1 - Desert Magazine of the Southwest

under Indian ownership and management,
and accorded the federal aid
that is granted to all national parks
and monunients, it would become one
of America's most popular recreational
areas.
Mike and Harry Goulding, as a
young bride and groom, came to this
place in 1924. They lived in a tent
while they erected the stone building
which still serves as a trading post.
Their nearest supply points at that
time were Flagstaff, 200 miles to the
south in Arizona, and Thompson,
about the same distance in Utah.
The Indians were shy at first, but
before long the young cowboy and his
friendly wife were recognized as
friends. Harry and Mike both learned
to speak the language.
There were practically no roads in
the region, but Harry began breaking
trails across the desert floor that lies
around the great monoliths which give
the Valley its name. Venturesome
travelers began coming into the Valley
and the Gouldings provided modest
accommodations for them.
Today visitors come from all over
the nation, by auto and plane, to sit
on the veranda of the spacious lodge
at the base of a 1000-foot cliff and
enjoy a landscape picture that extends
for 100 miles and more. Jack and
Marge Sleeth, who manage the guest
accommodations and provide jeep
guide trips for guests, have made it
Prehistoric Indians created this room by building a rock
and mud wall in a crevice. It probably was a storage
vault.
Harry Goulding stands beside the ruins of one of the ancient cliff dwellings
which he hopes to see protected by including the area in a national park.
possible for the Gouldings to relax
after their many years of pioneering.
But Harry still finds time to keep
close contact with his Navajo friends.
He is a welcome visitor in every hogan,
for there is no family in Monument
Valley which at some time has
not been helped by his interest and
generosity.
In May this year I had an opportunity
to return to Monument Valley,
and with Harry as guide, extend my
exploration into some of the remote
areas I had not yet seen. Actually,
Monument Valley covers an area ap-
proximately 40 by 50 miles—most of
them roadless miles.
Early one morning we left the trading
post in one of the jeep station
wagons Harry uses for guided tours,
and headed toward the Mystery Valley
area.
We stopped briefly at the Seventh
Day Adventist Mission Clinic where
Marvin and Gwen Walter are contributing
magnificently to the health and
education of the Navajo families in
the region. Their little group of mission
buildings, erected on a site donated
for the purpose by the Gould-
Wind and water down through the ages have carved
many strange formations in the De Chelly sandstone
of Mystery Valley.
•J. ' %:,