VOL. 16 – NO. 2 www.GrandCanyonHistory.org APR/MAY/JUN 2005 In This Issue Articles A DREAM REALIZED BY TWO BROTHERS by Bill Suran..................6 THE OTHER EL TOVAR by Al Richmond..................................3 THAT RIM CONNECTION by Traci Wyrick ..................................4 TOLL ROADS & TRAILS by Mike Anderson..............................7 Departments PRESIDENT'S LETTER ............................................2 GRAND CANYON ASSOCIATION EVENTS ..........................................11 GRAND CANYON FIELD INSTITUTE HISTORY CLASSES .......................12 1 The Ol' Pioneer President's Letter The Quarterly Magazine of the Grand Canyon Historical Society History is such a fascinating subject. So many VOL. 16 – NO. 2 APR/MAY/JUN 2005 important things have happened just at the Grand Canyon. EDITOR: Diane Cassidy Think of how many people through the centuries have spent a great deal of their lives, if not their entire lives, The Historical Society was established in July 1984 as a non-profit corporation to adding to the Canyon while being added to by the Canyon. develop and promote appreciation, understanding and education of the Recent evidence shows that the human story begins at least earlier history of the inhabitants and important events of the Grand Canyon 13,000 years ago. Probably every place at the Grand and surrounding area. Canyon has a story – something to be learned. The Ol' Pioneer is published quarterly by the GRAND CANYON HISTORICAL SOCIETY who also publishes THE Here we all are, having spent all or part of our lives BULLETIN, a monthly newspaper. Both publications are a benefit of member- in this magnificent place, trying to preserve this story as ship. Membership in the Society is open to any person interested in the historical, best we can for future generations. Thus, they can know at educational, and charitable purposes of the Society. Membership is on an annual basis using the standard calendar; and least some of what went on at the Canyon. dues of $20 are payable on the 1st of January each year. Knowingly or unknowingly, we are all with this act The Ol' Pioneer magazine is copyrighted becoming part of the history for the future. by the Grand Canyon Historical Society, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form without permission of the A great opportunity to be a part of that history is to publisher. add your knowledge and your research to that presented at Submit photos, stories, and comments to the History Symposium in 2007. Planning for this the editor of The Ol' Pioneer at: [email protected] or enterprise is just beginning, but everybody needs to start PO Box 10067, Prescott AZ 86304. thinking now about what they could contribute. GCHS Officers/Board of Directors Keith Green, President; Mike Coltrin, Vice President and Outings Coordinator Linda Anderson, Treasurer Keith Green Lee Albertson, Secretary Todd Berger, Chairperson of Pioneer Award Mike Anderson Gale Burak Jim Ohlman Web site: www.GrandCanyonHistory.org 2 GRAND CANYON HISTORICAL SOCIETY – THE OL' PIONEER, APR/MAY/JUN 2005 The Other El Tovar by Al Richmond – Sedona, AZ In 1540 Don Pedro de cars, two Tourist Sleepers, Tovar, a captain in Dining car (Fred Harvey Coronado’s command on Service), Santa Fe the search for the fabled Observation-Parlor car, and seven golden cities of three DeLuxe Chair cars. For Cibola in what is now convenience of passengers Arizona and New Mexico, who desired to change their heard of an immense chasm schedules somewhat, both that warranted inspection. connected with trains 23 and Unable to leave the Hopi 24 for service to and from Los villages he dispatched his Angeles. Connections also lieutenant, Don Garcia included trains to San Diego, Lopez de Cardeñas to make Oakland, and Denver with the journey. Several days additional equipment. later he and his men became El Tovar on 15 June 1941 as it steams doubleheaded into the In actuality, El Tovar ran the first Europeans to gaze Grand Canyon yards below Bright Angel Lodge. by design as a summer with awe into the [Ingersoll photo, Bassett collection.] "tourist special" train and the magnificence that is now 1941 season brought yet Grand Canyon National Park. somehow learned of this will-o’-the- another change in schedule and On 14 January 1905, the Atchison, wisp found it even more difficult to consist. Instead of making the run Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and the actually prove El Tovar ran the Santa between Kansas City and Los Angeles, Fred Harvey Company welcomed their Fe rails. she now ran only between Los first guests to the rustic, yet Small wonder El Tovar dwells in Angeles and Williams and continued magnificent El Tovar Hotel. Named obscurity. Born with good intentions, on to the South Rim as a second after a man who never saw the global circumstances and rapidly section to the Grand Canyon Canyon, it remains the premier hotel changing public transportation patterns Railway’s trains 14 and 15. on the south rim. In Santa Fe-Harvey led to an inconsistent itinerary, Apparently the logistics of running as tradition, many of their hotels in the discontinuance, rebirth, and finally, scheduled in 1940 proved to be too American Mid- and Southwest carried demise. Tracking her through ambitious an undertaking with the names of Spanish explorers. timetables and company publications insufficient revenues being realized. Cardeñas already had a hotel named is a “now you see it, and now you Presumably these changes came about for him at Trinidad, Colorado so by don’t” experience--much like a to provide passengers with better default Grand Canyon’s El Tovar mirage. System and adjacent division scheduling in and out of Carlsbad honored the man who launched the employee timetables issued on the Cavern National Park and between expedition that “discovered” the Grand same date may have her listed by name Denver and Kansas City. This action Canyon. and number on one, only number on created another little known train, the And, exactly four hundred years the other, in conjunction with a Centennial State. But that’s another later, the Santa Fe again dusted off companion train, or not at all. Others story. Pedro de Tovar’s name and added it to will have complete information El Tovar’s real claim to fame is the list of legendary name trains that including the consist.* Photographs that it did something that none of ran the western rails. Unquestionably are rare and those show her running Santa Fe’s other name trains did on a heady company, The Chief, El with a mixed consist of Pullman green regular schedule--stop at Grand Capitan, Grand Canyon Limited, El and Budd stainless steel cars. Canyon. For many years the Santa Fe Tovar...El Tovar!? Certainly you have For its inaugural year, the 2 June system advertising proclaimed itself heard of the crack Santa Fe train and 21 July 1940 system timetables “The Grand Canyon Line.” This whose cross-country runs included a list El Tovar by name and number as a banner appeared in published station stop at Grand Canyon? No? no extra fare between Kansas City and advertising, on billboards, boxcars, Well then, join the ranks of most Los Angeles. Also included on Nos. and highway overpasses. The logo veteran Santa Fe employees, 123 (westbound) and 124 (eastbound) historians, and rail fans who never is a “completely air-conditioned” ...continued on page 10 heard of her either. And those who consist of Lounge car, five Sleeping GRAND CANYON HISTORICAL SOCIETY – THE OL' PIONEER, APR/MAY/JUN 2005 3 That Rim Connection by Traci Wyrick – Killeen TX From Grand Canyon's Don remembers how the park's oldest rocks, the Vishnu natural critters like salaman- Schist, ensconced alongside ders, snakes, lizards and the Colorado River, rising up squirrels became his pets, since to the layer of Tapeats Canyon families were not Sandstone, reaching higher to allowed to have domestic pets. the Bright Angel Shale and up Don adds, "I did a lot of to the Muav Limestone... the investigating on the rim and rock formations climb... until enjoyed exploring the many old ultimately the Eastern section mine tunnels below it. Being of Grand Canyon is rimmed raised at Grand Canyon was a with Kaibab Limestone. A wonderful experience." connection of rock, when Brown-eyed brunette Jo, a encountered by the millions Jo and Don's wedding day, August 22, 1957 transplanted Montanan, lived who come to see the several places in the Southwest enthralling natural wonder, creates a mules out of the Canyon that morning while her parents worked for Indian chorus of wows, oohs and aahs. after spending Christmas break with trading posts. During the Christmas season of 1952, father and husband Dean, a Canyon residents Don Schellbach and hydrographer on the Colorado River. When her dad was hired by the Jo Tidball happened upon another "We lived in Mesa when Dad got the United States Geological kind of connecting force at Grand job in Grand Canyon," relays Jo. Survey, the family was quite Canyon, when she, living beside the "Mother and we girls stayed there to surprised he would soon be chasm's granite gorge near Phantom finish out Mother's teaching job and living and working in one of the Ranch, met him, a Canyon villager, our remaining school year." most remote and deepest atop the Kaibab Limestone at the Don, who was born in New York Bright Angel Lodge. Although City, was a sophomore at Northern locations on Earth. neither one knew it at the time, they Arizona State Teachers College and "Although we couldn't live with would soon be oohing and aahing lived all of his 19 years at Grand Dad while we attended school, we much like that of first-time Canyon Canyon.