PIPE SPRING Cultures at a Crossroads: An Administrative History

Visitation [1764]

Visitation figures for the monument grew from 6,746 in 1956 to 17,138 in 1963 (see Appendix VI, "Visitation, Pipe Spring National Monument" for annual figures). Two factors that contributed most to the growth were the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam and gradually improving area roads. Heaton also attributed the increase to improvements in the fort exhibits, made possible by Mission 66 funding.

The 1956 Easter weekend (March 31 and April 1) brought 250 visitors on Saturday, when Fredonia had its annual spring outing there, and 347 on a cold, stormy Easter Sunday. Edna Heaton helped her husband with the crowd that day. In April 1956 Heaton was directed to count all travel through the monument. "If I send in such figures my travel count will go up 100 percent for the year," he commented in his journal. [1765] His travel figures distinguished those just passing through and those who visited the fort, picnicked, or camped. The only other large gathering in 1956 was on September 22 when Heaton had a crowd of 200 people for the Moccasin community barbecue. The group used the west side of the meadow for their gathering.

The 1957 Easter weekend brought 668 visitors to the monument. Heaton reported, "Lloyd Sandberg came out to help with the Easter crowd for today and tomorrow. The Fredonia city had its annual Easter outing here at the monument again, some 250 in attendance even though the weather was cold." [1766] One of James M. Whitmore's grandsons visited the monument that weekend. On May 18 a group of 140 men and boys from Zion Park Stake visited the monument and were given a tour by Lloyd Sandberg. That summer, Heaton commented in his journal that quite a lot of people were using the meadow for recreation activities.

For the first time in years, Easter weekend attendance at Pipe Spring for 1958 was rather low, with only 100 visitors. Heaton attributed the decline to "too much cold wind, muddy roads, and bad weather." [1767] On May 4, 1958, Heaton reported, "Community church services were held in the picnic area at noon." [1768] It must have been a lovely setting. The plum trees were in bloom, producing a very fragrant odor. So much cotton from the silverleaf cottonwoods filled the air and rooms in the fort, that Heaton wrote, "At times [it] looked like a snow storm." [1769] This is the only time that Heaton made a record of a church service being held on the monument, aside from regular services held in Camp DG-44 during the late 1930s. At the end of the 1958 travel season, Heaton reported a steady increase in visitors from other countries.

On March 24, 1959, Junius L. Whitmore, grandson of James M. Whitmore, visited the fort. He donated pictures of his grandfather and father, who was the 11-year-old boy left in the dugout when Whitmore and McIntyre set off to find the sheep rustlers. Whitmore told Heaton that his records showed McIntyre was not a brother-in-law, but a hired hand about 20 years of age. [1770] Easter weekend that year fell on March 28 and 29. Heaton hired Kelly Heaton at the fort to help with the Easter crowd. Attendance for the two days was over 400 people.

Leonard Heaton continued to be active in his support for the Boy Scouts of America during the 1950s. It was not unusual for large outings to be held at the monument. On April 13, 1957, Heaton reported, "Sixty-five boy scouts and leaders from Kanab District camped on the monument last night and today took part in the raising of the flag over the fort. Day spent in first aid instruction by Arizona State Patrolmen LaVar Johnson, 22 rifle practice and on handling of guns by Eldon V. Johnson. I took the boys on a 1? hour nature hike back of the hills." [1771] (Even though no formal nature trail had ever been constructed, Heaton occasionally charted one of his own for such groups.) On the evening of August 28, 1959, five busloads of Alton boy scouts and their families had a camp fire program at the monument, with about 150 people attending. Between 1956 and 1963, other outings were held at Pipe Spring with boy scout troops from Cedar City, Yuma, Salt Lake City, and the Kanab District, with numbers ranging from 33 to 175 per group.

The Heatons and Jim McKown moved into their new residences just a few days before Easter weekend 1960. As usual, it was a busy time. Visitation that Saturday and Sunday (April 16 and 17) was an estimated 1,200. Easter weekend in 1961 brought 1,100 visitors and the same holiday in 1962 brought 1,250. (Bob Olsen reported that many who visited the monument that weekend also went to see Pink Coral Sand Dunes, a Utah state park 10 miles north.) During Easter weekend in 1963, 1,078 visitors toured the fort. (The reduced number was attributed to cold, windy weather.) Olsen reported, "Most of the visitors not only visit the buildings and picnic, but they play ball, pitch horseshoes, and in general have a good time." [1772]

On September 1, 1961, Arthur Woolley and his sister Elizabeth Jensen (children of Edwin G. and Flora Snow Woolley) visited the monument and told Heaton they were getting together some of the Woolley relics to put in the fort. They also told him that they were compiling a history of the fort associated with the Woolley period of occupation. [1773] Louise L. Udall, mother of then Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall, visited the monument on September 4, 1962, in the company of her daughter, Elma, and three descendants of Jacob Hamblin, including Rella Hamblin Lee of Downey, California (the only living daughter of Jacob Hamblin). [1774] On November 14, 1962, Assistant Secretary of the Interior John A. Carver, Jr., and his wife and parents, of Pocotello, Idaho visited the monument. On October 12, 1962, LeGrand Woolley of Salt Lake City visited Pipe Spring. He was another of Edwin G. Woolley's sons.

Reunions continued to be held at Pipe Spring during the early 1960s. On May 28, 1961, Heaton reported that the Black family, descendents of 1870s settlers in the area, held a reunion. The Winsor family held its family reunion for three years in a row at Pipe Spring, during the summers of 1961-1963. The last two years it was a two-day affair. The Woods and Bunting families also held reunions at the monument in 1962 and 1963, respectively.

In addition to reunions, Church groups and officials (both Church and State) continued to visit the monument. In February 1963 Harold Fabian, vice-chairman of the Advisory Board on National Parks, Historic Sites, Buildings and Monuments, and his wife visited the monument with Rudger C. Atkin, president of the St. George Stake of the Church. On April 20 Superintendent and Mrs. Oberhansley visited the monument with Dr. and Mrs. Everett Cooley. Dr. Cooley was director of the Utah Historical Society. On May 18 and 19, 1963, Aaronic Priesthood groups from Latter-day Saints churches in Moccasin, Hurricane, and Panguitch visited the monument.