Grand Canyon Pioneers Society - Monthly Bulletin - March 1999

GCPS Meetings for 1999

March 13: Join the Grand Canyon Pioneers for a ride on Verde Canyon Railroad in Clarkdale. We'll meet at 1:00 PM at the Depot at 300 North Broadway in Clarkdale. Check in with Tom Carmony. We'll take the 2:00 PM train. The railroad has a cafe and picnic area if you would like to meet for lunch. No matter where you have lunch, be at the depot at 1:00 PM. March is the best time of year to ride the train because the golden and bald eagles nest along the Verde River. Fares are Adults: $35.95; Children ages 2-12: $20.95; Seniors 65 and over: $32.95. Make your check payable to Grand Canyon Pioneers and give it to Tom Carmony the day of the excursion.
April 4: Easter Sunrise Service in the Grand Canyon.
April 17: A talk about the Northern Arizona University Special Collections by Diane Grua at the NAU Cline Library Miriam Lemont Reading Room at 10:30 AM. Diane, a Library Specialist, will speak on "Intellectual Control in the Acid-Free Zone." [Hint: it has something to do with collections!] Note that the main library does not open until 10:30 AM. The Miriam Lemont Reading Room is inside Special Collections area which is located on the second floor of the library. Please be prompt. The Special Collections door will be locked when Diane begins her presentation. After Diane's talk, we'll meet at Furr's for lunch.
May 15: Mike Anderson reviews his new book, Living at the Edge, a history about explorers, exploiters and settlers of the Grand Canyon area.
June 12: Annual Picnic and a tour of the Grand Canyon Cemetery by Stew Fritts prior to the picnic.
July 17: Jim Tuck of the National Park Service will be doing a program on the Grand Canyon Master Plan Implementation.
August 17: To be announced.
September 18: Program by John Westerlund at NAU on the Navajo Depot.
October 16: Annual Meeting.
November 13: Possible Tucson meeting - Ruth Stephens Baker will give talk on Shiva Temple Climb, tour of Historical Society, and a talk by Debbie Shelton, curator of photos about the Bass Collection Photos.
December: No meeting.


New Members

We welcome the following new members to the Society:

Margaret Thune, Palm City, Florida

Betty Sharp Waterman, Eugene, OR

Theda Flynn, St George, UT


NOT TRYING TO HYDE ANYTHING!
by Richard Quartaroli

Here is a short update regarding my talk on January 16, 1999, about Glen and Bessie Hyde.

First, I had a handout of sources for information on the Hydes, but failed to list Bill Suran's items and the Ol' Pioneer. I just assumed that GCPS members would be familiar with them as sources and not thinking did not include them. My apologies to fellow member, Bill, as he has done much research on the Kolb Brothers, including their connections to the Hydes. See his "The Kolb Brothers of Grand Canyon" and "With the Wings of an Angel" as well as "A Skeleton in the Closet" in the Winter 1997-98 issue of the Ol' Pioneer. Also see Michael Harrison's response in "Dear Editor," of the Ol' Pioneer - Sept-Dec 1998.

Someone asked about how many photographs were associated with Bessie's camera. I had the information with me, but forgot that I did. I erroneously stated that I read Marston to say that there were four rolls. Actually, he wrote six rolls, and a listing of the photos shows that to be true. However, there were only six exposures per roll, probably standard for that day and age. Not every roll had six good images: roll A, five in or around Labyrinth Canyon on the Green River; roll B, four in Cataract Canyon, Colorado River; roll C, five in Cataract; roll D, three in Cataract; roll E, two in Cataract, one that Marston says was the last photo on the roll found in the camera (thus making this way out of order), and three in the Upper Granite Gorge, Grand Canyon; and roll F, five in the Muav Gorge below Havasu Canyon, Grand Canyon, for a total of 28 images. The lack of six photos per roll could have been due to the photographer's techniques (Bessie), the conditions (rain, river water, etc.), the rescue crew (river water, ice), or the developer (the Kolbs).

In the next mail I received copies of forensic anthropologist Dr. Walter H. Birkby's reports to the Coconino County Sheriff's Department:

August 10, 1980 to Sgt. Jack Judd; and November 1, 1985 to Sheriff J. D. Richards. Really no new information to add to all the stories in the list of "Suggested Readings & Research," but it is grand to finally have copies of the reports. They both may be found in the Kolb and Hydes vertical files in Cline Library's Special Collections and Archives Department. Incidentally, the Coconino County case number is CI #80-8316. After giving that number to the Sheriff's Department, I am still waiting to see what they have on file. I will update you all when I receive more information.

Gus Scott reminded me after the meeting that the other woman besides Doris Nevills to be the first to traverse all the canyons from Green River, Wyoming to Boulder Dam in 1940 was, of course, Mildred Baker (Nevills took Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter in 1938 from Green River, Utah).

Jim Ohlman seemed disappointed that I didn't mention the belt-buckle controversy with the photo of the one Glen Hyde was wearing and that found with the skeleton. I blame that on my clogged brain. It turns out they were similar, but not a match.

I also forgot to mention the 1997 speculation in Sandstone Sunsets: In Search of Everett Ruess in a section entitled "Emery Kolb's Boathouse": the author guessed the skeleton to belong to Ruess who Emery shot as the result of being rebuffed in a less-than-manly encounter.

And lastly, the results of the ballot:

WHAT HAPPENED TO GLEN AND BESSIE HYDE?

THE POSSIBILITIES ARE (circle your choice of scenarios):

  1. Bessie killed Glen (3, 1 w/D)

  2. Glen killed Bessie (0)

  3. Bessie died on the river [232-Mile Rapid? or ?] (8 for C&D)

  4. Glen died on the river [232-Mile Rapid? or?] (1 for D&E)

  5. Bessie died on the escape (1 for E&F)

  6. Glen died on the escape

  7. Emery killed Glen (No - He was not a killer. This with the A&D.)

  8. Liz becomes Bessie (0)

  9. Bessie becomes Liz becomes Bessie (1)

  10. All of the above [A-J] (0)

  11. None of the above (1)

  12. Your scenario:

    I think the woman on the George Billingsley trip was Bessie. Why would she make up the story? If true and she were believed, we could interview [her] in jail. Should be a neat story. (This with the A&D and G comment.)

    I think Glen drowned and the Bessie was frightened that she would be blamed for the death. So, she just hiked quietly out, changed her name, and went about her new life.

    Liz was a friend Bessie told her story to. Sutro killed Glen and rescued Bessie or Glen and Bessie were on land when Kolb sent their boat down the river. They both died on land.

    And then, as someone pointed out after the talk, they could be still alive!!!


Old Glory Honors GCPS Member
(The following article was taken from the January 6 1999 issue of the Williams Grand Canyon News.)

Turning 80 is certainly a milestone. But for a longtime Williams resident, Cecil Wells, one aspect of the day will always be a special honor to savor. In acknowledgment of her December 9 birthday, Congressman Bob Stump had Old Glory flown over the U.S. Capitol building and sent the flag and a certificate to Cecil.

Mrs. Wells has a place in the area history for the Wells family has been associated with the Williams newspaper since 1913 when Frank E. Wells bought the News and started a tradition of having a Wells as publisher for 85 years.

After Frank passed away in 1979 her son Doug took over and now has four publications to look after that include the Navajo-Hopi Observer, the Canyon Shopper and the Winslow Mail. There is a possibility that a fourth generation Wells is waiting in the wings to take over the task of publisher. Carl Wells, who will graduate from the Williams High School this year, has served as an intern at the paper the past four years. There are also two younger sisters, Courtney and Holly, who might have a yen for the family business.

Cecil is no stranger to the printing office. After she got her children in school she went to work as editor and publisher for a while after her husband died. She says, "Many towns under 4000 residents do not have a paper to call their own." What ever the future generation holds this is certainly a banner year for the Williams-Grand Canyon News itself since it has been published continuously since 1889. Expect to see much hoopla at the News this year in commemoration of its 110th year on the streets.


Consider this Book

Footprints on the Arizona Strip (with accent on "Bundyville") by Nellie Iverson Cox and Helen Bundy Russell is a book which captures the rich flavor and excitement that has been a part of the Arizona Strip, that portion of the state which is cut off from the rest by the Grand Canyon of the Colorado.

Bundyville, the only bona fide "town" ever to exist in the interior of the Arizona Strip, is now a ghost town officially known today as Mt. Trumbull. Mentioned are notables such as J. W. Powell, Doc Marston, Georgie "Woman of the River," Buzz Hatch, Ed Hudson, plus hundreds of the locals and the adventures in their everyday life on the Strip from 1880s to 1960s.

Published in 1998, 8-3/4 x 11-1/4 brown buckram (leather-like) with gilt lettering cover and spine, 250pp with index. The cost is $40.00 plus $3.00 shipping and is available from:

Roma Cox Scott
P.O. Box 402
Washington, UT 84780

(435) 628-1528


A Correction from Dr. Robert Euler

I read with considerable interest in The Bulletin (vol. 3, no. 2) of the Grand Canyon Pioneers Society the article entitled "A Mystery to Solve." It mentioned "Shortly after Emery's death Lehnert conducted Robert Buelow, an anthropologist for the National Park Service, . . . he invited Buelow to the garage to show him something of interest to him as an anthropologist."

Somehow, my name, Euler, came out as Buelow. It was Lehnert who took me to view the skeleton and it was I who turned the bones over to park authorities. I was the only anthropologist at Grand Canyon at that time and I remember the incident very well.

Sincerely,
Bob Euler


A Favorite Internet Web Site

On Monday, February 15, 1999, the Arizona Republic, Business Section, listed the web sites the readers voted as favorite web sites.

Under the category of travel the Grand Canyon Explorer web site, www.kaibab.org, by GCPS member, Bob Ribokas, was listed. The caption reads, "Great information and panoramic views of Arizona's greatest natural wonder".


The Bulletin welcomes comments, stories, or Reflections and Remembrances.

Please send them to

Tom Carmony
206 W. Caroline Lane
Tempe, AZ 85284-3021

or e-mail them to carmonys@extremezone.com

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Copyright © Grand Canyon Pioneers Society, 1999, all rights reserved. This publication and its text and photos may not be copied for commercial use without the express written permission of the Grand Canyon Pioneers Society, PO Box 2372, Flagstaff, AZ 86003-2372.