Pipe Spring National Monument

Pipe Spring National Monument was established in 1923 after Steven Mather, the first director of the National Park Service realized this old fort fascinated tourists making the trip from Zion National Park to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. He thought it would make a great stopping point between the two and proposed adding it to the National Park System.

History of the area

Pipe Spring is one of the places in this harsh and seemingly uninhabitable region where underground water is forced to the surface. It has hosted many peoples over the years:

• Hunter-gatherers and traders who used this area as a travel corridor
• Ancestral Puebloan peoples arrived around 300 BCE
• Southern Paiute tribes arrived next and live here still
• Spanish missionaries and explorers passed through in the 1700’s
• Mormons arrived in the 1860’s

The monument is very small; but contains a lot of information and history. The visitor center hosts a variety of exhibits of the various peoples who traveled through and lived in this area over the years and the attached gift shop has the usual national park stuff plus many items handmade by the local tribes. It also serves as a gateway to the plethora of outdoor exhibits and the main draw of the monument… Winsor Castle.

Ancestral Puebloans

Living in pit houses; which unfortunately we didn’t see an example of, they hunted with bow-and arrow, gathered edible plants, ground seeds, wove baskets, and traded. Eventually they turned to farming, began making pottery, and built above ground pueblos.

It’s estimated that their culture gradually faded from the area between 1000 and 1250 AD because of prolonged drought.

Paiutes

The Paiutes were masters at adapting to their environment; they either lived in natural shelters or built Kahns of juniper branches and brush. They moved seasonally for hunting as well as gathering seeds, nuts, roots and cactus fruit. In addition they were weavers, making baskets for all types of uses, water jugs, cooking pans, and women’s hats.

Missionaries and Explorers

Catholic Missionaries came through the area in 1776 and were given food, water, and an avenue around the Grand Canyon. But the largest impact was made after Jacob Hamblin stopped here in 1858 at the behest of Brigham Young’s (President of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints & Mormon Leader) desire to expand into Arizona.

Mormon Pioneers

Drawn by the water and high desert grasses Hamblin discovered a few years earlier, ranchers began settling here in the 1860’s. In 1863 James Whitmore acquired the 160 acres around Pipe Springs and established a homestead here. He built a dugout, constructed corrals, and herded sheep and cattle. He also planted an orchard and vineyard.

Years of Unrest

Drawn by the settlers, Navajo Indians began raiding Mormon livestock in 1864 and in 1866 Whitmore and his herdsman were killed trying to recover stolen cattle. The unrest continued for many years and in 1868 Mormon Militiamen built a small stone cabin to house Militiaman as a stronghold against the continuing raids in the region.

Winsor Castle

The addition of the guardhouse and Militiaman made enough of a difference that Brigham Young decided to make Pipe Spring a part of his expansion vision. He purchased the land from James Whitmore’s widow and named Anson Perry Winsor the first ranch manager.

In 1870 Young and Winsor decided to build a fortified ranch house over the main spring; which was nicknamed “Winsor Castle”. The plan consisted of two sandstone-block buildings facing each other, with a courtyard in between, and enclosed by solid wooden gates. In addition, the first telegraph office in the Arizona Territory was established here and was operated by Eliza Luella Stewart.

The ranch prospered from 1871 to 1879 until a drought hit the area hard and it was no longer able to support the herds. Pipe Spring then continued to serve as a church and way station.

Views from the Ridge Trail around Pipe Spring

Kaibab Indian Reservation

In 1907 the Kaibab Band of Paiutes faced starvation due to the extended drought and displacement by continued settlements. So, the Kaibab Indian Reservation was formed and a small portion of their traditional lands around Pipe Spring was returned to them.

They retain these lands today and have since established a very nice and inexpensive campground (Kaibab Paiute Tribe RV Park & Campground) within walking distance of the monument.

It was the perfect stopping point for us on our way to our fall adventure and we enjoyed our time here very much.