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Pipe Spring, Arizona…..A Story In Itself.

After freezing our “you know what’s” off in Utah near Bryce and Zion National Parks we decided to head south for slightly warmer climes.  We were pleased there was no damage caused by the pipes in our camper freezing up but we probably should not push the envelope too often.

We pulled into Fredonia, Arizona for a few days of fun and excitement.  One day was spent driving to, and exploring the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and the other was spent touring local historical exhibits.  Pipe Springs is a National Monument hence it is run by the NPS for our pleasure.  They really have done a superb job of designing the visitor experience at all the national parks we have visited so far.

At Pipe Spring we were greeted by Ben, a member of the Kaibab Paiute Nation.  We pushed him for information as he was a Native with an NPS uniform on and seemingly okay with it.  He said the tribal numbers are down from thousands to around 300 today with most houses on the reservation being lived in by non-native, rent paying folks.

Our tour guide was a wealth of excitement, energy and knowledge.  As has been the case there were only 4 of us total on his tour as the temps are scaring some tourists away we suppose.  We forgot to get a picture of the fort itself so we copied this first photo from Google Images.

Isn’t that a wonderful “door within a door”? this is the main entrance to the fort the Mormons built to protect the water that came from the “Pipe Spring”.
This is a picture above the mantle of the Mormon caretakers in the fort’s early days.
This is the original organ to the place. Most of the furniture we were shown was actually used back in the 1800s which really intrigued us.
Doesn’t this look like a cozy place to do your homework/bills?
The bottom half of this stove was also original to the fort. It might be a pain to light and manage the cooking fire each day but boy does it look awesome!
We had to ask about the strange  teacup here. The guide said it was a “mustache saver”. It was supposed to keep the tea from disturbing one’s ‘stache.
This is called the birthing bed. As polygamy was frowned upon many a second or third wife would come to the fort to secretly have their babies before returning to life on the prairie.  Many a second or third wife was quoted as saying “I came here to the fort and feel like I have been sent to prison so  my husband won’t have to.”
Doesn’t this stove look like it would be nice and cozy on a cold winter’s night?
We thought this slat bed was awesome as a space saver. To heck with today’s futon style, you can give us a few of these.
This is the actual pipe in Pipe Spring! This is what all the fuss was over way back when. Finding a water source in the desert is crucial for survival. Eventually, years later, the Natives, the NPS and the owners of the fort decided to split the water rights 3 equal ways. The NPS had a geological study done on the water table and were told that it would run completely dry in 10 years or so.
This is a cheese making table for separating the curds from the whey. The guide said it was probably used outside and not in this room as the heat the table emanated would be too much for the desert surroundings.
We would love to have one of these lazy susans in our kitchen!
This set up was kind of hokey but nice all the same. The NPS tried to create artifacts that were time period relevant. Volunteer blacksmiths kept things up to date anytime something broke or needed to be replaced.
There was a gorgeous 3/4 mile path set up on the back of the property so a good walk was in order.
A nice view from the “backyard”.
The NPS keeps this a working farm of sorts. Along with these long-horned steer there were mules/horses that had been retired from a service life lugging tourists up and down the Grand Canyon paths.
This has nothing to do with Pipe Spring but was an advertisement in Fredonia that we just had to include. Not sure there would be Mormon approval here?
Roy affixes the Arizona sticker on the progress map. We spent a cold night in Utah so we figure we earned that one yesterday.

One Reply to “Pipe Spring, Arizona…..A Story In Itself.”

  1. The progress map on the bullet seems to be a political map showing party domination in each state—-New York being depicted correctly! Hope this observation doesn’t ruin your adventures!!
    Love You Guys!!

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