Ratz - Grand Canyon National Park

Visitors arriving at the Grand Canyon by train were greeted at this 1909 log station designed by Santa Fe Railway architect Francis Wilson. On the hill behind the station is El Tovar Hotel. Visitors could walk up the hill or a carriage would collect them for transport to the hotel. Note the tilde above the first n in Caon. This was later changed to the Anglo spelling of Canyon.

After arriving at the circular drive on El Tovar Hill, the visitor is flanked by El Tovar Hotel on the west and the Hopi House on the east. Just north is a low retaining wall, and just beyond, the Grand Canyon drops away. This is where most visitors had their first view of the Grand Canyon.

El Tovar Hotel is a fine example of the arts and crafts style of architecture. It uses Oregon pine and local stone. Architect Charles Whittlesey incorporated Norwegian villa and Swiss chalet motifs with a French mansard roof and rustic elements to create a building that is both distinctive and visually pleasing.

This view of the north wing of El Tovar Hotel shows the roof garden on the third floor with its obelisk-like posts. The second floor balcony reaches out to the canyon. The north porch offers a shady location to sit and watch people walk along the rim. The upper balconies used to be public areas but are now part of the north wing suites.

From the west looking east back at the hotel, this view shows the old water towers on the right, now removed. Water was brought by train cars from Del Rio, Arizona, just north of Prescott, a distance of 120 miles. The current water supply is from a spring inside the Grand Canyon.

Sightseeing guests could depart from El Tovar Hotel via coach. The Fred Harvey Company built fine stables for more than 125 driving horses, saddle horses, and trail mules. There were also rooms for the coaches, wagons, saddles, and tack. This equipment was all first class, and the animals were well cared for.

Guests taking saddle-horse rides along the rim or into the surrounding forest would find their mounts in front of the hotel. Because not everyone could pack for western adventures, and for the comfort of the riding guest, the hotel had a supply of divided skirts for ladies, gentlemens overalls, linen dusters, hats, and more, which could be rented from the hotel for reasonable rates.

This view shows a large party leaving the hotel for a sightseeing tour. These usually were of short durations, two or three hours. Some could take the whole day, like the trip to Grandview, a 28-mile round-trip. There were even overnight trips that required guests to stay in tents. All the equipment and food were packed in the carriages that followed along.

As time passed, things changed, and the forms of conveyance changed, too. With automobiles, it was now possible to complete longer trips faster and to take trips farther afield. Now trips to Rainbow Bridge on the Utah border could be done from a Grand Canyon point of origin, and a trip to the Painted Desert was also possible.

When first entering El Tovar Hotel, visitors came upon the Rendezvous. A large room measuring 41 feet by 37 feet, the Rendezvous was noted for its walls of dark-stained logs and heavy rafters. Big game trophies repose above the plate rail that circles the entire room. Window seats offer a cozy spot for tte--ttes. Easy chairs and small desks allow one to read or write a postcard home.