This is one of the clearest photos of the footbridge I’ve seen. This footbridge was just upstream from the dam. This is looking toward the Page side of the canyon. Click image to zoom in. You’ll see people coming toward you at the other end of the bridge, and the small parking area on that side of the canyon. There was also a small parking lot behind the photographer. You can see remnants of that parking lot on Google Earth. That area is closed to public access now.
The detail on some of these early aerial photos of Page and Glen Canyon Dam are amazing. In this one, I give you an aerial tour of the town of Page as it appeared in the early 1960s.
This late 50s/early 60s photo captures a view up 5th Avenue from the Elm Street intersection. The new Page Schools buildings are probably under construction at the top of 5th Avenue. The line of houses at the top of the photo are along Date Street. To the immediate left in this picture would be the original Mountain Bell building. Click to enlarge.
Based on the horizon terrain, this late 50s or early 60s photo may be a look down Gum Street from the 4th Avenue intersection. Best guess. The two houses on the left with their carports next to each other, matches what I see on Google Earth for Gum Street near 4th Avenue. Thoughts? Click on the image to enlarge.
Here’s a 1962 photo of Gunsight Butte before there was a Padre Bay and a Lake Powell. For reference, Gunsight Bay will eventually be on the other side of the Butte and Last Chance Bay is behind the photographer. This view is looking southwest across the future Padre Bay. Click the image to enlarge it in a new window.
This is a great 1965 aerial photo of the Glen Canyon Dam site. It shows the remnants of the construction days and what was still in place from those years. Click on it to enlarge it in a new window. You’ll notice on the right side of the photo that the cableway towers, which were between the Beehive and the canyon wall, are gone and the tracks they rode on have been removed. Construction of the Visitor’s Center hadn’t begun yet.
Moving upstream along the canyon, both spillways are clearly visible, as is the horseshoe-shaped road/parking area where the footbridge once stood. The faint white-dashed line spanning the canyon was the log jam to prevent boaters from getting too close to the dam and spillways. The nighttime trout fishing with the boat tied to the log jam was always good.
The aggregate piles are still there where the conveyor belts once stood. The red line on the photo may have been a proposed route for the road to Wahweap. There are still a few buildings from the construction days and an electric substation near the Beehive. I made a then-and-now post of the Beehive you can see at The Beehive Then and Now.
-Enjoy!
Last Friday I posted a photo looking down 7th Avenue (Lake Powell BLVD). You can see it HERE. Here’s another one looking up 7th Avenue from a vantage point near The Bottle Stop. The Bottle Stop was located where STIX Market is today. If you click on this image, you can zoom in on it to see more detail. Check out the “Page Club Cafe” painted on the side of the cafe, as well as the sign. You can see the Richfield, Shell, and Enco gas station signs as well. The Empire House and Toga Room Lounge signs are visible. On the right side of the street in the way back, the Manson Mesa Pool sign is clearly visible on the pool fence. The First National Bank sign looms large.
Are you in this photo or do you have more specific info you can share about this day? If so, please leave a comment. I recognize some of the vehicles in this picture, particularly the pickup truck with the camper shell near the far right of the photo. I don’t know who owned it but I’m pretty sure he lived in Chapman’s Trailer Park.
I respect the privacy of others, so I’m always a little hesitant to tag anyone of social media. But sometimes a picture screams to be posted and this is one of those times. If you’re in this, you know who you are and so do I. If you want to tag yourself or let others know you’re in it, go for it. This photo is at the Page Park and the Manson Mesa Pool is in the background behind the fence.
A chilly snow day sounded good as I sit here in the summer heat of the southwest. This photo is undated but must be early 60s. These snowstorms could bring some nice clouds to the area and sometimes would stick around for weeks. This could be Second Avenue looking toward Date Street. Second Avenue sat empty of houses for years until construction began on the power plant and the town’s population began to rise again. Click on the picture to enlarge it and zoom in.
A History of Glen Canyon Dam and Page Arizona 