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A look back to the future

A historian shares his views on the importance of preservation

American humorist Will Rogers once said, "The Indians never got lost because they were always looking back to see where they’d been."

I view historic preservation in two separate arenas; manmade structures and land. Both are equally important. We are the caretakers of an ancient land of prehistoric relics, a delicate and fragile land, and historic buildings and dwellings that recall our recent past. We inherited these and for a time they are in our hands and will eventually pass to another generation. How well we do will be judged by those who come after us.

Prehistoric manmade dwellings of the Ancestral Pueblo (Anasazi), Salado, Mogollon, Sinagua and Hohokam, some dating back a thousand years or more, were saved from total destruction in the early 1900s. The most important sites became National Monuments or National Historic Sites, thus guaranteeing their preservation.

WIPING OUT THE PAST

I grew up in the small northern Arizona town of Ash Fork. It was an important junction on the Santa Fe Railroad connecting Phoenix with the transcontinental railroad line. In the early 1900s, the railroad built a beautiful Harvey House, complete with hotel, restaurant, curio shop and train station. For some 50 years the Escalante was a crown jewels among the famous Harvey Houses. It closed in the 1950s. Despite the protests of locals it was demolished 20 years later. I’d like to think that couldn’t happen today. There’s no doubt the Escalante was worthy of historic preservation.

A few years later in Winslow, La Posada, another of the storied Harvey Houses, was condemned to become a pile of rubble. However, a group of residents worked tirelessly to prevent that from happening. Today, just a few years later, La Posada (designed by famous architect Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter), has been restored to its previous grandeur and is one of the finest and most popular hotels in the state. If the local citizenry hadn’t stepped up, the storied La Posada would have gone the way of the Escalante and today preservationists would be lamenting "woulda, coulda, shoulda," because once it’s gone, it ain’t comin’ back.

When the virgin rangelands of Arizona were first opened up to large-scale cattle grazing in the 1880s, native grasses were belly high to a horse. Within a few short years, much of the land had been overgrazed down to bedrock. Greed and ignorance were mostly to blame. Throughout American history there had always been another frontier to advance upon when one had been overused, whether it be by cotton or cattle. By 1900 there were no more virgin lands left; the frontier was closed.

Ranchers had to learn to become stewards of the land and most have done that. In recent times, groups like the Nature Conservancy have provided an excellent stewardship of the lands they’ve acquired. In many areas, despite prolonged drought, rangelands are in far better condition than they were a century ago. Conservationist author Marjorie Kennen Rawlings wrote, "The earth may be borrowed, not bought; may be used not owned; it gives itself in response to love and tenderness."

LESSONS TO LEARN

Historically, it was only after public awareness resulting from the outcry from citizen’s groups that measures were taken for historic preservation.

Historic preservation really began when preservationists mounted crusades against the forces of industrial transformation threatening their communities, chief among them, urban development and new transportation construction such as highways and interstates. Until about 1930 involvement by the federal government was minimal, but during the Depression unemployed architects were employed to survey historic buildings, many of which were at risk. This alerted the public to preservation possibilities within their communities. Later, preservationists realized that full responsibilities for current and future properties might be better handled by an organization separate from the government. Thus, the National Trust for Historic Preservation was formed in 1949 by professionals and activists from both the government and private sector. This would be a private, non-profit organization dedicated to preserving America’s historic legacy.

Historic preservation and restoration in recent years has become an important issue in Arizona. In 1950, Phoenix was the 95th largest city in America. Just a half century later it was the 5th largest. The unprecedented growth caught city officials by surprise as structural and infrastructural demands of this growth steamrolled over neighborhoods and gobbled up barrios. Citizens were forced to leave places where they’d lived for generations.

Too many times in our recent past rapid growth has ripped out the heart of small tight-knit ethnic communities within a city. Oftentimes residents can’t afford to "fight City Hall," and have no choice but to pack up and move on, having nothing left but memories.

Will we learn from past mistakes? Only time will tell. Handling growth must be done with thoughtful consideration for the people who might be uprooted by change. And perhaps most important, the people need to stand together. A group united can do amazing things. Anyone who remembers the song High Hopes recalls what that little band of ants did to that great big rubber tree plant.

We must be careful not to destroy important historic, cultural and prehistoric sites and structures. And we should acquire land preserves so those who come after us can find sanctuaries in an urban environment. Believe me, your children will thank you, and their children will thank you, as well as their children’s children.