Polishing the Jewel An Administra ti ve History of Grand Canyon Na tional Pa rk by Michael F.Anderson GRA N D CA N YO N A S S OC I ATI O N Grand Canyon Association P.O. Box 399 Grand Canyon, AZ 86023 www.grandcanyon.org Grand Canyon Association is a non-profit organization. All proceeds from the sale of this book will be used to support the educational goals of Grand Canyon National Park. Copyright © 2000 by Grand Canyon Association. All rights reserved. Monograph Number 11 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Anderson, Michael F. Polishing the jewel : an adminstrative history of Grand Canyon National Park/by Michael F.Anderson p. cm. -- (Monograph / Grand Canyon Association ; no. 11) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-938216-72-4 1. Grand Canyon National Park (Ariz.)--Management—History. 2.Grand Canyon National Park (Ariz.)--History. 3. United States. National Park Service—History. I. Title. II. Monograph (Grand Canyon Association) ; no. 11. F788 .A524 2000 333.78’3’0979132--dc21 00-009110 Edited by L. Greer Price and Faith Marcovecchio Designed by Kim Buchheit, Dena Dierker and Ron Short Cover designed by Ron Short Printed in the United States of America on recycled paper. Front cover: Tour cars bumper-to-bumper from the Fred Harvey Garage to the El Tovar Hotel, ca.1923. Traffic congestion has steadily worsened at Grand Canyon Village since the automobile became park visitors’ vehicle of choice in the mid-1920s.GRCA 3552; Fred Harvey Company photo. Inset front cover photo: Ranger Perry Brown collects a one dollar “automobile permit” fee at the South Rim,1931.GRCA 30. an adm i n i strati ve history of grand ca nyon nati onal pa r k PolishingContent thes Jewel List of Illustrations ii Preface iii Acknowledgments viii 1 Becoming a National Park, - 2 Foundations, - 3 Ironic Golden Years, - 4 World War and Its Wake, - 5 Infrastructural Last Hurrah, - 6 An End to Consensus, - 7 Upshots and Prognosis Appendix 1 Visitation Statistics Appendix 2 Park Superintendents Endnotes Index IllustFigurerationss All photographs are from the Grand Canyon National Park Museum Collection. All images are National Park Service photos unless otherwise indicated. 1. Map of Grand Canyon National Monument/Grand Canyon 27. NPS, BIA,and Havasupai Tribe officials, 1947. 44 Game Preserve, 1906-10. x 28. Assistant Superintendent James V. “Jimmy” Lloyd. 45 2. The Edwin Dilworth “Uncle Dee”Woolley cabin, ca.1907; Rust Collection photo. 1 29. Fred Gurley, president of the Santa Fe Railroad. 47 3. U.S.Forest Service ranger Pat Fenton,1905. 9 30. Byron Harvey, Jr., president of Fred Harvey Company, below Mooney Falls,Havasu Canyon,1950. 47 4. Fred Harvey Girls, ca.1915; photo by T. L.Brown. 10 31. Fred Harvey buses at Mather Point,autumn 1954; 5. NPS staff in front of the 1921 park administrative photo by Steve Leding. 49 building, 1930. 11 32. Assistant Superintendent Lon Garrison with 6. William Harrison Peters. 13 Fred Harvey Manager W. D. Rouzer. 50 7. Fred Harvey tour buses, ca.1923; Fred Harvey 33. Naturalist’s Workshop (formerly Grand Canyon School), Company photo. 14 1930s. 51 8. Wylie Way Camp staff at Bright Angel Point,1919. 15 34. Interior of Naturalist’s Workshop, 1948; photo by J. M.Eden. 52 9. The 1924 village plan map. 19 35. First (and only) plane to land within the canyon,at Plateau 10. Superintendent J. R. Eakin (left) and Fred Harvey Point, 8 August 1922; Fred Harvey Company photo. 54 manager Victor Pattroso, ca.1925. 20 36. Map of park boundaries pre-1975. 56 11. Employee housing along the railroad tracks near the wye, 1932. 22 37. Uniformed NPS personnel, April 1956. 59 12. View of Grand Canyon Village from an army biplane, 38. Interpretive sign,Grand Canyon Village, late 1960s. 61 ca.1924. 24 39. First units of Yavapai Lodge under construction, 13. Rangers R. Redburn and George Collins in front April 1958. 64 of new administrative building,September 1931. 26 40. Map of park boundaries,post-1975. 66 14. Uniformed NPS personnel, ca.1934. 26 41. Trail caretaker Newt Schaeffer feeding antelope, 15. October 1936 view of North Rim camp for Civilian 1920s,Indian Garden; photo by Edwin McKee. 71 Conservation Corps Company 818. 27 42. Rangers planting trout fry in Clear Creek,1940. 72 16. Aerial view of South Rim, 1932; Fred Harvey Company photo. 27 43. Sikorsky S-61 helicopter carrying a truck down to Phantom Ranch,May 1968. 76 17. Twenty 10,000-gallon tankers deliver water from the Chino Valley to South Rim storage tanks,1961. 28 44. Merle Stitt and John Riffey, January 1980. 77 18. Civilian Conservation Corps recruits, September 1937. 29 45. Grand Canyon National Park interpretive staff, 1978; photo by Bob Butterfield. 78 19. The bridge spanning Dead Indian Canyon along the original East Approach Road, ca.1935. 30 46. Utah Parks Company employees in front of original Grand Canyon Lodge entrance,North Rim,1930; 20. Civilian Conservation Corps crew rounding slopes photo by George C.Grant. 80 along West Rim Drive, 1937. 31 47. The Motor Lodge central services building, east side, 21. Grand Canyon National Park road system, pre-1940. 32 ca.1935. 81 22. Off-duty Civilian Conservation Corps recruits meet 48. Aerial view of Grand Canyon Village, 1989; photo by Harvey girls,1936; photo by Ernest Lee Burns. 33 Greg Probst. 81 23. Early naturalists (left to right) Fred Wright, Eddie 49. Dedication of Roosevelt Point,1996. 84 McKee,Vernon Bailey, and Glenn Sturdevant,1929. 34 50. President Clinton dedicates Parashant National Monument. 86 24. Pauline “Polly”Mead Patraw (1904-), first woman ranger-naturalist at Grand Canyon National Park. 34 51. Parking congestion in Grand Canyon Village. 87 25. The temporary ranger staff of 1939. 36 52. Arizona Governor Fife Symington at press conference along South Entrance Road,1995. 88 26. Members of 51st Armored Infantry on Bright Angel Trail, April 1943; photo by Emery Kolb. 42 53. Canyon View Information Plaza, 2000. 89 i i an adm i n i strati ve history of grand ca nyon nati onal pa r k AcknowledgmentsAcknowledgments Historians rely on past authors of books, articles, reports, including world-system theory, which guides much of this correspondence, and other materials with whom their sto- history. ries originate.They and their contributions are identified in My past and present studies have benefited from many this history’s endnotes where I expand on the text with regional residents who helped make canyon history or details that will be of interest to some readers. Among recalled the presence and efforts of their parents and grand- these sources I must single out the secretaries of the interi- parents. It was a pleasure to interview Gary Branges, Fred or,National Park Service directors, and Grand Canyon’s and Jeanne Schick, Jim Shirley, Harvey Butchart, Jim park superintendents, who wrote candid annual reports of Babbitt, Steve Verkamp, Gale Burak, Bill Suran, Steve park concerns, plans, and actions from the mid-1910s until Church, Ben Hamblin, Loren and Sarah Hamblin the early 1960s. I studied these remarkable reports along- Broadbent, Dart Judd, Keith and Carol Judd, Ron Mace, side other contemporary documents to identify original Billy Swapp,Paul McCormick, Stanley White,Quentin motivations for creating a park system, parks bureau, and Rust, Anna Brown, Cecil Cram, Mardean Church, and Grand Canyon National Park, and to judge the consistency “Walapai” Johnny Nelson. All of these people, and tran- of management decision making through the years. scripts of others’ recollections found at the Grand Canyon Shifting to the present, I thank the archivists and librari- National Park Museum Collection, supplied historical ans who often guided me through their collections.The details and reminded me that the park’s history was not park itself has benefited from a distinguished line of determined solely by public land managers. archivists who have collected physical artifacts, reports, let- Once again I owe a lot to Pam Frazier and Grand ters, and memoranda spanning the park’s first eighty years. Canyon Association for helping me turn out an informative I spent most of my research hours here, sifting through story and to the association’s art director, Kim Buchheit, more than 10,000 documents, and I thank the current pro- and managing editor, Greer Price, who made it better than fessionals who helped and tolerated my presence: Sara its original words. I also appreciate the help of other park Stebbins, Carolyn Richard, Colleen Hyde, Mike Quinn, residents: Doug Brown, who has been a part of my canyon Kim Besom, and Alice Ponyah. Further gratitude is owed studies since 1990; Brad and Denise Traver, for their deep archivists at Northern Arizona University, Arizona State love of the park; and John Frazier, Mike Buchheit, and Jack University, and the University of Arizona, public libraries in Pennington, who have trusted me to lead Grand Canyon Flagstaff, Fredonia, and Kanab, the NPS Denver Service Field Institute backpackers into familiar and remote canyon Center,National Archives in Denver, Colorado, and the areas since 1993. I also thank Rob Arnberger, the present Library of Congress. superintendent, and administrators who work with him for Appreciation goes to those who reviewed the manu- outlining modern issues: Jan Balsom, chief of cultural script, including Barry Mackintosh, Greer Price,Faith resources; Steve Bone, chief ranger; Ellis Richard, former Marcovecchio, Kim Buchheit, Pam Frazier, and my disser- chief of interpretation; Brad Traver, head of the 1995 tation committee at Northern Arizona University: Andy General Management Plan Implementation Team; Wallace,Val Avery, George Lubick, and “Speed” Campbell. Raymond Gunn, chief of concessions, and his staff, Ginger I once again thank Val for all her help since we first crossed Bice and Alan Keske; and Laurie Domler, Dave Trevino, paths in 1988, and Professors Karen Powers and Susan and K.J.