On Saturday, June 12, 1971, we drove from Anaheim, California to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
I scanned the map (in two halves) that we were given by a helpful ranger with pencil markings to show the things that we might do in the 24 hours or so that we stayed there.
I was surprised to see the name "Fred Harvey" as the concessionaire. I've been fascinated with that story since I saw the "Harvey Girls" musical with Judy Garland during a late-night babysitting job when I was a teenager.
In June 2005, Fred Harvey was one of the characters portrayed in the Pike County Chautauqua. His presence was key in my decision to spend the whole week with my mother that year so we could enjoy all the Chautauqua activities together. That's become a special memory, since Mother died, unexpectedly, the following month.
At Chautauqua, I learned that the Fred Harvey company transitioned from providing services to train passengers to providing services at important destinations, but I didn't realize that we'd stayed in a Fred Harvey location.
The Fred Harvey name is no longer part of the branding at Grand Canyon Village, but it's very much present in the history. Here's a page about the history and architecture by the current concessionaire, who can trace a direct path back to Fred Harvey: Historic Village | Grand Canyon National Park Lodges (grandcanyonlodges.com)
We stayed in Unit 58 of the Yavapai Lodge, one of the newest properties at that time. The room rate was $21 with $0.63 tax.
About Joy Weese Moll
a librarian writing about books
