PIPE SPRING Cultures at a Crossroads: An Administrative History

Residences, Utility Area, and Walkways

Work performed in the Park Service residences was generally routine maintenance. Some storage cabinets were installed in the laundry rooms and new rain gutters and downspouts were added during the winter of 1966-1967.

During the summer of 1964, a number of walkways were rerouted around the fort. Steps along one walkway that led to the fort were converted to a ramp. The old walkways, where replaced by new ones, were obliterated. At the same time the plaque describing the Whitmore-McIntyre dugout was relocated. All of this was completed by the end of September 1964. In October of that year, a new asphalt walkway was built to the east cabin. In late 1966 trees were transplanted along walkways to give shade and delineation to the paths.

Sewage System

In July 1964 a report of contaminated culinary water at Pipe Spring triggered an inspection by a Public Health Service sanitary engineer. [2084] He noticed a pond forming on the surface over the sewer leach field distribution box in July and pointed out the leach field needed attention. His later report stated that its immediate repair or replacement was imperative. [2085] By late July Bozarth knew a new leach field had to be constructed. He also knew from talking to former Custodian Leonard Heaton that skeletons had been found earlier at the monument's southwest corner, so he asked the regional office for copies of any archeological survey work done on the monument. Regional office staff assured him there would be little if any archeological material within the monument, that such material was located further south. They advised him to just keep a careful watch during excavation work. (From his talks with Leonard Heaton, Bozarth knew they were mistaken.)

Drinking water samples tested pure in August 1964. That month a sewer lagoon was built to temporarily take the place of a leach field. Park Engineer Joe McCabe made a water seepage soil test in September to help in planning for a replacement leach field. While leach field trenches were being dug the following month, a backhoe tore into the stockmen's four-inch pipeline. The holes were patched with strips of tire inner tube and wire and the leach line was installed close by the patched pipe. [2086] The sewer leach field was replaced in October 1964. Fortunately, no human remains were encountered during the excavation for the new field. [2087]