Georgie White
Encyclopedia
Georgie White Clark was a river-running guide in the Grand Canyon
. She was the first woman to run the Grand Canyon as a commercial enterprise, and she introduced several innovations and adjustments to the way that guides ran the Colorado
. In particular, she used large army-surplus rafts, often lashing together multiple rafts, to maintain stability in the large rapids. In 2001, the United States Board on Geographic Names
renamed Mile 24 Rapid in her honor.
, and divorced him not long after a cross-country bicycle trip in 1936. She was briefly married to James White.
The eccentric pair wanted to prove beyond a doubt that river travel was a safe proposition, and provide good press for the emerging commercial rafting industry. So in June 1946, Aleson and White hiked down Parashant Wash, arriving at the Colorado River at mile 198 1/2. After recovering from their epic hike, where they nearly perished from thirst, they built a raft fashioned after James White's, who had allegedly been the first to float the Grand Canyon in 1867. But they were unable to launch it into the ragging torrent, running the same volume as the previous year. They opted instead to use a one man U.S. Army Air Corp rescue raft that they had packed in. So on June 26, they began an epic journey down to Lake Mead, unimaginable by modern river runners.
White was the first woman to row the full length of Marble and Grand Canyons in 1952. She made her name when, in the early 1950s, she lashed three rafts together to achieve better stability in big rapids and began taking paying customers to "share the expense" of running the river. Her methods were controversial, as those who ran the river in wooden rowboats such as dories
disdained the rubber rafts. She shrugged off her detractors and kept her river-guiding business going for 45 years. Her "Royal River Rats" achieved some fame, being featured in Life Magazine, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson
, and countless newspapers. At the age of 73, she could be seen holding her motor rig's tiller with one hand and a beer with the other, wearing a full-length leopard-pattern leotard. Her last Grand Canyon trip took place in September 1991 as she was approaching her 80th birthday. She died of cancer in 1992 at age 81.
Following her death, those who examined her personal effects found artifacts which led some to speculate that White had, in fact, been Bessie Hyde
, the woman who had vanished with her husband during a honeymoon float of the Grand Canyon in 1928. Rumors had floated that Bessie had killed her abusive husband and hiked out of the Canyon. Among White's personal effects were a copy of the Hydes' marriage license and a pistol in her lingerie drawer. However, river historian Brad Dimock and White's biographer Richard Westwood have discounted the rumor that White and Hyde were the same person.
The renaming of Mile 24 Rapid in her honor was controversial. Georgie's detractors were many; in addition, her friends would have liked to see a bigger, more prominent rapid named for her. Rapids such as Crystal and Granite were unlikely to be re-named, and on October 11, 2001, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names followed the Arizona State Boards on Geographic and Historic Names and approved renaming Twenty-Four Mile Rapid as Georgie Rapid in a split 3-2 vote.
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
. She was the first woman to run the Grand Canyon as a commercial enterprise, and she introduced several innovations and adjustments to the way that guides ran the Colorado
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
. In particular, she used large army-surplus rafts, often lashing together multiple rafts, to maintain stability in the large rapids. In 2001, the United States Board on Geographic Names
United States Board on Geographic Names
The United States Board on Geographic Names is a United States federal body whose purpose is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the U.S. government.-Overview:...
renamed Mile 24 Rapid in her honor.
Early years
Born Bessie DeRoss in Oklahoma, she was raised in Denver, CO from the age of nine. She married Harold Clark while still in high school and had a daughter, Sommona Rose, at the age of 17. She moved to Chicago for several years, then to New York City with her husband, finding office work at Radio City Music HallRadio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
, and divorced him not long after a cross-country bicycle trip in 1936. She was briefly married to James White.
The West and the Grand Canyon
Georgie and her daughter were close companions after her divorce from Clark, engaging in outdoor activities such as mountain and rock climbing, skiing, skating, and bicycling. In 1944, her 15-year-old daughter was killed by a hit-and-run driver while bicycling. She took to hiking in the desert with a friend, Hary Aleson. They found in one another what author David Lavender calls a mutual sedation for the lonely, restless questing that was eating out their insides. Harry had recently fell in love with the lower Colorado River through Grand Canyon, and invited White on a different sort of adventure, to demonstrate that in the event of a boating accident, it would be easier to float downstream than hike out. So in late June 1945, they made their way up river from Diamond Creek at mile 226, and plunged in the current, running at 48000 cuft/s, and "swam" 60 miles (96.6 km) down to Lake Mead. Though wearing the bulky "Mae West" life jacket, they were still able to carry backpacks for watertight tins that contained first-aid supplies, food, cameras and film. They arrived exhausted three days later at Lake Mead.The eccentric pair wanted to prove beyond a doubt that river travel was a safe proposition, and provide good press for the emerging commercial rafting industry. So in June 1946, Aleson and White hiked down Parashant Wash, arriving at the Colorado River at mile 198 1/2. After recovering from their epic hike, where they nearly perished from thirst, they built a raft fashioned after James White's, who had allegedly been the first to float the Grand Canyon in 1867. But they were unable to launch it into the ragging torrent, running the same volume as the previous year. They opted instead to use a one man U.S. Army Air Corp rescue raft that they had packed in. So on June 26, they began an epic journey down to Lake Mead, unimaginable by modern river runners.
White was the first woman to row the full length of Marble and Grand Canyons in 1952. She made her name when, in the early 1950s, she lashed three rafts together to achieve better stability in big rapids and began taking paying customers to "share the expense" of running the river. Her methods were controversial, as those who ran the river in wooden rowboats such as dories
Dory
The dory is a small, shallow-draft boat, about long. It is a lightweight and versatile boat with high sides, a flat bottom and sharp bows. They are easy to build because of their simple lines. For centuries, dories have been used as traditional fishing boats, both in coastal waters and in the...
disdained the rubber rafts. She shrugged off her detractors and kept her river-guiding business going for 45 years. Her "Royal River Rats" achieved some fame, being featured in Life Magazine, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
, and countless newspapers. At the age of 73, she could be seen holding her motor rig's tiller with one hand and a beer with the other, wearing a full-length leopard-pattern leotard. Her last Grand Canyon trip took place in September 1991 as she was approaching her 80th birthday. She died of cancer in 1992 at age 81.
Following her death, those who examined her personal effects found artifacts which led some to speculate that White had, in fact, been Bessie Hyde
Glen and Bessie Hyde
Glen and Bessie Hyde were newlyweds who disappeared while attempting to run the rapids of the Colorado River through Grand Canyon, Arizona in 1928...
, the woman who had vanished with her husband during a honeymoon float of the Grand Canyon in 1928. Rumors had floated that Bessie had killed her abusive husband and hiked out of the Canyon. Among White's personal effects were a copy of the Hydes' marriage license and a pistol in her lingerie drawer. However, river historian Brad Dimock and White's biographer Richard Westwood have discounted the rumor that White and Hyde were the same person.
The renaming of Mile 24 Rapid in her honor was controversial. Georgie's detractors were many; in addition, her friends would have liked to see a bigger, more prominent rapid named for her. Rapids such as Crystal and Granite were unlikely to be re-named, and on October 11, 2001, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names followed the Arizona State Boards on Geographic and Historic Names and approved renaming Twenty-Four Mile Rapid as Georgie Rapid in a split 3-2 vote.
Further reading
- DeRoss, Rose Marie (1970). Adventures of Georgie White, TV's "Woman of the Rivers". Gardner Printing and Mailing Co. ASIN B000IK2KKK.
- Westwood, Dick (1997). Woman of the River: Georgie White Clark, White Water Pioneer. Utah State University Press. 0874212340.
- Dimock, Brad (2001). Sunk Without a Sound : The Tragic Colorado River Honeymoon of Glen and Bessie Hyde . Fretwater Press. ISBN 1892327988.
- Briggs, Don (1999). River Runners of the Grand Canyon, VHS/DVD