Over seventy years have passed since the last of the Snowflake Union High School Pageants were presented at the Sinks. The Sinks are a scattered group of depressions in the earth about 10 miles northwest of Snowflake. Several are over a hundred feet deep and over two hundred feet across. From the air it looks as if a giant had bounced around on a giant pogo stick in a haphazard manner, leaving a big hole at each bounce. In 1933 or earlier, the largest of these sinks was given the name Pioneer Sink.
In 1933 the nation was in the depths of the Great Depression and the school operating funds were drastically reduced. The school had no auditorium and the church owned the social hall, which was just too small for large dramatic productions. When it was discovered that the Pioneer Sink had outstanding acoustical qualities, someone suggested that they present a pageant there. There were 39 seniors at the high school, and during the winter months they met with highly acclaimed English teacher Joseph Peterson and local writer Roberta Flake Clayton to write a pageant. Later they all had a part to play in the performance.
This performance was titled Our Arizona, and was directed by Peterson. The production consisted of eight parts; prelude, home of the Redman, advent of the Spaniard, Pony Express, Mormon Battalion, where the range is too small, building an empire and Mormon settlers. Over 600 people attended and it was reported that the entire program was distinctly heard. The performers gave their presentation at the base of the steep north wall of the chasm, and the spectators sat on the sloping side down from the south rim or on rocks around the top. It was a proud beginning for an annual event that would last seven more years.
The 44 seniors who made up the 1934 graduating class presented a pageant as their senior exercises, again in mid-May at the Pioneer Sink. This year’s program was the dramatization of famous works of English and American authors, and was titled The Spirit of Literature. This program was again presented in mid-afternoon and was attended by around 750 spectators.
The 1935 pageant began an effort by the senior class to hold their class pageant at night to escape the heat of the day. They arranged to get a Kohler light plant and floodlights installed. This years pageant was titled Montezuma, and told the story of Cortez’ conquest of Mexico. Again it was under the direction of “Professor” Peterson, as were all eight of the pageants. This year there were 36 members of the graduating class and the script was written to give every senior the chance to perform. The agriculture and trades classes spent long hours setting up stone seats for the audience, and the county highway department spent considerable time improving the road to the pageant. France Willis of Snowflake played the lead part of Montezuma.
In May 1937 the senior pageant introduced the English tale Beowulf and featured a 40’ dragon constructed by the trades shop classes. This dragon belched flame and smoke from its mouth. A 35-member high school orchestra provided music to accompany folk dances.
The fifth annual pageant was held on May 20, 1937. A portable generator also illuminated this pageant and special lighting was used in the production of The Law of the West. This pageant dramatized actual incidents of this area that occurred during the days of the Hashknife Outfit.
In 1938 the senior class presented another tale from English literature entitled, The Adventures of the Red Cross Knight. The three principal characters of the play were Norman Smith as the Red Cross Knight, Shirley Hoyt as the fair maiden and Stan Turley as the bearded adversary. Horses were used in this and most, if not all, of the programs.
Sixty students participated in the 1939 pageant entitled Geronimo. This production portrayed the transformation of Arizona from a pagan to a Christian civilization, and the struggle for supremacy between the Indians, Spaniards and the Anglo Saxons.
A few weeks after this pageant, Joseph Peterson retired. He had come to Snowflake 41 years earlier to open the Stake Academy, and spent most of these years in both the Academy and the public school system that followed. However, the good professor was not done. He came out of retirement to direct The Holy Grail, which he had written himself, in 1940. And that was the end of the Sinks pageants.
And why did they end? Perhaps the big reason was that with the retirement of Joseph Peterson, no one else would take on such a demanding job. World War II was already underway in Europe and the days of gasoline rationing were fast approaching. A final reason was that several years earlier the old Snowflake Stake House had been remodeled into classrooms, with a brand new chapel and adjoining recreation hall built in front. This recreation hall had a large stage and seating for hundreds. At any rate, the pageants were over and will probably never be repeated. Again, it was an amazing slice of bygone history.
The story of these pageants can be even more inspiring when one considers the harsh circumstances under which they were performed. There were 10 miles of rough, sometimes rocky and bone jarring roads to travel just to get there. The 1930s cars and trucks were far from reliable and comfortable. Mid to late May weather was generally dry, but often windy and dust was underfoot at every step. Still, they came.
The seniors loved it and looked forward to pageant week all year. Being out of school for a week to rehearse was a lark, but they still went home at night. Not so with the Turley boys. Stan Turley told me of camping out for a week with Earl Smith for a companion to care for the Turley horses used in the performance.
Spectators came from all over. There are now four high schools covering what was once Snowflake Union High School territory—Blue Ridge, Mogollon, Show Low and Snowflake. Apparently there was only one performance each year, but as the word spread and each senior class grew in size, the pageants drew increasingly larger crowds.
Did this writer ever see a pageant? Nope! I was just too small. When I was born in 1937, Stan Turley and his younger brother Grant lived in a tiny cabin behind our home and took meals at our table. Home to them was in Aripine, 21 miles west and too far to come in daily over primitive roads to go to high school. Thus they were entrusted to my parents for safekeeping during the school week and usually went home on the weekends. Both of these ranch raised boys took their turns carrying me around and bouncing me on their knees when I was tiny, and Stan never let me forget it–reminding me when we visited or spoke on the phone until his passing several years ago. Stan Turley went on to become an Arizona political legend and it broke my little boy’s heart when Grant was shot down over Germany after becoming Arizona’s first air ace in World War II.
As far as I know, there has been no detailed account under one cover written of all eight pageants. This I hope to compile over the coming months. I have access to the names of the students of each class, but would like to know the parts played by each. Most of these participants are gone, but hopefully they have left behind copies of programs or newspaper articles telling about each performance. Journal entries and personal histories will be most valuable in recreating an account of the Sinks saga. Several valuable pictures have been preserved by local historian Al Levine, and these and other pictures of the participants would be gratefully welcomed. Perhaps we can pull back the curtains of time and take a fresh look at the amazing Sinks Pageants. You can reach the author at 183 E. Meadowlark Lane, Snowflake, Ariz. 85937, by phone at (928) 536-6961 or by email at rezflakes@aol.com.
