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United States Cultural Resources
ff4jLJ|] Department of
Agriculture
Management
Forest
Service
Southwestern
Region
The Early Days:
Report No. 11
A Sourcebook of Southwestern
Region History
Book 2
Cover: Forest Supervisor K. C. Kartchner
on Ranger Flake's horse in Rinconada on
the Mt. Taylor Division. September 23.
1925.
Published March 1991
The Early Days:
A Sourcebook of Southwestern Region
History
Book 2
Compiled by
Edwin A. Tucker
Supervisory Management Analyst
Division of Operations
Cultural Resources Management
Report No. 11
USDA Forest Service
Southwestern Region
March 1991
CONTENTS
page
Figures . i
Editor's Foreword . ii
SECTIONS
Int e rviews . 1
Fred H. Miller . 1
Robert Ground . 7
Lee Beall . 12
In The Newspaper . 13
Wild Horses . 23
More Interviews . 35
Ben Kemp . 35
Gilbert W. Sykes . ^6
Oscar McClure . 59
Roger Morris . 62
Jesse T. Fears . 70
John D . Jones . 78
C . A . Me rker . 86
Harold Hulbert . 91
Perl Charles . 92
Hollis Palmer . 100
John Mims . IO5
Robert Leonard . I06
Arthur J. "Crawford" Riggs . IO7
FIGURES
1. Smokey with Chief Watts . 5
2. One of the original Forest Service flags . 23
3. Mogollon Ranger Station on the Gila . 36
h. A treed bear in Rustler Park, Chiricahua National Forest .
5. An early-day bridge constructed by the Forest Service . 48
6. A Ranger meeting - I916, Coronado NF . 66
7. A Forest Ranger and Supervisor on a camping trip . 74
8. A grazing reconnaissance outfit, October 3I, 1914 74
9. CCC tree planters in June 1941 79
10. George D. Russell with the Showboat . 83
11 The 1926 Ranger Training Camp . 87
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12. The 1911 Coronado Forest Supervisor's Office . 89
13- The 1908 Apache Forest Supervisor's Office . 90
14. Cochise Stronghold Ranger Station, Coronado . 92
15. Nogales Ranger Station. Coronado . 93
16. Capuline Ranger Station, Santa Fe . 93
17- Bear Cubs on a Santa Fe Sign . 95
18. Running Sheep Through A Dipping Vat . 102
19. Sheep Driveway Committee . I09
18. Smokejumper crew based at Deming . II8
EDITOR’S FOREWORD
In this volume we continue the story of the early about 400 pages. Several factors have forced a
days in the Southwestern Region. As before, the reconsideration of that plan. We now expect to
story is largely told in the words of the people finish the work with a third volume about equal
who lived it. Ed Tucker collected hours of "oral in size to the first. One reason for the change
history" from the first generations of Forest is that it became obvious that an index would
Service employees. His tape recordings, supple¬ very much enhance the value of Tucker's work. An
mented with documents found in his research, index will also add to the length of the
became the basis for these books. publication. It seems sensible to divide the
remaining material into two volumes.
When the Southwestern Region began to publish Ed
Tucker's work, we planned to issue it as a set of David Gillio
two volumes. The first volume was published with December 1990
just over 3OO pages and the second would have had
ii
INTERVIEWS
Mr. Fred H. Miller was interviewed at his home in After that I got an offer of a job down in Puerto
Taos, New Mexico. A native of Pennsylvania, Fred Rico, so I went down to San Juan in February
graduated in Forestry from Cornell University. 1920, but I stayed for only about seven months.
He worked at various jobs in District 3 while I got an attack of malaria while I was there and
going through college. After graduation he took didn't feel very well so I decided I'd better get
a laborer's job on the Pecos. He took the Ranger back to Region 3.
examination at Santa Fe in 1916 eind received an
appointment. His story starts there. I came back here in the early spring months of
1920 and reported in to Albuquerque and they sent
After I had my appointment as a Ranger, C. A. me out to what was then the old Tusayan, with
Long was Chief Engineer in Region 3 at that time, headquarters at Williams. I went down and made
and I worked for him in the office in Albuquerque the first management plan for the woodland type,
that winter. We were making plans for the down between Ash Fork and Cedar Glade. I spent
Clifton - Springerville road, that is, the layout most of my time at Putney where I did all the
plans. I stayed on that job until spring. Then, field work. Then I went back to Williams and
in the spring, we went down and started the finished up my management plan report on the
survey from Clifton to Springerville. woodland type. While I was at Williams I took
the Junior Forester exam at Flagstaff. After I
In the meantime, the War broke out, so some of us took that exam, and was fortunate enough to pass
in the camp enlisted in the 10th Engineers. We it, then I was changed from the non-technical old
went down to Fort Bliss at El Paso and enlisted, Forest Ranger position to a Junior Forester
and we stayed -- I don't know how long -- not position. Well, after I finished the management
very long, and then we went to Washington, D. C., plans at Williams, which was then the old
where the 10th Engineers was being organized, and Tusayan, I was assigned to the Carson at Taos.
most of the officers were Forest Service people.
Major Guthrie (He was a Captain at that time) -- While I was here at Taos I made a management plan
John Guthrie was one, and Major Kelly, of course, of the Rio Pueblo; I believe it was the working
was Regional Forester in Region 1, that is, he circle. I worked on that job for, oh, for
was Regional Forester after he got out of the several months. After that I went down to Santa
Army. At any rate there was a large number of Fe and started a management plan on what was then
Forest Service in the camp. the old Pecos District. While I was there I got
an offer of a job at the Southern Experiment
Well, we went back from Fort Bliss to a camp on Station, so I went down to New Orleans and worked
the campus of the American University just out¬ there for Reggie Forbes, who was Director at that
side of Washington. It was in the District but time. I worked there throughout that summer.
just outside the City. Then in September we left After that I came back to Region 3 again, and
for overseas. came back to Taos for a short time, and then I
was assigned to the Santa Fe Forest.
I stayed with the 10th Engineers in France for
two years. I went in as a private and came out In the meantime we had been married and had a
as a Second Lieutenant. So after I came back, I small child, so I quit the Forest Service and
came back of course immediately to Region 3 and went up to Denver and bought a small ranch up
the first job they gave me was Ranger on the Zuni there and stayed there about six years. Well,
District of the old Manzano Forest. The head¬ Forestry was in my blood and even though I made a
quarters was at a little town of McGaffey. It pretty good living I decided I wanted to go back
was a lumber mill. into the Forest Service.
I've forgotten who was Ranger before me. It was In 1929 I came back to the Forest Service. That
one of the oldtimers. He was a practical was in Region 2, and I was made Chief of Party
forester, that is, a non-technical Forester. But and sent out to Durango where we made a timber
he was a good one and he taught me how to pack survey of some of the country just north of
horses, et cetera. I learned how to get around Durango. Then after we finished that job, I went
by myself under his guidance. back to Denver to finish the paper work. Then
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the next year, in the spring of 1930, I went up around the place there hasn't been an inactive
to Medicine Bow and worked there for about four moment since I retired.
years with Huber Hilton, Supervisor at that
time. Then just before I transferred in to When you went to Zuni, that was after the War,
Washington, Philip Woodhead became Supervisor of wasn't it?
the Medicine Bow.
Yes, I went to Zuni right after the War.
It was in 1934 that I went back on detail to the
Washington Office. I was supposed to be there Did you work on management plans?
only six months, but I ended up in Washington 25
years. I always did want to go back to the West, Jim Mullen was Supervisor on the Manzano at that
but I couldn’t quite make it until I retired in time, at Albuquerque, and I was a Ranger on the
1958. In the meantime, in Washington I ended up Zuni District. I didn't work on management plans
in Personnel Management. I started out on a then. I did general administrative work.
detail to the Administrative Office in Research,
and worked with Paul Roberts at that time. Then Did the Zuni District take in all of the Zuni
I left Research and went into Personnel Manage¬ Mountains?
ment with Peter Keplinger and I stayed in
Personnel Management then until I retired in Yes, it came down almost to Grants, and then
1958. there was a little area just north of Grants, in
those cliffs, that was within the District. It
Well, we always did want to get back to Taos. took in the Zuni Mountains and went down to about
During my time in the Washington Office of course the town of Zuni, on the Indian Reservation.
I traveled all over, from Puerto Rico to Alaska, Inscription Rock had been designated as a
so even after going through the States pretty National Monument at that time.
thoroughly, we decided that New Mexico was the
place for us to build our final home. I never Was there a caretaker there?
did buy a home in Washington; we always rented
there. I am glad we didn't, because that made No, no caretaker; no National Park caretaker
the final transition from the active life in the there. We used to ride down there. We didn't
Forest Service to retirement easier. I've seen really do anything, but it was supposed to be
so many people retire in Washington, who had under our protection.
bought their homes, and one day they are in the
office and the next day -- nothing to do. Well, Your work as administrator on the Zuni consisted
in three or four years they became old men. But mostly of what?
in my case I stepped from one job into another.
There was a big timber sale there. Timber sales
About two years before retirement, we figured out and grazing, those were about the only two uses
when I was going to retire. We came out to Taos in those days.
and bought this lot here. Then we made a
contract to have the building completed by the There were quite a few homesteads in that
time we were ready to move out. I think my last country, weren't there?
day of duty was June 15; well, on June 16th the
moving van came out to our house and loaded all Yes, there were lots of homesteads. The home¬
our furniture and belongings, and the next day steaders were trying to raise beans and oats, in
then we got into our car and started from season -- things of that sort. The homesteads
Washington to New Mexico. were not in the high country; they were found in
the woodland sections.
Well, we got out here and the house was just
about finished. But you can imagine, when you Then you went to Taos and Santa Fe to work on
build a new house there is no lawn; there is no timber management plans?
yard. There are a lot of things to do so that
the minute we got out here I had plenty to do. Well, no, I was on the Ranger District when I got
Since then I've been quite busy in the garden. this chance to go to Puerto Rico. When I came
Then we have some horses and I take care of them, back from Puerto Rico, then I went on the timber
and some chickens, and with all these chores management plans. I went directly from San Juan
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