Bookmark this page or copy and paste URL to Email message Wetherill family collection, 1867-1964MS-001
Biographical NoteThe Wetherill family first arrived in the Colorado Plateau region in 1880 when Benjamin and Marion Wetherill moved their family to a homestead in the region. For the next several years, members of the family operated trading posts throughout the Colorado Plateau in Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Some Wetherill family members are also credited with archaeological and exploratory activity in the area including the discovery of Rainbow Bridge. Benjamin Kite Wetherill (1832-1898) married Marion Thompson in 1856 and together they had Richard (1858-1910), Benjamin Alfred “Al” (1861-1950), Clayton [1861-1921], Anna (1865- 1935), John (1866-1944), Winslow [1870-1939], and Alice (birth date unknown, died in infancy). B.K. Wetherill relocated to Colorado in 1879, began homesteading near the Mancos River in Colorado in 1880, and was joined by the rest of the family the following year. In 1882, the family began construction of a log house, which would be called the Alamo Ranch. John Wetherill married Louisa Wade in 1896, and in 1900, the couple moved with their two children to New Mexico. There, they operated three trading posts at Ojo Alamo, Chavez, and Chaco Canyon, and organized guided tours of the area. In 1906, the couple relocated to Oljato in southern Utah, where they built and operated their own trading post. John Wetherill is known for organizing discovery expeditions in the region, and in 1909, he explored and is often credited with discovering the Rainbow Bridge. He also led a number of expeditions throughout remains of cliff dwellings, and in Tsegi Canyon, Tsegiotsosi Canyon, Monument Valley and Navajo Mountain. In 1910, the couple moved their trading post to Kayenta, Arizona, where they remained until the 1940s. He also served as U.S. Deputy Marshall at the National Parks Service’s Navajo National Monument from 1909 until 1938 for which he never collected a salary. In 1934, John Wetherill’s nephew, Milton Wetherill was selected to act as seasonal ranger at the Navajo National Monument. He continued to serve in this post for a total of five summers. Scope and ContentRecords consist of Wetherill photographic images, correspondence, and journals from Wetherill excavations in the Colorado Plateau. It contains correspondence and papers relating to the Wetherill trading posts, John Wetherill’s correspondence as custodian at Navajo National Monument, and various articles and notes relating to the family’s research on Navajo language and culture. Additionally, there are family portraits, one blueprint, one oversized census record, and an unidentified account ledger from Texas in 1867. ArrangementPrevious system of arrangement of the material assigned item-level inventory numbers to materials, regardless of activities to which items relate. All materials, with the exception of photographs, have been rearranged and placed in appropriate series. Therefore, previous numbers that appear on documents may not be relevant. The material is arranged in the following series:Series 1: Rainbow Bridge/Navajo National Monument Expeditions
Series 2: Navajo Research Materials Series 3: Wetherill Trading Post Materials Series 4: John Wetherill Navajo National Monument Custodial Materials Series 5: Wetherill Family Materials RestrictionsConditions Governing Access
This collection contains culturally sensitive material. Therefore, portions of this collection have been restricted. Contact the Museum of Northern Arizona archivist for more information. Conditions Governing Use
Published and unpublished materials are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder. Related MaterialSeveral family and regional archaeological records have been donated to the Anasazi Heritage Center in Dolores, Colorado by family members in fifteen separate accessions. Controlled Access TermsPersonal Name(s) Pinkley, Frank Wetherill, Benjamin Alfred, 1861-1950 Wetherill, John Wetherill, Louisa Wade Wetherill, Marietta, 1876-1954 Family Name(s) Wetherill family Corporate Name(s) United States. National Park Service Geographic Name(s) Frijoles Canyon (N.M.) Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site (Ganado, Ariz.) Kayenta (Ariz.) Navajo Indian Reservation Navajo National Monument (Ariz.) Subject(s) Kayenta (Ariz.) -- History Navajo Indians--Arizona Navajo Indians--New Mexico Navajo National Monument (Ariz.) – History Navajo language Petroglyphs--United States Petroglyphs--Utah--Zion National Park Rainbow Bridge-Monument Valley Expedition Trading posts--Arizona Trading posts--New Mexico Wetherill Mesa excavations Wetherill Mesa studies Administrative InformationCustodial History
Materials created by John Wetherill between 1915 and 1938 remained in the custody of Milton Wetherill until their donation in 1958, 1960, 1961, and 1964. Materials created by Ben Wetherill in 1937 remained in the custody of his granddaughters, Dorothy Leak and Johnnie Lou Duncan until their donation in 1964. Assorted family materials were donated by Helen Wetherill Zimmerman, daughter of Winthrop Wetherill, in 1973. Preferred Citation
Wetherill Family collection, MS-001 [Box Number]. Museum of Northern Arizona. Flagstaff, Arizona. Acquisition Information
Milton Wetherill donated John Wetherill materials created between 1915 and 1938 in five separate donations: 1958, 1960, 1961, and two in 1964. Dorothy Leake and Johnnie Lou Duncan (granddaughters of John Wetherill) donated Ben Wetherill materials created in 1937 in 1964. Helen Wetherill Zimmerman, daughter of Winthrop Wetherill, donated family materials in 1973. Processing Information
Processed in February of 2009. Accruals
No further accruals are expected. Other Finding Aid
Earlier, more detailed inventories are available upon request. Numbers written on photographs correspond to such inventories, yet are no longer applicable to current arrangement. Container List
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