Glen and Bessie Hyde: The Honeymooners Who Vanished in the Grand Canyon
Glen Hyde, who was born on December 9, 1898, and Bessie Haley, wed on April 12, 1928, aimed for a honeymoon adventure that would make Bessie the first woman to navigate the Colorado River. They set off from Greenriver, Utah, on October 20, 1928, without life jackets. On October 27, Bessie fell into the water but emerged unscathed. They reached Lee's Ferry on November 5, where Owen Clark cautioned them about potential hazards, but they disregarded his warnings. Arriving at Grand Canyon Village on November 15, they encountered Emery Kolb. After leaving on November 17, Adolph Sutro joined them but departed the following day. When they did not reach Needles, California, by December 9, search efforts commenced. A scow was located on December 19, yet the couple remained missing, leading to ongoing speculation about their disappearance.
Key facts
- Glen Hyde was born on December 9, 1898; he married Bessie Haley on April 12, 1928, in Idaho.
- The Hydes departed Greenriver, Utah, on October 20, 1928, in a wooden scow named Rain-in-the-Face, built by Glen in two days for fifty dollars.
- They reached Lee's Ferry on November 5, 1928, where Owen Clark warned them of three fatalities on the river that year and the scow's inadequacy for upcoming rapids.
- They arrived at Grand Canyon Village on November 15, 1928, met Emery Kolb, and departed on November 17.
- Adolph Sutro joined them after November 17 and left at Hermit Camp on November 18; he was the last known person to see them alive.
- When they failed to arrive in Needles, California, on December 9, 1928, search parties were organized; on December 19, a scow was found snagged with all contents intact but no sign of the couple.
- In 1971, an elderly woman claimed to be Bessie Hyde and said she had stabbed Glen, but she later recanted.
- Bones found in Emery Kolb's boathouse in 1976 included a skull with a bullet hole, but they were identified as belonging to a man who committed suicide in 1933, not Glen Hyde.
Entities
Artists
- Glen Hyde
- Bessie Hyde
- Bessie Haley
- Jeanne Hyde
- Owen Clark
- Emery Kolb
- Adolph Sutro
- Dwight Davis
- Rollin Hyde
- Georgie Clark
Institutions
- LDS Church
- Denver Post
- National Register of Historic Places
- Grand Canyon Historical Society
- National Park Service
- Library of Congress
- Wikimedia Commons
- Cline Library
- Northern Arizona University
- Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
- California Historical Society
Locations
- Grand Canyon
- Colorado River
- Greenriver
- Utah
- Lee's Ferry
- Arizona
- Grand Canyon Village
- South Rim
- Hermit Camp
- Needles
- California
- Los Angeles
- Idaho
- Canada
- Salmon River
- Pacific Ocean
- Page
- United States