A tourist bound for Arizona Territory during the late nineteenth century might be as keen to meet an authentic frontier “character” as to obtain a view of the Grand Canyon. John Hance, the canyon's first resident outfitter and guide, satisfied both needs. From 1881 to 1895 Hance welcomed guests to his rude tent camp located at the eastern edge of the South Rim, a long day's ride by horse and wagon from Flagstaff. If they were game, he would conduct them deep into the canyon on a rough trail he had constructed down to the Colorado River, regaling them with tall tales all the way.
So entertaining was Hance that more than one writer observed that a visit to the Grand Canyon was not complete without some time spent in the old guide's company. And so outrageous were his yarns that it proved difficult to discern the man from the...
