Mary Colter, builder upon the red earth

On the south rim of the Grand Canyon are remarkable stone buildings looking as old as the canyon itself, resembling the ancient structures left by the tribes that inhabited this region long before Columbus reached America. They are the works of Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter, chief architect and decorator for the Fred Harvey Company from 1902 to 1948. Trained in San Francisco in the 1880s, she became a major exponent of the revival of southwestern cultural influence in architecture. The Grand Canyon remains the show place for this singular woman's art. Her buildings mark the far extremities of the south rim--Hermit's Rest, eight miles to the West of the Grand Canyon Village, and the Watchtower, twenty-five miles to the east. In between are half a dozen more of her designs, including rustic Bright Angel Lodge, Phantom Ranch, Hopi House, and the Lookout. This is the first biography of this extraordinary woman. It will appeal to a variety of readers: those interested in the history of the Grand Canyon buildings, the Fred Harvey Company, and the Santa Fe Railway, as well as those with an interest in architecture, interior design, Indian art, and women of accomplishment -- Back cover.