black curly hair, or whatever. Dick was a friend of my parents, so this was a little more forgivable than the barn cleaning job, but not much.
Each time I put my arms around my own Arabian mare's neck, or watch my horseshoer work on her, or even smell the eau de corral wafting up to the hose on breezy days, I remember the unforgettable past that caused me to be a horse owner. I don't even ride any more; just have a big brown-eyed yard pet that licks her lips and whinnies when it's time for dinner.
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Submitted by Theda Flynn with a note: I'm mailing this in for my daughter, Sue, who was born January 13, 1948 at Grand Canyon Hospital and lived there over 25 years. She worked for Emery Kolb at his studio on rim of the Canyon. She is very proud of her "ol' pioneer" past and fond remembrances. "Me too!" Hello to Jeanne and Fred Schick. We enjoyed Bernice Meadows - Mike and Steve Verkamps stories, etc. Thanks for recipe book, also.
GRAND CANYON PIONEERS SOCIETY
Minutes of Board Meeting
October 20, 2001
President Tom Carmony called the meeting to order at 11:00 AM. Board members present: Tom Carmony, John Azar, Bob Ribokas, and Lee Albertson.
Tom Carmony addressed the Board on the "State of the Society". Gene Wendt resigned as board member and was not replaced. No funds for the GCPS Scholarship Award were allocated. The National Park Service and the GCPS awarded the Grand Canyon Hall of Fame award to Mary (Peggy) Verkamp (deceased) and to Raymond (Jack) Settle at the June picnic. John Azar, Carolyn Castleman, Nancy Green and Doc Thomas volunteered to join a membership committee for the purpose of recommending new ways of increasing membership in the GCPS.
Minutes of the October 2000 Board of Directors Meeting were read by Lee Albertson, Secretary. There were no corrections.
The Treasurer's Report was read. During 2001 contributions to the Society were greater than the previous year, and printing expenses were less than the previous year.
Tom Carmony announced the following Proxy Votes (Board Members not in attendance). Tom Carmony had the Proxy vote(s) for Mike Anderson and Betty Leavengood. Lee Albertson had the Proxy vote(s) for Fred Schick and Jeanne Schick.
Lee Albertson announced the results of the 2001 Election for Board of Directors. Those elected to a three year term (2002, 2003, 2004) were Nancy Green, Mary Hoover, and Tom Myers.
Tom Carmony announced that Betty Leavengood resigned and will not serve the last year of her term. Lee Albertson announced that Lynn Anderson and Carolyn Castleman tied for 4th place in 2001 Election for Board of Directors. The Board decided to appoint Carolyn Castleman to serve the remaining year of Betty Leavengood's term, and appoint Lynn Anderson to the Board for a three-year term (2002, 2003, 2004).
The classification of Membership in the GCPS was discussed (presently two classification exist - Individual or Family). After some discussion it was decided that there would be just one membership classification. An individual or a family would be considered as one member of the GCPS, and one vote per membership for the election of board members.
Tom Carmony conducted the Election of Officers for 2002. Those elected: President, Lee Albertson; Vice President and Outing Chairman, Carolyn Castleman; Secretary, Nancy Green; and Treasurer, Lynn Anderson.
Lee Albertson proposed that the process for nomination of individual(s) and selection for the Pioneer Award be by Committee. It was felt by many that the current process was discouraging nominations. The President will appoint a committee of Board Members and Members of the GCPS to recommend an individual to the Board for the Pioneer Award. The Board will then select an individual for the award. The Pioneer Award will be presented at the June Picnic.
The Board elected to award a $1,000 Scholarship to a NAU Student in 2002. Al Richmond is the Chairman for selecting a student for this scholarship.
John Azar has not requested any support for a Cabin Restoration Project in 2002. Restoration of the Ranger Station at Pasture Wash may be a future project. Tom Carmony will be contacting the Grand Canyon National Park for a 2002 Community Service Project.
John Azar proposed placing information about the Grand Canyon Pioneers Society and how to become a member of the GCPS at selected locations. Individuals could pick up a card to send in for additional information about GCPS. Carolyn Castleman will be investigating advertising alternatives.
Tom Carmony, Lee Albertson, and others will be working with Carolyn Castleman on Monthly Outings for 2002. The January 2002 Outing will be the Grand Canyon History Symposium, January 24 - 27, 2002. This will held at the Grand Canyon Village, South Rim. Many GCPS members will be making presentations.
Tom Myers lead a discussion concerning the word "Pioneers" in the name of the organization. It was felt that individuals might feel they are not eligible to be members because they are not a Grand Canyon "Pioneer". Board Members and members in attendance voiced opinions. It was decided that the following phrase be added on publications and brochures: (A Historical Association)
The Board Meeting adjourned at 12:15.
Respectfully submitted,
Lee Albertson, Secretary
New Members
Stephen R. Owen - Chandler, AZ
Roger and Stephanie Young - Phoenix, AZ
Outings Contacts Information
Outings Coordinator is
Betty Leavengood
6045 Edison Street
Tucson, AZ 85712
520-885-3570
e-mail 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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