Aztec Ruins Administrative History

PERSONNEL

For the first several seasons of National Park Service administration of the enlarged Aztec Ruins National Monument, Faris worked alone. His wife took his place during times when he was away or ill in a role known in the Service as HCWP (honorary custodian without pay). Because Service policy mandated personal interpretation, he hired seasonal guides to take over some responsibilities when traffic was heaviest.

With the new facilities completed under the government relief program, Aztec Ruins National Monument was mature enough to warrant the second position of a permanent park ranger, Grade 8. This position first was filled by Robert W. Hart in August 1935. He served for a year. [2] At the time Miller assumed custodianship, the position was vacant. Therefore, when the spring tourist season of 1937 began, Miller hired Mr. and Mrs. Charles Turner at a $3.50 daily wage to be temporary guides until the Civil Service provided an eligibility list for the permanent post. Shortly, complaints were lodged with the director by several individuals. They claimed that the Turners, not being archeologists, were incompetent. Oscar Tatman also worked for Miller as a temporary guide, but his knowledge of the ruins was unquestioned. While the protests may have been another example of the personal interest of townfolks in "their ruin," Miller was inclined to disregard them. The names used on the letters to Washington were not known in the Animas valley area to those to whom he spoke.

Regardless, the matter was resolved in June, when Herbert S. (Pete) Day filled the permanent position. Day appeared to like his assignment and took to writing a weekly column for the Aztec Independent entitled "Rumblings from the Aztec Ruins National Monument." [3] Because the job did not allow him archeological research time, he soon grew dissatisfied and resigned after six months. Miller once again had to find an assistant. [4]

To avoid this sort of misunderstanding, Superintendent Pinkley wrote a formal job description for the position of park ranger. Ideally, the duties were divided into four categories. All of them dovetailed with the custodian's role. Since an understanding of the Anasazi was the primary reason for the monument, 60 percent of the person's time was to be devoted to conducting groups of visitors through the museum and ruin. Twenty percent of the ranger's time was to be given to checking, policing, and maintaining the physical plant and grounds. Ten percent was to be spent in general museum housekeeping by cataloging specimens, preparing exhibits, and compiling visitor statistics. The remaining 10 percent of time was to be taking charge of the monument during absences of the custodian. [5] Although an archeological background was desirable for interpretive authority, scientific research was not part of the position design. The designation of archeologist was dropped from the job title.

In these early decades of the National Park Service operations in the Southwest, relatively few individuals were involved in administration. They enjoyed a clubby relationship as they frequently crossed paths from job to job at the various monuments. Such was the case with the next two rangers at Aztec Ruins National Monument, who had taken their entrance examinations together. James A. Brewer, Jr., became park ranger in April 1938 at an annual salary of $1,860. In November, he was transferred to become custodian at Navajo National Monument.

Two months later, Brewer was replaced at Aztec Ruins National Monument by Homer Hastings. Hastings had attended Fort Lewis College and Western State College in Colorado, where he minored in anthropology. After a season at Carlsbad Caverns and three summers at Chaco Canyon, he decided to make the National Park Service his career. The assignment at Aztec Ruins launched that on a permanent basis. Hasting's duties were outlined as 80 percent registering and guiding visitors and 20 percent as general maintenance of museum, comfort stations, and trails. [6] He carried out these tasks until March 1942, when he was named custodian at Montezuma Castle National Monument, Arizona.