Grand Canyon Bright Angel Trail, 1923, trail guide Bill Huggett in second position
Edward Larsen
The Oracle Historical Society (OHS) will be giving a presentation of the early years of one of Oracle’s pioneer residents, William “Bill” Huggett. Bill Huggett was an early Arizona trail and tour guide, “dude” ranch operator, and purchased the 36,000 acre Oracle area 3C ranch properties in 1924.
OHS has received an extensive 100–year–old collection of large format photographs, photographic postcards, and original glass plate negatives from the estate of Wilma Elna Huggett via a circuitous route involving William “Flint” Carter and noted author Mr. Robert Zucker.
The presentation will include photos from a 1921 guided tour across northern Arizona with Mr. and Mrs. Zane Gray. Also shown will be three dozen large format desert photos from a 1922 tour with early landscape photographer Stephen H. Willard of California. Willard’s photographic style and composition of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts have been compared to western photographic artist Ansel Adams.
The presentation will occur at 3 p.m., Saturday, April 26 at the Oracle Historical Society Acadia Ranch Museum, 825 E. Mt. Lemon Highway, Oracle, AZ.
The Oracle Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization that preserves the unique cultural-historical heritage of the community of Oracle.