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Old ranger station is getting a facelift

It may be just five years younger than the Forest Service itself, but Jacob Lake Ranger Station isn't ready for retirement, says Connie Reid, a Forest Service archeologist on the North Kaibab Ranger District.

"Our vision is that this is a significant entity," she said.

The modest brown cabin and barn aren't much to look at but they represent a rich history that predates the National Park Service in that area by nearly 10 years. They are among the oldest buildings in the Forest Service.

The station was the first administrative site for the Canyon's North Rim. When the National Park Service took over, the cabin became employee housing and was used as such for decades.

When the Forest Service's archeological staff began work on the building in the mid-80s, their first task was to remove the "improvements" made over the decades by those who lived there so the station could earn a place on the National Register of Historic Places.

"They had done some awful things," said Reid. "To get listed in the National Register we had to remove all of the modern additions and materials like particle board and linoleum."

Since then, restoration efforts have persisted over 20 years, mostly on the strength of volunteer labor and few dollars.

"We just continued over time," Reid said.

The effort received a boost earlier this summer with a $14,000 Centennial matching grant from the Forest Service. That money was used to buy shingles for the building's roof and will also fund photo mounting and interpretive signs. Work started in June, with assistance from members of the Grand Canyon Historical Society and Reid is hopeful the cabin will be ready for the public by next summer. The project is being led by experienced cabin restorationist, John Azar.

Azar was also involved in the 1999 restoration of the Eddie Hatch Cabin and the 1995 restoration of the 1925 Muav Saddle Cabin known to the Mormons as Teddy's Cabin.

The Grand Canyon Interpretive Association and other groups are interested in providing live interpretive programs to complement the displays.

Jacob Lake is actually a water-filled sinkhole located on an all-weather forest road near the junction of highways 89A and 69.

Other partners in the rehab are the Arizona Northlands Youth Corps, the Arizona Site Stewards and Coconino Rural Environmental Corps.

A National Public Lands Day volunteer project is planned for September.

For more information, contact the North Kaibab Ranger district at 928-643-7395.

Anyone interested in volunteering their time or making a monetary donation, please e-mail John Azar for more information at Tontowalk2003@yahoo.com.


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