Roy Webb, 2024 Inductee

Roy Webb, river running historian and archivist, spent a lifetime championing river history in the Upper Basin of the Colorado River system.

 

Roy grew up next to the confluence of the San Juan and Animas Rivers in Farmington, New Mexico. As a young adult he moved to Vernal, Utah where he had his first wide-eyed adventures running the Green and Yampa Rivers. A seasonal job at Dinosaur National Monument led to his “first epiphany” when he
discovered a timeless relationship between his own experiences and the writings of the Kolb Brothers, Dellenbaugh, and other historical river runners.

 

While caretaking the Jarvie Ranch along the Green River during the winter of 1978 Roy’s interest in the history of the region deepened, and during a fateful trip to see his mentor—Dr. C. Gregory Crampton at the University of Utah, Roy was asked, “Why don’t you write about this history?” Soon after, Roy drafted a paper on the Jarvie Ranch which he later expanded into his first book: If We Had A Boat, a history of river runners of the Green River, published in 1986.


In 1983, Roy began working as an archivist at the University of Utah J. Willard Marriot Library in Special Collections. At the library, a supportive administration and a deepening web of connections allowed Roy to accumulate a sizable river running collection. From this he compiled the Utah River Running Archives
and continued to write and speak about the history of the region’s rivers. His connections also allowed him to pick up trips as a part-time river guide and historian on commercial river tours across the Colorado River Basin.

"Why don't you write about this history?"

Dr. Gregory C. Crampton

Much of Roy’s research helped span the gap between river runners of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s to the modern raft culture of the 21st century. He taught a course on river running history with Dee Holladay as his first student, and he helped secure collections from Bus Hatch, Norman Nevills, Charlie Eggert, the French Trio, A.K. Reynolds, and Harold Leich. He was acquaintances with, and interviewed many notable river runners including: Georgie White, Don and Ted Hatch, Don Harris, Les Jones, Kent Frost, Frank Wright, Ken Sleight, Bob Rigg, Gaylord Staveley, and Roy DeSpain.

Roy at the oars of the Dee Holladay replica of Nevill's Botany on the Yampa River in the early 1990s.

Throughout his career Roy published seven books on river running history and wrote upwards of 150 different articles on the subject. He presented his research at river guide trainings, invited lectures, and professional conferences. His impact on the interpretation, preservation, and curation of river history in the Upper Basin seems unmatched. A stalwart supporter of the John Wesley Powell Museum, Roy is known to cultivate an investment in the museum from other river runners by routinely reminding them, “This is YOUR museum.” Roy’s work has been an indomitable resource in preserving and celebrating the cultural heritage of river running on the Colorado Plateau. His commitment to helping collect, preserve, and share historical information has led to a lifetime achievement in elevating river running history across the Colorado River Basin.

Hours

Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00am – 5:00pm

Admission

Adults (18+)

Seniors (62+)

Children (7-17)

Family

$8

$6

$3

$25

 

Free admission for children under 7, museum members, and Green River residents.

Contact

1765 E Main Street
PO Box 387
Green River, UT 84525

 

(435) 564-3427

museum@greenriverutah.com

 

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