John Wesley Powell River History MuseumJohn Wesley Powell River History MuseumBill Belknap was a teacher, a visionary, and a family man. He was an avid river runner who took part in many historic reiver expeditions, but he was more than someone who just guided boats. A professional photographer with a keen eye, Belknap helped document a golden age of river running and contributed to the history of the river through film. His appreciate for the people and landscapes on the Colorado Plateau shines through his work, and many of the Colorado River’s earlier trips and most well-known stories can be seen in his photography.
His career started on the shore of Lake Mead, taking photos for his mother’s concessionaire business. During extended explorations around the region, he fell in love with the landscapes and cultures of the people who lived there, and he used his camera to capture the spirit of the region. When Buzz Holmstrom bumped his boat on the Hoover Dam in 1937, Belknap was there to snap a picture. When the first women to run through the canyon, Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter, arrived at Lake Mead, Belknap was ready with his camera.
After the U.S. joined the allied forces to fight the Second World War, Belknap enlisted in the Navy and was assigned as a photographer to the White House for Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman. Following the war, he and his wife moved their family back to Boulder City, Nevada, and he quickly resumed his role as de factor river photographer. His subjects over the years read like a who’s who of river runners: Bert Loper, Norm Nevills, Don Harris, Martin Litton, Georgie White Clark, the Kolb brothers, the Rigg brothers, Otis “Dock” Marston, and on and on.
Bill Belknap
As a Hall of Famer, Belknap’s legacy reaches beyond his work behind the lens. He was on the first and only uprun of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, and he and Dock Marston once held the record for the smallest boats to run the Colorado River. Desolation Canyon, a place he adored and spent much time in, is home to Belknap Falls, a rapid which formed shortly after his passing and now bears his name. His years on the rivers contributed to the creation of Belknap’s Waterproof Guide, a guide he helped his son create, along with the Belknap family business, Westwater Books.
As a man who spent time in the company of presidents, diplomats, generals, and river legends, Bill Belknap was most proud of his family owned river guide company, Fastwater Expedtions. Unlike other outfitters, Fastwater put customers in Sportyaks and gave them the chance to run rapids on their own. With a list of accomplishments that could fill a lifetime, Bill was most satisfied with this small guide company that gave him the opportunity to indulge in all the things he loved most: teaching, photography, family, and the rivers of the Colorado Plateau.
Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00am – 5:00pm
Adults (18+)
Seniors (62+)
Children (7-17)
Family
$8
$6
$3
$25
Free admission for children under 7, museum members, and Green River residents.