The Arizona Strip (page 2 of 3)

Landscape Changes and Human History:  1776 to Present

The first white men on the Arizona Strip were the Dominguez and Escalante expedition in 1776, who traveled along the base of the Hurricane Cliffs on their return trip from central Utah. Significant settlement of the region by Anglos did not commence until almost a century later, in 1865, as the region's fair stock raising conditions became known to Western newcomers. Variations in elevation provided both summer and winter ranges within a short distance, browsing vegetation was abundant, and limited water sources were available. Within a short time, a variety of Anglo settlers came to the strip, claiming land and establishing ranches. Conflict with native peoples was inevitable, as the Anglos quickly laid claim to the best water and vegetation sources. Disputes between settlers and the Navajo, Paiute and Ute culminated in the Black Hawk Navajo Wars of 1866-1869. By 1870, native resistance had been largely quelled by Mormon paramilitary action, the "Treaty of Mount Trumbull" and the establishment of several Paiute reservations.

While the settlers of the Arizona Strip included a colorful array of ranchers, sheepmen, cowboys and outlaws, the majority of the newcomers were Mormons, dispatched by the Church of Latter Day Saints to lay claim to the choicest land and resources before non-Mormons settled them. Outsiders and the government were strongly resisted in this land which remained largely untouched by the impacts of the industrial age that so profoundly changed other areas of the West: railroads, mineral development, and population booms. A number of large ranches were established, as well as a sawmill and a large dairy, and the rights to limited water sources of the region were swiftly claimed, though often without "valid government title." Range wars were quite common in this lawless frontier, often settled with guns, and cattle rustling, though common, was punishable by hanging. A number of lives were lost over land and water on the Arizona Strip during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Even those with valid claims on water holes had difficulty keeping others out. Cattle roamed the Strip freely; the few barb wire fences that were constructed to keep competitor's cattle out were repeatedly cut down. A good example of range competition occurred in House Rock Valley, east of the Kaibab Plateau, which was mostly public domain. Despite this, the Grand Canyon Cattle Company erected fences across the valley in an attempt to control water holes and superior rangeland. Jim Emett, then proprietor of Lees Ferry, repeatedly cut the fences to allow his cattle to graze in the valley, and eventually was sued by the cattle company for cattle theft, but found not guilty. The company retaliated by buying the Ferry from the Mormon church and putting Emett out of business.

Immigration to the Strip was encouraged by two events in 1916: the Stock Raising Homestead Act and the opening of a half million acres of the Dixie National Forest to homestead entry. In addition, a climatic shift in the 'teens and 'twenties brought increased rains and snows which filled water holes and allowed the grasslands to grow lush. Sheepmen from Utah began bringing their herds of "woolies" to graze on the Strip lands, causing further feuding over range lands. Conflicts between cattlemen and sheepmen even led to the massacre of entire herds. Decades of unregulated, unchecked grazing wrought severe, sometimes permanent, damage to the arid habitats of the Strip, particularly in canyon bottoms. Additionally, the government hired "animal control agents" to systematically kill predators such as mountain lions and bobcats, which were percieved as a threat to livestock. Unfortunately, the extermination of these "varmints" allowed the deer population of the Kaibab Plateau to skyrocket, leading to the death of thousands from starvation. Today, natural predators are making a comeback on the Strip.

Despite high grazing activities on the Strip, actual human residence was limited due to a lack of domestic water. Extremely deep aquifers prevented well digging; water had to be hauled for culinary and sanitary purposes. Although dry farming was possible during the increased precipitation of the 'teens and 'twenties, crop production was limited and homesteaders had to supplement their income by working as cowboys, mill hands or miners. The Strip's largest community of this era, Mt. Trumbull (best known as Bundyville) was founded in 1916 by Mormon patriarch Abraham Bundy and his family. At its peak, the town was home to nearly 300 residents.

The establishment of the Taylor Grazing Act in 1934 brought much-needed economic and environmental reform to the rapidly degenerating lands of the Arizona Strip. This legislation apportioned grazing acreage to ranchers who had established claim to available water sources, severely reducing the grazing pressure on these rangelands. However, the Taylor Grazing Act was pushed through by one of the most influential cattlemen in the West, and strongly favored a small group of elite stockraisers, ending sheepherders use of the land. In addition, the climate shifted away from increased precipitation, culminating in a drought that lasted throughout the 1930s. By the mid 1940s, most of the homestead sites on the Arizona Strip had been abandoned. Those few tough souls who remained in the area were subject to an isolated existence, as the population was insufficient to maintain any social and economic exchange. The advent of affordable automobiles led to a new land use pattern in which well-off ranchers would live in St. George and commute long distances to their grazing allotments when necessary. By the 1960s, even Bundyville had been deserted.

Grazing on the Arizona Strip has continued into modern times. The vast majority of these lands are managed by the federal government through the Bureau of Land Management, which closely oversees grazing. Grazing allowances, in the form of animal unit months (AUM), are adjusted to compensate for changes in vegetation due to variable precipitation. Monitoring by the BLM of grazing activities includes verifying actual allotment utilization and tracking trends in precipitation and species composition and abundance.   

Mining and logging on the Arizona Strip have occured to limited extents. Mining efforts, which begain in the 1870s, have mainly centered on copper deposits in the Shivwits Plateau region, although significant quanities of silver have been mined from the Mt. Trumbull area. The Grand Wash Cliffs, just west of the Shivwits Plateau contains several economically important mines, including the Grand Gultch Mine, filed in 1873 and active until the end of World War I and around the time of World War II. An active mine is currently present in eastern Grand Wash. Historically and into present day, mining operations have been hampered by limited and rough access. Recently, exploration for uranium deposits has occurred, but actual mining activities have been rare.

Large scale logging began on the Strip in 1871, as the ponderosa pine forests of the Mt. Trumbull region were harvested in order to provide building materials for the Mormon Temple in St. George, Utah. The Temple Trail was constructed along the west side of the Hurricane Cliffs in order to transport more than one million board-feet of lumber for the temple's construction. In 1876, the saw mills were dismantled and moved to Mormon Lake, south of Flagstaff. In later years, a commericial mill was established in this area and remained in operation until 1940. In recent times, the Mt. Trumbull Resource Conservation Area (RCA) has been established as an important study site in which to scientifically test ponderosa pine forest restoration treatments in order to improve forest management, reduce fire danger, and return the forests to a pre-settlement condition. [See "Changed Southwestern Forests: Resource effects and management remedies"]   

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References