The Lower Water Treatment Plant

I have to admit to not remembering Page’s first water treatment plant being at the bottom of the canyon. When Gene LeGate gave me the first bunch of USBR photos for the blog and I saw these water treatment pics, I was dazed and confused because I could only remember the water treatment plant in town and those photos were completely different. After some research, I surmised that it sat downstream of the dam on the Page side of the canyon. Can’t fool me! What sealed it for me (sort of) was the first photo I’m sharing below that Tim McDaniels gave me that shows the road to it coming out of what must be one of the adits in the canyon wall that now serves as one of the ventilation tunnels for the tunnel that runs from the top of the canyon and to the lower spillway. If that’s incorrect, please let me know. I can take it. I’m still not 100% convinced because some of the background stuff in these pictures doesn’t look right. More on that as we move through them.

This first picture is a shot from above showing the layout of the area. This is the one Tim sent me that pretty much clinched the location. Notice the water line coming over the side of the canyon. That’s the line that brought water to the fledgling town of Page. It’s referenced in another picture below. Notice also the road disappearing into the canyon wall. The handwritten caption on the back reads, “J. Reinhold. 1st water treatment plant for Page.”

Photo: USBR
Date: 5/14/63
Source: Tim McDaniels

Here’s another top down view from a different, closer angle. In this shot, the facility is still under construction. The rectangle building was an electrical switchgear and maybe a pump room. The handwritten back caption reads, “Water pumps and sedimentary tank on river below Page.”

Hamburgers and Hotdogs

Photo: J. L. Digby, USBR
10/6/1958
Courtesy of the LeGate family.

This picture, dated 1/6/1958 is another view of the post office with the USBR warehouse behind it. The warehouse is still there, but this post office is long gone. The Windy Mesa was eventually built just to the right of where this post office sat, on North Navajo Drive. This picture was taken from the approximate location of present day Stromboli’s. The fire station and old USBR ranger station were to the left of this picture. I did a separate post about this post office building [HERE]. Now I know where it was located.

I’m not sure if the hamburger and hotdog stand was a regular event, or if there was something special going on this day.

-Mike

Manson Mesa Pool

Manson Mesa Pool Under Construction 10/6/1958
Photo: J. L. Digby, USBR
Courtesy of the LeGate Family

Who remembers the Manson Mesa Pool? I sure do. I spent many hours in that pool on those long, lazy summer days. I even spent a lot of time in it after it was closed down and drained. But that’s another story for another time. This photo is dated 10/6/1958 and the back caption simply reads, “Swimming pool.”

The Manson Mesa Pool was located on South Navajo Drive, adjacent to the park, on the corner of Seventh Avenue (now Lake Powell Blvd) and South Navajo. This photo was taken from near the curb of South Navajo, looking north-ish, parallel to Seventh Avenue. The Pink Sans Drive-in is (or soon will be) to the right of this picture, across Seventh Avenue. The park will be to the left of the picture. The brick building in the distance, just to the left, is the Page Hospital. It appears to be under construction in this photo. The white building to the left of the hospital is the USBR HQ that I blogged about in a previous post. I don’t know who the worker is in this picture.

There is no evidence today that this pool ever existed, much like the old drive-in theatre. Progress?

-Mike

USBR Offices

Photo: J. L. Digby,
USBR 10/6/1958
Courtesy of the Legate Family

I appreciate the clean look of this photo, dated October 6, 1958. The handwritten back caption reads, “Municiple buildings where big cheeses from Bureau work.” If you live in, or have lived in Page for any length of time, you probably recognized this building right away. It sits on the corner of North Navajo Drive and Vista Avenue. If you type Page Arizona into Google Earth and go to that intersection, you’ll get a good look at how it appears today.

In addition to the USBR administrative offices, this building has also been the Page Municiple building and courthouse and the National Park Service headquarters. I seem to remember the library being in there too, but I may be having a senior moment. Can somebody help out a brother here? If you remember, let me know.

The fact that there is no other development anywhere in this picture makes it that much better. I like that North Navajo Drive is still dirt. Vista Avenue is to the right in this picture and today, the Page hospital sits across the street (Vista Ave) to the right of the photo. Did I mention that I like the pickup truck on the far right side?

-Mike