PIPE SPRING Cultures at a Crossroads: An Administrative History

Monument Administration

Area Manager Ray Geerdes left Pipe Spring National Monument in early October 1970. Southern Utah Group's Park Naturalist James W. ("Jim") Schaack was appointed acting park manager to look after the monument until a permanent manager could be hired. The only noteworthy events to take place under Schaack's four-month tenure were tied to the placement of all the monument's power lines underground. The power line installation project required GarKane Power Company to excavate a trench of about 1,730 feet to a minimum depth of 42 inches. Archeologist Richard A. Thompson of Southern Utah State College was employed to conduct a preliminary survey to ensure that no archeological resources were destroyed during the project. [2109] GarKane's work began in November and was completed by December 2, 1970.

Superintendent Bernard G. Tracy, GS-09, entered on duty at Pipe Spring on February 14, 1971, moving into his office in the 12 x 54-foot trailer still used at the time as the visitor contact station. [2110] Former superintendent of Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, Tracy would oversee monument operations for most of the decade. Tracy later recalled that when General Superintendent Karl Gilbert offered him the assignment at Pipe Spring, Gilbert said, "All I ask is that you run Pipe Springs as near as you think it used to be in the early days. Think of that period, one hundred years ago." [2111] Raised in Arizona and California, Tracy considered himself a native. Although he was not a Mormon, his wife Ruth was a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This undoubtedly hastened the new couple's acceptance by the local Mormon community.

Earlier in his career, Bernard Tracy had been a vineyard owner in California. Prior to his tenure at Hubbell Trading Post, Tracy had worked at Capitol Reef National Park, notable for its historic fruit orchards. He thus had considerable experience with agricultural operations and took to his new assignment at Pipe Spring with relish. Such activities, however, were only made possible by the additional water the monument had access to after its construction of a new well and water system on reservation land, and through an agreement reached after lengthy negotiations with the Kaibab Paiute Tribe. A good deal of Tracy's time would be taken up during his first year at Pipe Spring in meetings with the Tribe as the Park Service sought to build on joint planning activities begun in the late 1960s (see Part X for background).