1920's to 1930's Photo Album of a Verkamp's Curios Trading Post; Taos, Hopi Native American Scrapbook Of Neva V. Nichols of Supai, Havasu Canyon, Coconino County, Arizona; Ten Mile Hike From Hualapai Hilltop By Foot Or Horse Only Located on the South Rim of Canyon

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This is an amazing scrapbook kept by a native American girl by the name of Neva Nichols. It is a wonderful look into her seemingly happy life growing up along the rim of Grand Canyon National Park Coconino County, Arizona in the 1930's. There are wonderful characters in this scrapbook. From a couple of wealthy benefactor to a XEMO radio star, "Highest Yodeler in the World." She documented Porcupine, Buffalo and Eagle dance ceremonies and took amazing photos of costume and area landmarks. This will be a work in progress as are all my blogs. I will be doing closeup of the interesting photos and explaining some.

I know that her father, Paul L. Nichols is buried in the Grand Canyon Cemetery along with her benefactor Frances C. Allison along with some killed in the June 30, 1956 collision at 11:30 am between TWA Flight 2 (Constellation) with 70 persons aboard, and United Airlines Flight 718 (DC-7) with 58 persons aboard

The following photos are captioned left to right, top to bottom.
The first photo is Neva's mother Jane; the next one shows Sparky, a family friend (many other photos of him are in this photo book) Next is a picture of her girlfriend Carrie Reed and her step-mother. Carrie's mother Elsie died on July 4, 1924 and is buried in the Grand Canyon cemetery at Coconino County, Arizona. The next photo shows the Verkamps Trading post that is on National Register of Historic Places founded by John George Verkamp's in 1906.

Here is an article captioned Century Old Grand Canyon souvenir shop gets ready to
retire June 1, 2008 by Amanda Lee Myers

At a time when tourists visited the Grand Canyon in stagecoaches, they did their souvenir shopping at a tent set up by a man named John George Verkamp (b. 1877 - d. 4 April 1944.)
It was 1898, before the Grand Canyon was a national park, before there was a National Park Service and before Arizona was even a state. Not many had the means to visit the mile-deep gorge, so it was mostly just a handful of adventurers, prospectors, the American Indians whose people had lived there for centuries, and the Verkamps.
These days, the Grand Canyon has luxury lodges and cute coffee shops. The only thing it won't have come September is the Verkamps and their store, Verkamp's Curios.
The family's final chapter at the canyon began in 1998, when Congress passed a law that reversed giving preference to established businesses when issuing contracts. A company that had never operated at a given park now could outbid anyone if it had a better proposal - even if the competition had been there for moreThe bottom middle photo is captioned Laura & Sam and the last photo is captioned Laura and Mrs Spencer. This is one I will enlarge, it shows a great flagstone walls and a giant pot hanging from a tree limp beam. I have no idea what such a large pot was used for. Maybe for boiling blankets or washing clothes, I wish I knew

I believe this is the Hopi House built by Mary Jane Colter in 1905 She designed structures in the historic old style of the Old Oraibi located on the Third Mesa in eastern Arizona. The Hopi House was a place for Hopi Indians to sell their arts and crafts to visitors in the South Rim. Here you can see a closeup of the very large kettle being held up by large branches from trees. These large branches are seen through-out buildings constructed in the area as reinforcement over the doorways of buildings.

Verkamp's Curios built by John Verkamp in 1905. He sold arts and crafts as well as souvenirs. Lurie a girlfriend of Neva Nichols stands in front of store

This page shows four photos of the Cameron Bridge. Photo left shows Neva's mother posing on the bridge; middle top shows bridge from the side; the bottom middle shows a family friend "Nara" on the bridge and the last photo shows a car coming into the bridge and is captioned Car on the Cameron Bridge over Little Colorado River

The following photos are captioned: Josephine Secakuku: Mary Ann Haskell; Iola; Iola in Birthday suit; Lois - Me and Josephine; Jo

In these photo we start out with Iola; Billie and Mother; Iola; Iola all dressed up; Another hot picture; Bobby Sherman. In the photo top middle of Billie and Mother, shows Billie with the head scarf and he wears an early Navajo silver blossom necklace as does Neva's mother. They are truly pawn type necklace. Mother also wears what looks like turquoise bracelet. They seem to be sitting in front of a doorway that is reinforced with logs. The photos of the flagstone walls are constructed with beautiful workmanship

These photo were taken from an airplane and shows different views of the canyon

In these photos we have captioned from left to right, top to bottom: View of Watchtower; Paul Nichols, Neva Nichols, Arthur and Frank; Judith, Lola, Mother, Renie and Lola; Sammy and Father in blankets

Here is a closeup of Sammy & Paul Nichols wearing Navajo blankets and historical headbands as they stand at a viewing rail on the rim of the canyon

Here is a closeup of the Desert View Watchtower as construction was ending in 1932. Mary Colter designed this structure and this photo shows the pulley that was used to haul up material and if you look closely all the debris associated with this construction.

This photo shows Paul Nichols with daughter Neva and two family friends Arthur and Frank wearing traditional Navajo headbands

These photos are captioned: Sam, Uncle Saul and Lynn (sitting on wall); Mother on rim of the Canyon; The Watchtower at Desert View; Mother on the roof

This photo shows Neva's mother on the roof of amazing flagstone house

Here you can see a lot of debris at the foot of the watchtower

Here we see Neva's mother standing by a giant petrified log on the rim of the Canyon

The following photos show Neva with her father Paul Nichols in his 1930's ceremonial costume and a family friend Ernest in his Eagle Dance costume. On this photo are the following caption left to right, top to bottom: Taken on Rim (Neva); Daddy (in ceremonial dress); Ernest ( Eagle Ceremony costume; small photo on left bottom a Porcupine Dance with the small photo bottom right of the Eagle Dance

These are captioned Neva, Ernie, Lillian; Me (Neva), Ernie(in eagle dance costume) and Lillian; Daddy (Paul Nichols) and I (Neva)

Below is a fantastic photo of Ernest in his Eagle Dance costume with great view of his squash blossom necklace

Below we find Paul Nichols in his fabulous ceremonial costume, great detail on this photo

Here is a closeup of the Eagle Dance c. 1930

Below we have a closeup of the Porcupine Dance c. 1930

Just a wonderful photo below of Neva on the rim of the canyon with closeup of her bracelets and necklace c. 1930's

In photo below we find Neva and her father on the edge of the canyon rim, mighty close.

Great photo of Eagle Dance costume, blankets and squash blossom necklace, all c. 1930's

Close up of above photo, just great jewelry and Ernie's Eagle Dance costume, c. 1930's

Comment only to: robtnar@gmail.com, if you open this and the write message page appears and you ask a question or make a comment and when you press send, it does not work, just copy and paste my email address to your own email service