PIPE SPRING Cultures at a Crossroads: An Administrative History

Planning and Development

After the war ended, Park Service officials in Washington, D.C., expected increased interest in and visitation to the nation's parks and monuments. In late 1945 Director Newton B. Drury sent out a letter to all park units asking park administrators to answer two questions: 1) What is the national significance of the area I supervise? and 2) How can it be made to provide the greatest service to the nation? To the first question, Custodian Heaton replied that Pipe Spring National Monument "stands for the hardships, trials, sorrows, joys, deaths, battles, and successes the pioneers passed through to establish the rights of free people in the Rocky Mountains and our present civilization." [1354] It was one of the few western forts constructed for protection of settlers still standing, thus its importance increased through the years, he wrote to the director. To the second question, Heaton opined that the buildings should be restored "to give the visitor a feeling of what the pioneers passed through." [1355] They should be refurnished with antiques of the period and interpreted by persons well acquainted with the history of the region and the west, a person who also had a sincere desire to serve the public, he added. "Better roads" were also needed, Heaton wrote the director.

The monument still limped along with insufficient funds to fully carry out the goals Heaton described. It was unlikely that money would be found for furnishing the house museum, however, when allocations of the period did not even cover some other basic administrative needs, such as personnel and equipment. During the war years, insufficient allocations for Pipe Spring had required occasional transfers of funds from other areas. When Superintendent Smith submitted his preliminary budget estimates for Pipe Spring National Monument for fiscal year 1948, he pointed out to Regional Director Minor R. Tillotson that the estimate of $3,924 represented an increase of $1,723 over fiscal year (FY) 1947. About one-half of the requested budget increase was needed for equipment (a refrigerator for the residence, a new generator, and a two-way radio). Most of the remaining increase was to be used to hire someone to relieve Heaton during his days off and when on official absence from the monument. Smith also wanted to upgrade Heaton's position at an additional cost of $66 for the year. Apparently, the monument did not get the increased funding requested by Smith either for FY 1948 or for FY 1949, for Edna did not get a refrigerator nor Leonard his raise until 1950; the monument didn't get a two-way radio until 1951; and the Heaton family continued to provide guide service during the custodian's absence until 1953 when a seasonal laborer was hired.

During the fall of 1946, the Western Office, Division of Plans and Design (WODC), collected field data for preparation of the monument's 1947 master plan. Perhaps the most significant change between this plan and the earlier one developed in 1940 was the change in location of the parking area. The 1947 plan called for the parking area to be located directly north of the campground and picnic area and for the old parking area, built south of the fort during the 1930s, to be obliterated. Like the 1940 plan, the 1947 plan called for relocation of the monument road to a point south of the Indian ruins (previously investigated by Jesse Nusbaum and others); all traces of the old road, except for a small section at the east entrance, were to be obliterated. (The one-mile detour section was proposed to be constructed by the Indian Service.) The inadequate slab culvert at the east entrance was to be replaced with a larger concrete box culvert to alleviate flood problems. New buildings proposed included a contact/comfort station, two staff residences ("of Mormon-type stone masonry"), an equipment storage building, and fuel storage house. Additional flagstone walks were proposed to access the historic buildings with the proposed new developments and 18-inch high stone walls were to be constructed in the utility and residential areas. A bituminous-surfaced nature trail was also proposed which would lead to a ridge one-quarter mile northwest of the fort. The plan also called for a restoration of the fort's interior furnishings so that it could be used as a historic house museum. The plan for utilities included construction of one 20,000-gallon reservoir on the hill northwest of the fort and replacement of the gravity flow water system with the installation of a pump. The installation of two five-kilowatt generating plants was proposed to service the electrical needs of the monument's new buildings. The master plan received formal approval on May 15, 1947. (Zion officials gave Heaton a copy of the monument's master plan about five months later.) While project construction program proposals were submitted to fund developments as outlined in the 1947 master plan, the only one of these projects funded and completed between 1946 and 1950 was the one to prevent monument flooding.

88. Developed Area Plan, 1947 Master Plan for Pipe Spring National Monument
(Courtesy NPS Technical Information Center).
(click on image for an enlargement in a new window - ~127K)

On May 24, 1947, Superintendent Smith, Park Naturalist Merrill Walker, Chief Ranger Fred Fagergren, and Regional Chief of Planning Harvey Cornell met at Pipe Spring to inspect the monument and discuss the rehabilitation program for the fort. The men spent several hours considering changes to the flood washes and repairs to the fort. The monument's custodian must have taken it as a hopeful sign. "This is the first visit from park officials for nearly a year," Heaton later recorded in his journal. [1356]

Returning from a long lunch break on July 22, 1947, Heaton was disappointed to learn from Edna that he had missed the visit of some important Park Service officials. Past Director Arno B. Cammerer and NPS engineers Sam D. Hendricks and A. van V. Dunn had stopped at Pipe Spring, accompanied by Merrill Walker. As usual, Heaton had received no notice of their intended visit. Heaton bemoaned having missed them in his journal that evening, "Just because I took an extra hour off at noon, I missed seeing two park men on roads.... It seems like if I stay around waiting for people to come, they never get here, but sure as I leave or [am] in dirty clothes, I always get some visitors." [1357] Heaton was so weary of this sort of thing happening that he finally requested in the September 1947 staff meeting that he be given advance notice of official visits. The truth was, high officials rarely came to Pipe Spring, but when they did Heaton hated to miss them or be caught unprepared.

In August 1947 Heaton reported something serious was threatening the monument's elm trees. During the summer all but two or three of the elms planted by the CCC in 1937 either died or looked as if they were about to die, Heaton reported. Water did not seem to be the problem, he wrote, but woodpecker holes in the trunks suggested insect infestation. Even three of the old trees by the fort showed signs of dying. In addition to the elm problem, a few poplars suffered from insufficient water. In the spring of 1950, Heaton reported the willow patch and Carolina poplars were insect-infested. Later investigation determined the poplar problem was "leaf miners and rollers," which almost denuded some of the trees. Superintendent Smith proposed at year end that funding be budgeted for annual spraying of the monument's deciduous trees in the early spring. Wildlife, on the other hand, was proliferating. The flock of Gambel quail living in and around the monument was estimated in 1947 at 100. [1358] In the fall of 1950, Heaton reported that quail were still "plentiful" in the area. [1359]

The 1937 Ford pickup that Heaton had been driving at the monument had been in need of replacement for many years. Finally in September 1947, much to Heaton's surprise, he was told after a staff meeting at Zion to exchange the old truck for a new 1947 International pickup. "Runs fine," he reported, although it didn't have a heater in it. Given that the custodian's journal for the preceding years is replete with entries about frequent breakdowns and repairs to the old truck, receiving the new vehicle must have been a very welcome event. [1360] In March 1949 he exchanged the International for a 4-speed Dodge truck. Before winter Heaton even got a heater installed in the truck.

From October 1947 through mid-March 1948, Heaton was involved in preparation for and repair work in the fort's kitchen, in particular the replacement of its floors. When this job was completed, Heaton and his brother Grant Heaton commenced work on replacing the parlor floors, and work finished in early April. Heaton also did some preliminary work in preparation for replacing the fort's big gates during the summer of 1948, but did not build the gates and install them until the summer of 1949 (see "Historic Buildings" section for details on these projects). Throughout 1948 Heaton and his sons also did considerable work to improve the family's residence (see "The Heaton Residence" section).

Perhaps the biggest story in 1948 was the Indian School fire that took place the afternoon of April 29. Custodian Heaton recorded the event at the end of the day:

Got a call for a fire at the Indian School at 3:40 [p.m.]. Took all my fire fighting equipment up, but was too late to do much good on the second building, but helped save the third. The fire started about 2:30 in the schoolhouse, either from a defective flu or children playing with matches in a playhouse on north side of the building. By 3:00 this building was falling down. The house north caught fire but was put out once, then the southwest wind carried the flames from the 1st building and fire broke out along the eaves and got in under the roof. When I got there and no chance to get at the fire. It was believed if the park equipment had been there at 3:00 the 2nd building could have been saved. The 3rd building to the east caught fire several times but with tubs of water and extinguisher the fire was kept under control. Very little was saved from the schoolhouse, but practically everything that could be moved was gotten out of the 2nd house. Sparks were blown 100 yards and started [a] fire on the roof of an Indian home and 200 yards to a pile of posts which was charred before the fire was put out. Five men from Moccasin arrived at the fire call first, then several others arrived later. The women folks did a fair job in helping move things out of the house and taking care of them afterwards. By 4:30 or 5:00 both houses had burned to the ground leaving only 3 flues standing. It was all Government property that was lost in the fire. [1361]

Heaton did not report on ensuing events with regard to the replacement of the burned buildings. Later that year, the monument had a little fire scare of its own. "Had a fire in the wash this morning at 4:00 a.m. caused from dumping hot ashes. No damage was done, just burned trash and garbage." [1362] This was the same way the 1942 monument fire had started.

During April and May 1948, Heaton worked on improvements to the monument's drainage system, to prevent future floods, and to its irrigation system (see "Flood Diversion, Irrigation, and Pipelines" section for details). In May Heaton received a visit from Assistant Superintendent Art Thomas, Dell Campbell, and Regional Archeologist Eric K. Reed. The men spent most of a day inspecting the buildings and gathering information about the monument's history and restoration work. [1363] Reed later described the repair work Heaton had done on the fort as "excellent." In June Chief Ranger Fred Fagergren made a fire inspection at the monument. "Found things in pretty poor shape," reported Heaton. [1364] Fagergren's report after this inspection recommended that a generator house be built. Heaton built a small generator house during the last two weeks of July 1948. The structure was located "at the southeast corner of the willow patch, halfway between the residence and Garage No. 2," Heaton reported. [1365] In May 1950 Heaton installed a 55-gallon underground fuel tank to store gasoline for the generator.

Heaton was disappointed to learn at a staff meeting in late June 1948 that he was not going to get a long-awaited pay raise. A few weeks later after the next staff meeting, he met with Thomas "about why I didn't get the raise in pay but doesn't look like I will get one, yet all the other fellows have in the ungraded class." [1366] In September he once again discussed the lack of raise with Thomas: "Talked with Art Thomas about my wages and found out the reason some were not raised is that Pipe has a spindly allotment and not enough to pay the next grade rate of $1.25 so until someone turns loose some more money I am stuck with $1.00 an hour rate." [1367] Considering the Park Service benefited from the unpaid labor of at least half of Heaton's large family, they were getting quite a bargain indeed! The following summer, in August 1949, Heaton took the park ranger's exam in Cedar City, Utah, for the second time. (He had first taken this exam in May 1937. At that time, and presumably in 1949 as well, a college education was still required to attain this position.) There was no report of the results by Heaton.

Some days were more tedious for Custodian Heaton than others at the monument. One can imagine his feelings when, after a hot August in 1948, he wrote in his journal, "Washed the windows in the three fort buildings, 309 separate window panes in the windows, 618 sides to wash. Takes three good hours to go over them." [1368] In early October Heaton decided to relieve a different kind of tedium by taking his wife and 15-month-old baby with him to attend the four-day Superintendents' Conference in Grand Canyon National Park. Heaton's 14-year-old son Lowell was left in charge during the couple's seven-day absence. The meeting was attended by 200 park managers and presided over by Director Drury, Associate Director Demaray, and Assistant Director Tolson. By the last day of the conference, Heaton wrote, "Everyone worn out and nerves on edge. Glad the conference is over." [1369] The Heatons returned to Pipe Spring on October 9 by way of Lee's Ferry. Shortly after his return, Heaton constructed a new coal storage bin from salvaged materials. It was located at the northeast corner of the old cattle corral, south of his residence. "Some job using old scrap lumber and rusty nails," he wrote. [1370]

The winter of 1948-1949 was an unusually severe one on the Arizona Strip. On February 7, 1949, Heaton reported "a lot of cattle are dying of starvation and cold." [1371] Heaton wrote four days later,

A lot of cattle are being driven into the pasture just outside of the monument for feeding and warm water and they are getting into the monument across the cattle guard and gate being left open.... Quite a lot dead cattle being found in different parts of the range. Considerable trouble is being had with different stockmen because they think they are being hit the hardest and want all the snow equipment to work on their place first. Heard that it was all being called off because of the selfishness of two or three men who won't cooperate with the other stockmen. [1372]

On Valentine's Day 1949, the temperature dipped to 12 degrees below zero. Drifting snow blocked roads and mail delivery was infrequent and unpredictable. So many trucks passed over the road hauling hay and feed to suffering livestock that winter that the road through the monument had 18-inch wide, 12-inch deep ruts in it. Heaton's truck became mired on at least one occasion; he towed others out of mud holes when necessary. In addition to truck damage, between 40 and 60 head of cattle got into the monument over cattle guards frozen with snow. He tried his best to fill in the road ruts with sand, predicting "one dirty mess" once spring arrived. On February 22 Heaton's sons reported the ice on the meadow pond was 13 inches thick; the east fort pond was covered with nine inches of ice.

In spite of road problems that always arrived with melting snows, the harsh winter was followed by a glorious spring. Easter visitors came, as they usually did, to celebrate the holiday amidst the monument's budding vegetation. Heaton wrote in 1949,

Easter Sunday, had a large crowd out today. Made no effort to conduct parties through the fort as they keep coming in and out all the afternoon, so just wandered about answering questions and giving information. About 20 cars and 70 or more people out to picnic and outing.... One of the visitors was Mrs. Elvira Winsor Jahovac, great great granddaughter of Bishop A. P. Winsor who built the fort in 1870. [1373]

Heaton reported that April that plum trees on the monument were blooming and swarms of butterflies were attracted to their fragrant blossoms: "Hundreds of small red-spotted butterflies are on the plum blossoms now, the most I have ever seen at this monument." [1374] Only three days later, Heaton wrote, "The small red butterflies have about all left... but there are thousands of white moths, or millers, at night now." [1375] (These moths were responsible for the caterpillar infestation on the willows that Heaton had to spray with DDT.)

During the summer of 1949, Heaton constructed 9 x 6-foot book shelves for his office, which was still located in the fort's lower building, southeast corner of the ground floor. The custodian spotted three or four horned owls living at the monument that summer, roosting during the day among the campground trees or among those near the fort. Two golden eagles were also seen. In August Jay Ellis Ransom, from Desert Plant Magazine, visited Pipe Spring to prepare an article. Natt Dodge (regional office) also stopped by on his way to Zion to visit with Heaton and take pictures of the fort. At the end of the travel year (FY 1949), Heaton reported 1,381 visitors, adding,

This is the largest figure for several years. I am sure if there was a guide on duty all the time we would double our figures, as I am away about half the time, two days Saturday and Sunday, one day every two weeks to Zion, annual leave and holidays and other Government duties, that take me away. Would average only four days out of the week [that] people could have guide service. [1376]

Heaton found himself in a bind. He wanted to welcome as many visitors as he could but had to frequently leave the monument for legitimate reasons. Of course Heaton knew that visitation numbers were important to those in Zion and Washington, D.C. This could have been one of a number of reasons his family members were so willing to offer guide service during Heaton's periods of absence from the site. Had the fort actually been locked up during all the times Heaton was away, visitation figures would have fallen significantly. On the other hand, Heaton's journal and monthly reports document his family's sincere desire to accommodate visitors to this remote site as a simple act of courtesy, thus it would be inaccurate to construe they only helped out to boost travel figures. The monument's custodian had wrestled with the problem of meeting visitors' needs right after the war. In June 1946 Heaton reported,

There has been a question as to just what should be done here at Pipe Spring National Monument now that we are getting visitors every day of the week, especially when they come so many miles to see the fort, and then not be able to get in, or have someone here to tell them the history. The custodian has talked it over with his family and it is agreed that some one of us will be at the monument to show visitors about every day of the week, regardless of compensation we might receive. In this way someone will be here for fire and other protection measures, as well as [for] guide service. [1377]

Zion officials (just like Southwestern National Monuments officials before them) seemed to have no objections to the Heaton family's solution to the problem. Until funds could be found to hire an assistant for Custodian Heaton - a pipe dream indeed! - there seemed to be no alternative to the family but for them to volunteer their services.

It was mentioned in an earlier chapter that Heaton sometimes captured a deer fawn or two, raised them in the meadow, and later sold them to the U.S. Forest Service. Although this practice seems to have been discontinued in the 1940s, Heaton's deer tending days weren't quite over. During the summer of 1949, some reservation Indians found a fawn and brought it to Heaton. A few months later, Heaton wrote of the deer, "The tame deer is getting to be a pest and [we] will have to get rid of it before long. It is bothering the children and may hurt them." [1378] He waited until the spring of 1950 to cart the deer away, which evidently soon became homesick: "The deer we raised and was taken off five weeks ago is back again," he reported in late May. [1379] The deer wasn't the only intruder. Heaton reported in October 1949 that "four or five head of horses keep coming into the monument at night and [are] out before morning, crossing the cattle guard." [1380] These were horses (owned by the Kaibab Paiute) that were attracted to the lush grazing at Pipe Spring. It appears that Heaton's earlier practice of driving them out when he discovered them in the morning had "trained" them — he believed they now left voluntarily before he arose! In September 1950 he reported that Indians' horses "forgot [to leave] and stayed 'til 7:00 [a.m.]. Got in the truck and chased them out two miles." [1381] A few horses continued their practice of grazing on the monument at night, in spite of Heaton's efforts to keep them out. In 1952 he reported chasing trespassing horses out of the monument "with a gun and car." [1382]

In November 1949, at the encouragement of Superintendent Smith, Heaton filled out employment papers for the Washington office to see if could attain a permanent custodial appointment at Zion National Park under a Civil Service grade. In February 1950 Heaton wrote in his journal, "Went to town to get some Civil Service examination papers for a maintenance man position at Zion Park. Got word that I should try for it to keep my job here at Pipe. It doesn't make me feel any too well. I am wondering if it would not be better for me to try and get a farm to work." [1383] Heaton had by then been overseeing the monument for 24 years and was still an ungraded Park Service employee making only $1 an hour. Finally, Heaton was given "competitive status" under Executive Order 10080 in May 1950. [1384] He did not get the position he applied for at Zion but in August 1950 he learned that he would receive a modest raise of 17.5 cents per hour. He wrote in his journal, "Beginning August 6, 1950, will receive $100.66 each two weeks in place of the $81.50." [1385]

The winter of 1949-1950 was another very cold one. Heaton reported a few days before Christmas 1949, "Another very cold night and day, 6 below zero this morning.... Spent the day in the office taking care of papers, writing letters. Feet freezing. Keeping up the fire in the old pot-belly stove which doesn't give out enough heat to reach the desk." [1386] In the midst of sub-zero temperatures, poor road conditions, and no visitors, Heaton received one encouraging word at the start of the new decade: "Electric power lines ready to go as soon as the Government gives the go ahead sign. Contracts let to several companies." [1387] The prospect of power lines coming to the area was probably as welcome to Heaton as the acquisition of his new truck in 1947. The two electric generators at Pipe Spring seemed to have required as much time for repairs (and caused as much aggravation) as the old truck had. Once again, however, his vision of electric power lines was premature.

When Heaton attended staff meeting on March 1, 1950, he was directed to make a name change: "Got instruction to change the name of Pipe Spring National Monument to Pipe Spring National Historic Park. It is OK with me, if I can get the wage and money that goes with a Park name." [1388] No further mention was made of a name change, which was never carried out.

During an inspection of the fort by Zion officials in the spring of 1950, it was learned that several trees very close to the fort had been struck by lightning in previous years. Heaton told the men that lightning had never struck the fort but that lightning storms had struck violently on Rocky Point, just behind the fort. Superintendent Smith later wrote Regional Director Tillotson,

It occurs to us that with the lack of fire protection facilities at Pipe Spring, a lightning protection system should be installed on the fort itself. It would seem possible that some time lightning may strike the fort itself and set a fire which would be hard to cope with. Although we cannot accomplish it with funds available this year, it is believed that a lightning system should be designed and installed on the fort in the near future. We will want the advice of Regional Architects and Engineers before going ahead with the lightning protection plan. [1389]

The subject of lightning protection came up every few years after Superintendent Smith wrote this memo to Tillotson, but it appears that costs prohibited further action until June 1956 when five lightning rods were finally installed on the fort. [1390] In addition to lightning protection, Zion officials recommended in 1950 that future budget estimates include funds for the purchase of a Pacific-type fire pumper and 500 feet of hose, to be located near the fort ponds for protection of the fort. The monument obtained this fire protection equipment in 1953.

89. Crowd gathered in meadow for the community barbeque at Pipe Spring, April 29, 1950
(Photograph by Merrill V. Walker, Pipe Spring National Monument, neg. 396).

Unquestionably, the biggest event in the spring of 1950 was a barbecue held on April 29 for Governor Daniel E. Garvey. The fete was planned to convince the governor and other high officials of the need for an all-weather Hurricane-Fredonia road. Heaton cleaned all the fort's windows and had a couple of his sons help him clean the meadow "for the big eat," as he described it. On April 22 Heaton started building the fire pit for the barbecue. On the 25th, he fussed with the arrangement of museum articles ("for the crowd," he wrote) and on the 26th picked up two additional pit toilets at Zion. On the evening of the 28th, the custodian prepared the meat for cooking, putting it in the pit at 6:00 a.m. the day of the big event. The meat cooked for 10 hours until about 4:00 p.m. Meanwhile the huge crowd began arriving at 12:30 and by 2:30, Heaton wrote, "we had the place full. Used the parking area, 3 rows of cars on east and south of the meadow, 216 cars with 816 people visiting the monument." [1391] Art Thomas, Fred Fagergren, Merrill Walker, and two Zion rangers helped with parking and guide service.

The program that day was at 2:00, and "eats" at 4:00, held on the meadow. Among the dignitaries were Governor Garvey, Mr. and Mrs. Dudley Hamblin, Dr. and Mrs. Herbert E. Gregory, officials from Zion and Grand Canyon National Parks, and Forest Service and Indian Service officials. [1392] Heaton reported that county supervisors from Mohave and Coconino counties in Arizona and from Washington, Iron, and Kane counties in Utah attended the event, along with representatives from Fredonia, Flagstaff, Moccasin, Short Creek, Kanab, Hurricane, St. George, Cedar City, "and several other places" also attended the barbecue. Heaton later reported "everything was just fine, the crowd was very well-behaved and after it was over very little cleaning up to do for such a large crowd." [1393]

Heaton later reported it was the largest crowd at the monument "since about 1929 when we had several large tours stop here on their way from Zion to Grand Canyon National Parks." [1394] Only one unfortunate occurrence marred that day's festivities: Heaton's seven-year-old daughter Olive fell from the railing of the speakers' stand and hit a sharp board, cutting a four-inch long, one-inch deep gash in her right leg, below the knee. The wound required 12 stitches to close. Of all Heaton's children, little Olive seems to have been the most accident-prone (see the section, "Births, Deaths, and Accidents").

Heat and drought seemed to arrive early on the Arizona Strip in 1950. Heaton reported that month, "Stockmen have been moving a lot of cattle this past week by the monument to their summer pastures. Also hauling some water from the monument to tide them over 'til rain comes." [1395] In early June he reported, "More stockmen hauling water to supplement the shortage of water in their wells." [1396] Otherwise, the summer was not very eventful.

Fires were always a special danger during the hot, dry summers. On June 26, 1950, a fire broke out at Kaibab Village. Unlike the 1948 Indian School fire, this time no buildings were destroyed. Heaton reported,

Was called to a fire at the Indian Village at 11:30. The fire started in some weeds at the corrals. Burned one stack of lumber. With four of my boys, took park fire extinguisher, shovels, and helped in confining the fire to the pile of lumber. Another pile of lumber caught fire next to a barn but with our equipment [we] stopped it before it got to burning. There was only women folk and children on the place. In about 1? hours the fire was out except some hot coals buried deep in the sand and wet ashes. [1397]

Summer heat guaranteed more visits by area residents to Pipe Spring National Monument, children in particular. In July and August 1950, Heaton reported the majority of "travel" to the monument was by local folks coming to swim in the meadow pond. [1398] What seems remarkable is that no visitors were ever involved in swimming accidents during all the years the meadow pond was used recreationally. Diving into the flagstone-lined meadow pond did have its hazards, however, as discovered by one of Heaton's sons in 1949 (see "Births, Deaths, and Accidents" section).

In the spring of 1950, Heaton received a request for a list of plants that grew on the monument from Pauline Patraw of Santa Fe, New Mexico, who was compiling a publication on Upper Sonoran Zone plants for the Southwest Monuments Association. In response, he compiled a list of cactus, other flowering plants, trees, shrubs, and bushes and sent it to her in July. [1399] In early September 1950, Heaton received a visit from former Superintendent Paul R. Franke (now in the Washington office) and Natt Dodge. Franke suggested Heaton get some geese or more ducks as well as more fish for the ponds, and for him to plant an orchard "where the old one used to be." The men promised as soon as monument visitation picked up they would help get Heaton more money to fix up the museum.