Southwest and the Grand
Circle
On
the road again.... We are off on a new
trailer tripping adventure. Three months
of tripping to the Southwest, then east to West Texas and then north to explore
all of the National Parks in the Grand Circle that surrounds the four corners;
where Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona all meet.
We
end the trip at Great Basin National Park in Nevada.
Inside
Great Basin National Park is the site of Dave’s grandparent’s sawmill and
cabin where John and Sarah Tilford and four of their six children (including
Dave’s mom, Elinor) lived. This was around 1908 to 1912. Today that area
is a campground and traces of the foundation of that cabin is on a campsite. In
1912 John and Sarah and family moved to a different site (still within the NP) and claimed and worked a tungsten mining camp.
The mining camp included barracks, Tilford’s home, a school and a cookhouse .This
was from 1912 through around 1919. The
only thing that survived was the ruins of the cookhouse.
Today
the Great Basin NP historical archaeologist team rebuilt that cookhouse from
pictures that Dave Tilford (Elinor's cousin) and Elinor provided.
It is completed and there will be a dedication of this historical site
on the Memorial Day weekend. What a tribute
to Elinor Charleston as she turns 99!
The family will all gather for a reunion and to celebrate Elinor’s
birthday.
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