01/21/2010: Laurali Noteman
Community leaders and representatives from SUU were on hand Wed. January 20, 2010 to kick off Zion's National Park Centennial celebration.
Thanks to the enthusiastic efforts of Councilman Ed Meyer, Kane County Hospital has partnered with Kanab City, Southern Utah University and CEBA to bring, "Celebrating Zion’s Centennial: Historical Photograph from Sherratt Library’s archive." It is truly a remarkable restoration of photographs from the first photo dated 1908 to the last in this 23 photo series dated 1966.
As you walk into the hospital take a left and wander down the hallway. Plan on taking some time, so you can read the description which is posted beside each photo. In the "Young people from Springdale" dated 1908 you will find yourself wondering how in heavens name the girls were able to play and climb rocks in those dresses.
You can move down the hallway a bit more and marvel at David Flanigan’s sawmill which was built on the East Zion rim. The photo’s description touts, " In 1901, he built a frame work of sawn squared timbers and stretched 50,000 feet of wire around pulleys." The next
shot over shows a man hanging from the cable being lowered an extremely long way down. (Definitely not my cup of tea).
Other photos include Angel’s Landing, or Eyre Powell in 1920. In a picture titled "In the Gorge" from 1928 are locally familiar names such as Hendricks, Fife, Croft, Morris and Maughn. There is a group of the Civilian Conservation Corps from 1935. A shot of the "short tunnel" in the early 30s. Or the brave souls that rode horseback up the 21 switchbacks through "Walter’s Wiggles."
KCH’s own Pat Chavez actually found herself and her sister in one photo at the original Zion’s Lodge which was designed by Gilbert Stanely Underwood. Next to that photo is the Lodge after it was destroyed by a fire in 1966.
Kane County Hospital, Kanab City, SUU, and CEBA would like to invite you to take an active part in the Centennial display. Are you or family members now decking the halls? Is there a story or a name you would like to share with regards to the photos? You may contact Janet Seegmiller, Special Collections Librarian, at seegmiller@suu.edu or Paula Mitchell, Archivist, Special Collections Coordinator, at mitchell_p@suu.edu. Come on in and enjoy, its quite a treat.
