Lake Powell - Photos from the Early Years

I don't know the timeline of what was built first - Stateline or Wahweap, but the photo that Bob London had posted was the original Stateline docks. I'm guessing they were assembled at that spot, and as you said, once water levels rose, they could then be moved into place.

In terms of Art, he did acquire property for Wahweap ahead of time and was moving his chess pieces around in advance so he could be ready to get a concessionaire contract. I don't recall a ton of details off the top of my head, but the photo of the cabins I shared is from an article that was originally shared in the Journal of Arizona History, which can be found here: https://www.jstor.org/stable/41696806?read-now=1&seq=1. You do have to create an account, but it's free and JSTOR has tons of great stuff in its database.
 
SkibumUT said:
I don't know the timeline of what was built first - Stateline or Wahweap, but the photo that Bob London had posted was the original Stateline docks. I'm guessing they were assembled at that spot, and as you said, once water levels rose, they could then be moved into place.

In terms of Art, he did acquire property for Wahweap ahead of time and was moving his chess pieces around in advance so he could be ready to get a concessionaire contract. I don't recall a ton of details off the top of my head, but the photo of the cabins I shared is from an article that was originally shared in the Journal of Arizona History, which can be found here: https://www.jstor.org/stable/41696806?read-now=1&seq=1. You do have to create an account, but it's free and JSTOR has tons of great stuff in its database.
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Thank you, I did go and find those cabins, they are still up top at Arts original camp cabin/Camp ground site. I did not know that they were from 1914 and that Art and company had relocated them. They look to have been available as rentals maybe as late as the 90's, there were numbered signs still attached to some of the doors.
 
JFRCalifornia said:
My first houseboat trip to Lake Powell - August 1992. That’s a 50-foot rental houseboat out of Halls Crossing…

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Awesome, a Boatel C50 as they were called. Does anyone else remember when these were the most ubiquitous craft in the lake and they all had the number you see on the transom painted in the roof? There was always a small aircraft in the air from Park Service and the numbers were for easy identification in case of trouble. Thanks for posting JFR, over the years I've restored a few of exactly this type.
 
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Jan Hertzen said:
Our first visit to Lake Powell. I knew then that this what I'd been dreaming of. (And I don't mean my wife of three years!)
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That Beatles 'Butcher' cover (1966) on her shirt is timeless..... 😋 it caused so much controversy Capital Records pulled it quickly.....the albums with that cover are very rare & bring big $$....

Even at 11, I personally never understood why the Beatles would do that.....:unsure:

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JFRCalifornia said:
Here’s the confluence of the Colorado and San Juan rivers in 1959, looking upstream. The San Juan is coming in from the right…

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Great photo JFR, it shows how the San Juan is essentially flowing mud. At least back in those times the Colorado had the current to move those sediments downstream. Hopefully the San Juan delta won't reach the main stem of Powell for awhile yet.
 
bk2drvr said:
Looks like drought in 1959 too.
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Yep, 1959 was a pretty poor inflow year, and especially bad on the San Juan. Total inflow at Lees Ferry for WY1959 was about 6.8 maf, and only about 1.7 maf during the spring runoff months Apr-Jun (spring runoff average 1930-63 at Lees Ferry was 3.3 maf; spring average into Lake Powell since 1963 has been about 2.5 maf).

To put 1959 into perspective, along with 1954 it was the worst runoff year in a quarter century...
 
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