|
Grand Canyon Historical Society |
2003 Hall of Fame Award for Community Service
|
The Grand Canyon Pioneer Society and the National Park Service also inducted three people into the Grand Canyon Hall of Fame for Community Service. Louise M. Hinchliffe (living) and Samuel E. Turner Sr. & Eloise Fain Turner (both deceased) were this years inductees.
The sixth awards names two individuals who have shown exemplary service to the Grand Canyon Community. All three recipients have made personal contributions of money, time, and work over a period of many years. Two recipients are deceased and happily the other is still with us. These folks were recommended for their community service by previous recipients of the award. We rely on their recommendations as they know better than anyone who has been involved in community service at the Grand Canyon.
Louise Hinchliffe was a Grand Canyon institution for nearly forty years. Her duties over the years included interpretation, museum and visitor center support, Natural History Association secretary, and she is primarily remembered as the librarian. During this time she worked with acquisitions of nearly 5000 volumes and endured a couple of moves.
Her real contribution to the community came through her long and considerable knowledge of the Canyon, the Village, and its people. As librarian she assisted many authors with their research, reviewed manuscripts, and corrected errors. During her tenure the card catalog at the library became the least used resource. When researchers presented themselves to Louise with their requirements, she simply went into the stacks and returned with the appropriate books and documents from memory. Louise also recommended additional sources and provided these as well.
Another lasting impression left by Louise upon the community are the names of Juniper Hill, Center Road, and Sunset Drive.
All of those who have visited with Louise in order to learn more about the Canyon never came away disappointed.
As to Sam and Eloise, we could not consider one without the other. They worked together in many of the community activities. Although Sam served as the Santa Fe station master for many years and considered by many to be the "mayor" of Grand Canyon Village, Eloise was probably the more outgoing, verbal member of the family. She wrote for the Associated Press and the Santa Fe Magazine.) She covered the collision of the United Airlines and TWA crash over Grand Canyon. During the war years, she taught in the Grand Canyon School. Eloise also directed some of the local productions at the Community Building and both occasionally appeared in some productions. For a time, she taught piano lessons. They were co-presidents of the Grand Canyon Square Dance group. Sam's responsibilities included supervision of all of the Santa Fe structures that now form the Historic District. In this he took a personal interest in their appearance and did his best to take care of the facilities in cooperation with the Park Service. The Park relied on him for smoother operation of the utilities and water systems...all built, operated and maintained by the Santa Fe at that time. Both took a personal interest in "their" community and its people.
One thing Eloise contributed may be more intangible: In her years of teaching, and in the journals she wrote, along with our conversations, she was dedicated to the beauty of Grand Canyon and the importance of preserving it for future generations. She taught her school children those concepts. Sam and Eloise both contributed considerable time and effort to the Grand Canyon community.