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History Symposium has spaces available

There are still about 25 openings left for the second Grand Canyon History Symposium, to be held from Thursday, Jan. 25-Sunday, Jan. 28, here in the park.

This event, modeled after the successful 2002 symposium, features nearly 40 speakers, many of them well-known to canyon history buffs. The $60 registration fee also includes field trips and historical films. Meals with keynote speakers are also planned for an additional fee.

According to planning committee chairman Lee Albertson, the symposium has been in the works for nearly two years. A call for papers went out last summer and registration opened in October. About 175 have signed up already.

"The interest has been great," he said. "We haven't had any cancellations as far as presenters and speakers at the meals. The meals are going to be well-attended too."

Topics touch on the human and natural history of the region now known as Grand Canyon National Park. Presentations are scheduled on John Wesley Powell, the Havasupai, Colorado River running, early Grand Canyon days, environmental and scientific history and more.

Many of the attendees are alumni of the first event, and Albertson said they are coming from all over the country with at least one traveling from overseas to take part.

The symposium is sponsored by the Grand Canyon Historical Society, in partnership with the Grand Canyon Association, the Grand Canyon Field Institute, Xanterra South Rim and Grand Canyon National Park.

Registrations are only being taken online. For more information and to register, visit http://www.GrandCanyonHistory.org/symposium.html. For questions, e-mail symposium@GrandCanyonHistory.org or call 480-838-2710.

Schedule

Thursday, Jan. 25

3 & 4 p.m. ­ Field trips. Reservations are required. Visit the Field Trips table at the Shrine to sign up. Tour group size is limited to 15 people. Cost is included in the symposium fee.

3 p.m. ­ Museum Collection tour, a look at historical artifacts related to park history and pre-history.

3 & 4 p.m. ­ Historic Kolb Studio and residence tour guided by Ranger Stew Fritts in character as Grand Canyon pioneer photographer Ellsworth Kolb.

4 p.m. ­ Boat renovation tour, featuring a look at the park's historic boat collection and an update on renovation efforts.

3-5 p.m. ­ An afternoon at the movies, Shrine of the Ages, Room B

The afternoon features multiple showings of the National Geographic Society's film "In Search of Grand Canyon's Past" and the movie "Ambrose Means and the 1917 Cougar Hunt."

• "In Search of Grand Canyon's Past" touches on Grand Canyon's prehistory, including the archaeological excavations of symposium presenter Dr. Douglas W. Schwartz, who worked on the North Rim and in the inner canyon at Unkar Delta in the late 60s and early 70s. The movie is 30 minutes long.

• Linda Thompson, granddaughter of Ambrose Means, will discuss the life and times of her grandfather and show the movie "Ambrose Means and the 1917 Cougar Hunt." The movie and comments run 30 minutes.

Friday, Jan. 26

8:30-9:45 a.m. ­ Symposium introduction by Michael F. Anderson, Ph.D.; superintendent's welcome by park Superintendent Joe Alston and conference orientation by Lee Albertson

10-11:45 a.m. ­ two sessions

In Room A: Legacy of John Wesley Powell, with selected prose from this pioneering explorer during all three presentations by Todd Weber as Powell. Session monitor: John Azar

• John Wesley Powell: White Water to White City, by Marcia L. Thomas

• John Wesley Powell's Cartography of the Colorado River System, by Richard D. Quartaroli

• John Wesley Powell: A Colorado River Dream Unrealized, by David L. Wegner

In Room B: Grand Canyon as a National Park. Session monitor: Dan Cassidy

• Tracing the Management Foot-print in Grand Canyon National Park's Backcountry, by Kirstin Heins

• From Courtyard to Conservation: The Grand Canyon Historic Boat Conservation Project, by Jan Balsom and Brynn Bender

• Enlarging Grand Canyon Na-tional Park: A Participant's View of the History, Foundations, and Aftermath of the 1975 Grand Canyon Enlargement Act, by Jeff Ingram

12-1:15 p.m. ­ Buffet lunch with keynote address by Scott Thybony at Yavapai Lodge Canyon Café. Master of Ceremonies: Todd R. Berger. The cost is $18 and pre-registration is required.

Thybony's talk is titled "Mooney's Fall: A Cross-bedded History." Thybony is an author, former Colorado River guide and archaeologist. His work has appeared in many major magazines and newspapers, and on National Public Radio. Thybony is the author of the award-winning "Official Guide to Hiking Grand Canyon" and several trail guides published by GCA. He is working on "The Incredible Grand Canyon," a book on canyon historical events to be published by GCA this year.

1:30-3:15 p.m. ­ two sessions

In Room A: The Havasupai of Grand Canyon, with two 45-minute presentations. Session monitor: Nancy Green.

• Natural Disasters within Transitional Societies: The Havasupai Indians at Supai, Arizona, by Michael F. Anderson.

• A Havasupai Homeland Becomes a National Park, by Stephen Hirst

In Room B: Colorado River runners. Session monitor: Richard Quartaroli

• 'than the Man: The Life and Times of Nathaniel T. Galloway, by Gaylord Staveley

• Rock Hounds and River Rats: The 1937 Carnegie-Cal Tech Colorado River Expedition, by Erik Berg

• The Mysterious Hum Woolley, by Brad Dimock

3:30-5:15 p.m. ­ two sessions

In Room A: Native Americans and Grand Canyon. Session monitor: Nancy Green

• Native American Women at the Grand Canyon, by Betty L. Leavengood

• Architectural Documentation and Preservation of Havasupai and Navajo Wooden Pole Structures, by Ian Hough

• Öngtupqa: The Enduring Association of the Hopi People and the Grand Canyon, by Leigh J. Kuwanwisiwa, T. J. Ferguson and Michael Yeatts

In Room B: National Park Partners. Session monitor: Richard Quartaroli

• American Legion John Ivens Post No. 42: Eighty-Four Years of Service to Community, by Al Richmond

• Science and Education, Birdseed and Power Tools: A History of the Grand Canyon Association, by Todd R. Berger

• A Mule's-Eye View of Grand Canyon: The Photograph Collection of Trail Guide Ray Tankersley, by Mona Lange McCroskey

7-8:30 p.m. ­ opening night banquet and address at the Yavapai Lodge Canyon Café, featuring Michael Kabotie. Master of Ceremonies: Steve Verkamp.

The cost is $22 and pre-registration is required. The menu includes chef's choice of beef, chicken and fish entrée, pasta, salad, soup, potato and rice dishes, desserts and beverages including a cash bar.

Kabotie's talk is "The Journey of the Human Spirit." He is a Hopi painter, poet and silversmith whose work incorporates the traditions of his tribe and his mentors, including his father, Fred Kabotie, who was the painter of the murals in Desert View Watchtower at Grand Canyon.

Saturday, Jan. 27

8:30-10:15 a.m. ­ two sessions

In Room A: Colorado River Controversies. Session monitor: Al Richmond

• New Evidence on the Origins and Disintegration of the Powell Expedition, by Don Lago

• Why James White's 1867 Raft Trip Doesn't Float, by Tom Myers

• James White Did Float through Grand Canyon in 1867, by Brad Dimock

In Room B: Environmental and Scientific History. Session monitor: Keith Green

• The History and Future of Biological Inventory and Research in the Grand Canyon Region, by Larry Stevens

• John Muir's Historic Visits to Grand Canyon (one-hour program), by Richard F. Fleck, with commentary by J. Donald Hughes

10:30-11:45 a.m. ­ two sessions

In Room A: North Rim Country. Session monitor: Al Richmond

• Al Wetherill on the Brink: The 1897 Wetherill/Prudden Expedition, by Marietta Eaton and Fred Blackburn

• Stories Among the Aspen: Running Cattle on the North Rim and North Kaibab, by Amy Horn

• Winter Cowboy Camps of the Esplanade, by Dave Mortenson

In Room B: The Personal Canyon. Session monitor: Keith Green

• Medical Care, Chapels and Challenges: Growing Up at Grand Canyon, by Dr. Paul Leo Schnur

• The Miller Family at Grand Canyon: A Personal History, by Douglas K. Miller

• Encounters with Grand Canyon, 1940-2006, by Elisabeth F. Ruffner

12-1:15 p.m. ­ Lunch and Canyon Stories at Yavapai Lodge Canyon Café, Master of Ceremonies: John S. Azar. The cost is $18, pre-registration required. Menu includes baked penne with broccoli and ricotta; stuffed shells marinara; meatballs; tossed green salad; garden vegetables tossed in olive oil; sliced Italian bread, assorted cakes; coffee, hot and iced tea, lemonade and soft drinks.

Panel discussion, "Growing up on the Rim: Childhood memories of school days, social groups and the ways we entertained ourselves," moderated by Steve Verkamp and including panel members Mervin Wadsworth, Patrick Lauzon and Susan Verkamp.

1:30-3:15 p.m. ­ two sessions

In Room A: Early Grand Canyon. Session monitor: Sally Underwood

• The Elusive Louis Boucher, by Dick Brown

• The Opening of Deer Creek and the History of the Thunder River Trail, by Peter Huntoon

In Room B: Grand Canyon Adventures. Session monitor: George Billingsley

• The 1891 Nordenskiöld Expedition to the Grand Canyon, by Harvey Leake

• The Summits Within: Stories of Grand Canyon Climbing, by Mathieu F. Brown

• Saving the Army Fliers: The Story of the 1944 Grand Canyon Parachutists, by John S. Azar

3:30-5:15 p.m. ­ two sessions

In Room A: Taking Stock of Grand Canyon. Session monitor: Sally Underwood

• A Conclave of Curmudgeons: Authorities, Collectors, and Historians of the Colorado River, 1869­1969, by Alfred E. Holland Jr.

• In Search of Dam Sites: The U.S. Geological Survey in Grand Canyon, 1923, by Diane E. Boyer

• Archaeology of the Grand Canyon: A Personal Look Back, by Douglas W. Schwartz, Ph.D.

In Room B: An Afternoon at the Movies

Featuring multiple showings of the National Geographic Society's film "In Search of Grand Canyon's Past" and the movie "Ambrose Means and the 1917 Cougar Hunt." See Friday's schedule for details.

7-8:30 p.m. ­ Symposium banquet with Marshall Trimball, at the Yavapai Lodge Canyon Café, Master of Ceremonies: Lee Albertson.

The cost is $22 and pre-registration is required. Menu includes choice of entrée (picante beef tips, herbed chicken or chef's choice of vegetarian); tossed green salad; rice and vegetable du jour; assorted cakes; and coffee, hot or iced tea, lemonade and soft drinks, cash bar.

Grand Canyon Association Deputy Director Pam Frazier speaks on "A Collegial Challenge."

Marshall Trimble speaks on "Arizona, Land of Anomalies and Tamales." As Arizona's official state historian and while enjoying the reputation of being one of America's most popular raconteurs of this nation's colorful folk history, Trimble is also considered the dean of Arizona historians. He is the author of 19 books, including "Arizona: A Cavalcade of History," "A Roadside History of Arizona" and "Arizona: A Panoramic History of a Frontier State."

In addition to being Arizona's official state historian, Trimble has taught Arizona and western history at the college level for more than 30 years.

Sunday, Jan. 28

8:30-9:30 a.m. ­ Orientation for the day's field trips. Reservations are required and can be made at the field trip table at the Shrine. Tour group size is limited to 15 people. Cost is included in the symposium fee.

10 a.m. ­ Historic district walking tour, with NPS cultural resource specialist and historian Mike Anderson, through Grand Canyon Village's Historic District from Kolb Studio to Verkamp's.

10 & 11 a.m. ­ Boat renovation tour, featuring a look at the park's historic boat collection and an update on renovation efforts.

11 a.m. ­ Historic Kolb Studio and residence tour guided by Ranger Stew Fritts in character as Grand Canyon pioneer photographer Ellsworth Kolb.

11 a.m. ­ Museum Collection tour, a look at historical artifacts related to park history and pre-history.


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