BRINGING THE PAST INTO THE PRESENT
NOTE: This site is not affiliated with Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, the National Park Service, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, any Lake Powell organization, the Glen Canyon Visitor Center, the City of Page Arizona, or any business operating therein. Read on…
Thanks for checking out my photo/video blog of the construction of Glen Canyon Dam and early Page Arizona. This site is something that I’m doing as a hobby so I don’t lose the few pictures that I have of Page in the early years. I started it on June 21, 2013. I haven’t found anything else like this on the web for documenting the early history of Page via pictures, but I don’t get out much. My family moved to Page in 1960 from southern California and I started first grade in Mrs. Fry’s class. The high school and junior high school buildings had just been completed and the elementary school met in the old X and Y buildings. Those were on South 7th Ave (now Lake Powell BLVD), across the street from the Catholic church. You’ll see them in some of the aerial pictures that I post.
We initially lived at the airport (literally – in a trailer behind one of the hangers) because my dad was a pilot and he managed the airport when we first got there. We also lived on Cedar Street, the MCS apartments, Chapman’s trailer court (we watched The Beatles live on Ed Sullivan there), the park ranger housing near the marina, and the on the corner of Date Street and First Ave. I’m not sure why we moved around so much. We eventually moved into the house my dad built at 25 First Avenue in my freshman or sophomore year of high school. Did I mention that we left Page for a few years and went back to southern California in 1964 or 65, returning in 1967 or 68? I was in the high school graduating class of 1973, but that’s another story for another time.
Like many others, I have a lot of memories of Page in its infancy. I watched the dam go up and the lake start to fill. I watched the population dwindle after the dam was finished and then come back when Bechtel came to town to build the power plant. My first bike, first girlfriend, first job, first bank account, first car, first home of my own, and first wife (and only wife – we’re still married) all happened there. We left Page in 1985, but have been back on a number of occasions. I invite you to join me in this photo/video blog.
Thanks for your interest in my blog. I would love to hear from you. You can leave a comment below.
Mike Adams
A History of Glen Canyon Dam and Page Arizona 
Thanks mike for your efforts to help us all think more of our memories of page arizona.
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Mike, You look familiar.
Thanks for your efforts. A lot of us appreciate this more than you will ever know.
Hi Myrlon, Larry O’Neill (Firestone, then Richfield Service station) Class of 63.
Mike, the guy at the ice cream machine at school, looks like Richard Puk.
Thanks for what you are doing. It means a lot to a very good group of “Pioneers”
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Hey Larry, thanks for stopping by my site. Did you work at Norquip in the early 70s? My memory cells are trying to come together. š
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Hi Mike.
Sorry just found your reply.
We never met. I worked at the Richfield station 59-63. Summers after HS. 63-68 then Army then lived in Tempe, AZ. 70-2003.
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Hi Mike. I have a DVD that was made from a lot of old super 8 movie film footage with a lot of old Page stuff on it. I’m not sure if you can pull stills off of it but your more than welcome to a copy of it. Thanks for creating this blog. Fond memories of your drumming in the Casio’s garage. Stacy
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Stacy did you have a brother that would have graduated in 1974. Seems like I went to school with one. Trying to come up with first name and the only thing that pops into my mind is Paul. Kristy Haegen Sooter
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Hi Kristy. Sorry for the delay! Wyatt graduated in 74. My Dad’s name was Paul. This is such a great site!
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Yes Wyatt was in my class. This is a fun site. Where is Wyatt now?
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I think Wyatt is a PA in his own practice in Flagstaff.
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MY old friend Stacy!. My folks donated a whole bunch of old Super 8 films to the Cline Library at NAU. Those films can be seen on their website. Some of the films are when we went on the Lake in 1964 as it started filling. We went into Navajo Canyon and were watching beavers drown as their habitat was being inundated. There is one of the whole family driving our pontoon boat around the Lake and I am about 5 and sitting in Bob Bingham’s lap and driving the boat while he is drinking Coors. Later in the film Bob is passed out and I am driving the boat alone. I guess that is why everyone always made me drive the boat, because I started so youing.
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Stacy, How’s this for a quick reply? I sure thought I responded to this when you posted it, but…. I’d love to get my hands on that DVD if you still have it and the offer is still good. Please let me know. Mike
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Thanks guys. It’s good to hear from both of you. Stacy, I’ll email you my address if that’s ok. I’d love to get a copy of that. Awwww yes, the infamous Ciassio garage. I forgot all about that. I kind of miss those drums.
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Would Love to see more pix. also……… by the way, the swimming pool picture ? The swim meet ? I’m pretty sure that is ME right in the middle of the race. ( of course I won, are you kidding ??? ) …… Patrick Stickler
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That’s pretty cool. Do you remember what that meet was all about? Was it a school thing?
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Hi Mike, my Brother Bill sent this site to me. We lived in Page two different times in those early years. Both my Brothers Pat, 1960 and Bill 1963. My Mother and Fathers name is Suzi and Joe Mitchell. My Father worked for the USBR. My parents live in Phoenix now. I see Kristy (Haegen) Sooter posted here. Both of us ended up in Grand Coulee later. I recognize a picture of Gene Legate in your photos. My Dad use to call him Ace. I was friends with his son Gene, or As I called him Genie. I know Shane Jones still lives there. Thank you for this blog. It brings back a lot of memories. Mike Mitchell
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I Should finish my sentence above. Lol. Pat and Bill were born in Page in 1960 and 1963 respectively.
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Hi Mike Adams. I showed my husband Greg Dodds this website. He was blown away and remembers you. Said he played music with you back in the day. He’s still playing music, in 3-4 different bands at present. Has a day job too. Just last Sept he finally got a smart phone and discovered facebook. Said he’s planning on looking you up. He’s still a newbee with social media though so don’t wait up. Today he’s getting his shell put on his truck to play a gig somewheres tonight. We’ve been living in the NW now since ’83. Raised 2 kids and presently semi-empty nesters. Semi since they are in college, out of the house but not totally financially independent yet. Have really enjoyed your website and hobby documenting Page’s history. Keep it up!!!
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Jacque, Thanks for reaching out to me! My wife saw your email before I did and when she said your name, I said I wonder if youāre related to Greg Dodds. Wow! Itās good to hear Greg is doing well. He could play that guitar! I think he had a studio at home when we were in Page. Tell him I said hi and I think of him from time to time. I look forward to hearing from him on Facebook!
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Hi Jacque, my name is Stacy Woodard. I grew up in Page and knew your husband somewhat. He was a little older than me. We used to live behind the Dodds for a while. I used to sit in the alley behind their family’s house and listen to Greg practice for hours on end. (get a life right?) He was a huge inspiration. I was wondering If Greg has anyhing on YouTube. It would be really cool to listen to him play again. Please tell him hi! Thanks, SW
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Hi Mike, sent Donna some old pictures in 2014 for that class reunion-I will look for them and send them to you-do you need the actual picture or can I scan them and send to you?
Class”61
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Alice, are they photos of the area during construction? Can you give me a little more info? Email is fine as long as the file size isnāt reduced. Thanks so much!
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Hello Mike. I just read your comments about yourself. I came across your blog when I was doing a google search to refresh my mind who my second grade teacher’s name was. I was in Miss O’Brian’s kindergarten class 1960/61 and Miss Hart’s 1rst grade class 1961/62 in those X, Y buildings. My dad worked on the dam. We lived in a trailer by the airport, I believe on “0” street. I remember visiting you in your trailer at the airport jus t a short walk behind our brown trailer. I see that the Saber twins are mentioned . We knew them well because my parents were friends with their parents. Their older sister, Doris, used to babysit me. We reconnected with them in Oroville, CA where our fathers worked on another dam.
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Hi Ivan. Wow, there’s a name I haven’t heard in a LONG time! Things are a little fuzzy but I remember you. Didn’t your mom drive us to school on occasion? Were we in Cub Scouts at the same time? My mom was a den mother for a time. It’s good to hear from you. How did you find my site?
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I stumbled on your site when I was doing an internet search on elementary school teachers in Page around 1959-1963. I attended elementary school from kindergarten to the beginning of third grade those years. I forgot the name of my second grade teacher in one of those X/Y buildings and was attempting to refresh my memory. I believe it was Mrs. Ferguson. Does that ring a bell with anyone? My dad worked on the dam. We lived in a trailer backed up next to the airport–could’ve been on “O” or “P” street. I remembered your name and used to walk over to your trailer at the airport to visit you. I remember that there was a small plane fuselage near your trailer without the wing on it. I got in trouble after being discovered in the plane cockpit playing with the controls, pretending to be a pilot.
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My dad worked on the Dam in the 50’s and early 60’s. He died and is buried there at Page.
Wow. We got back to Page about 10 years go and we would like to get back out there next year.
We are the O’Hara’s my Dad was Mike or James, mother was Nina. Anyone remember those names. Would be good to hear from others. After all these years. I played all over that land and down in the canyon have great memories of Page. Thanks.
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Jerry O’Hara, the one that replied above, is my brother. I found this website and immediately told my brothers . As Jerry said, we are the O’Hara family. Mike and Nina O’Hara with three children Mike, Jerry, and Cathy (Catherine). Mike said we lived on K Street and that he and Jerry went to Page Elementary School and played baseball and football. Mike remembers when the newspaper came to our trailer and took a picture of him and his hawk (that he was nursing back to health). Our dad passed away and we had to move to Tennessee to where our mother’s family lived. As Jerry said, our dad is buried there in Page. We have great memories of Page. Thank you for this website.
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Thank you Cathy for filling in the blanks and sharing these memories with us!
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Thanks so much for doing this Mike. Brings back so many memories of growing up there. I was in the top five somewhere of kids that were born in Page that went all the way through high school there. Julie Gifford was the first child born there that graduated from Page High. She was born in 1959. I was born in ’60. I lived there until 2012 with only a couple of short interruptions for college and a short 3 year stint working in Tempe for SRP. It is amazing how much the town has changed over the years. People just can’t realize how primitive it was in the early ’60s. After sandstorms the tumbleweeds nearly covered our house!
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Philip, itās always a good day when you stop by. Thanks for taking the time to comment. You are right. It was very primitive back then but what a great environment to grow up in. There arenāt many of us that can say that, are there. We should start a club. Lol
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We were already in a club and didn’t even know it. So many people I have friended on Facebook are part of this special club too. Like Patsy and Dana DeWitt, Donny Mosier, Shayne Jones, Darwin Deering, Joy Kazan and Aven Gardner, and so many others. It is amazing, but after the Dam was built, Page dropped to 1500 people. We literally knew everyone in town at that time. Then when Bechtel came we met so many other lifelong friends.
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Lots of familiar names there! I always liked roaming the old trailer court after the dam was finished and so many left.
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That trailer court stayed mostly abandoned till about 1970 when Bechtel started it up again for the construction of NGS. They built all the roads there and most of the employees lived in trailers during the construction. During the construction of that trailer court a bunch of us local boys would play army out there while the Bechtel guys were doing all the dynamiting to make ditches for power lines. It made our army play a lot more real like we were really in the trenches fighting the Krauts. Lucky none of us ever got blown up. We had to ditch McCallister and the other Rangers a few times because it was posted to keep out. We would wear goggles and raincoats and be shooting each other with BB guns. The tougher kids, like me, never had to be the Kraut side- the bad guys. I was always a GI or the Sarge. We played a lot behind Kazan’s house on the cliffs. The cliffs was our main playground. When I told my kids the stories of all the time we spent playing there my kids laughed at me and said “You still do, Dad!” And they were right, because that is where Lake Powell National Golf Course is now.
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Hi Philip,
Do you have stories about my uncle Mike (Reinhold), by any chance, or photos? I’m looking for as many as I can find. I’m Charlie’s oldest daughter, and Jack and Berenice’s oldest grandkid.
Kristan
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I remember you Kristan when you were just a little girl living in Page and then Gilbert. I remember visiting you and your sister and Charlie and Lynn on your (I think) fifth birthday in Gilbert. I loved your family dearly as did all my family. My brother Steve and Mike grew up together and were best friends and were both in the class of ’66. Mike was the Valedictorian (I think your dad was too, in the class of ’68) of his class. Steve went off to college and Mike went to Vietnam. He was the only Page High School graduate that died in Vietnam. I have heard stories about his manner of death and his heroism. I can share that with you if you want, but privately. Steve and Mike were 12 years older than me and those guys along with Jackie Keisling and some others were my heroes as a kid. Mike died when I was just seven years old, so I don’t have a lot of personal memory stories. Except I remember him and Steve leaving the house after dinner to go do teenager stuff about the time when I was sent off to bed. We have pictures of them together in boy scouts and other times and we also have the Page High annual from their senior and maybe junior year. We might even have the one from Charlie’s senior year. After I got out of College I worked with your dad at SRP. We had a good time together, while it lasted. I transferred to Phoenix shortly after him and worked in the Valley a few years, went back to college a bit, and moved back to Page. That is when I came by for your birthday party- when I lived in Tempe. I lived in Page after 1986, raising my family, until we moved back to the Valley in 2012. I am still working for SRP and I am retiring at the end of December. Your Dad lived with Steve when they were in college together down at U of A and they became close friends. I think I was a teenager when Charlie and Lynn got married. Like every other teenage boy, I was in love with your beautiful mom. I will never forget her lovely face and big grin. I am sorry I don’t have more stories, but I was just a little kid back in the old Page Pioneer days. But we have pictures at my parent’s house up there that I could grab next time I am up there. And those annuals. I am going there in September for a class of ’74 – ’78, 45-year class reunion. September 15 – 19. Keep in touch.
P.S. I see your mom in that picture of you.
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Mike, This is a great collection of historical photos. Thank you for sharing these pictures and the history of Page and Glen Canyon Dam. I’d like to see about using some of these photos for an Arizona publication to illustrate a story on the road-race between Arizona and Utah to lure the Government Camp to their respective sides of the river.
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If you could reference a link back to my site as the source, I would appreciate it. Thanks!
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Hi Mike,
My name is Tom Crotzer. My parents, Tom and Beverly, moved to Page in 1956 or 57 from Baltimore, MD.. My father pulled our trailer from Baltimore to Page behind a 1955 Buick Century with mom (who is 91), me, my younger brother and our dog. My dad worked for MCS for several years and the job he was on in Baltimore was the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel until he was transferred to Page. I have some pictures that I could scan and email to you. One of my favorites is the picture of our baseball team (the Yankees) with my father and another gentleman who coached the team. I believe we left Page in 1959 when my father was transferred again and we went back east to New York. So please let me know if you would like the pictures emailed to you. By the way, your website is great!
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Thanks Mike for sharing with us your memories of the Glen Canyon area, it is so unique. My name is Renaud and I live in Belgium. I visited Page and the lake Powell area in 2000. This summer (in July), I am coming back with my two sons (17 and 12 yr-old). My question is: 22 years ago, I drove an eerie road near Page that was used as a shooting location for Planet of the Apes (so I was told). It was like driving on another planet indeed! Big rocks by the side of the road, narrow gorges where the car could hardly pass through. Unfortunately I am unable to remember where that circuit (about 40 mile long) was exactly. Any idea? Thanks in advance for your help! Renaud
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So sorry for the slow reply. I wouldn’t know where to begin to point you in locating that road. I was there in 1968 when they filmed Planet of the Apes and it was a huge production that took them to many different locations. Some of which had to be flown to. That’s about all I remember. Sorry I can’t be of more help.
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You may be referring to the road from Big Water, Utah to Crosby Canyon which is the very back of Warm Creek Bay. Many films were made in that area including Planet of the Apes (old and newer versions) and The Outlaw Josey Wales. Somebody there in Big Water could point you to that road. Also, the drive to Lee’s Ferry on the Colorado River is about 40 miles from Page and there are many rocks that are as you described.
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