Page 12 - fall the rock 2015

12 Friends oF red rock canyon Friends oF red rock canyon 13

The characters who brought you

You wrote so eloquently taped interviews with Bonnie. You made her
Seekers, Saints & Scoundrels By Pat Williams about T.P. Rhea and his story come alive – What was your favorite part

of her story?
dreams. What inspired you?
How did you come to meet
his daughters? What sur- Bonnie had previously given a very full interview
prised you most about this regarding her life and the development of Bonnie
Three years. That’s the time it took Friends volunteers to research, write and edit the biography? Springs, and I felt pleased that I had such a firm
first book published by Friends of Red Rock Canyon. foundation upon which to base the story. After all,
Credit for initiating the Quarry who better to tell the story than Bonnie herself?
Dan Wray article should go to Chuck I wasn’t very far into the
he project began innocently enough: Colorful Characters of Red Rock Canyon. who introduced me to Faye story when I came upon
TThe Cultural Resource Committee (one Porter. Research papers had been given to the Bonnie’s assessment of the
of Friend’s very active volunteer teams) Each writer added a different voice to the University of Nevada character of skater Sonja
decided that they would start a simple his- book and brought various and unique indi- Las Vegas, but it was Henie and her (Sonja’s)
tory of Red Rock Canyon focusing on facts viduals to life. I asked authors Chuck Wil- through Faye that I was mother. This seemed to
and key dates. Chuck Williams agreed to liams, Dan Wray, Norm Kresge, Linda Mc- able to learn something warrant a little further inves-
head the project and things snowballed Collum and Sharon Schaaf which character of the human side of tigation. Therefore, for the
from there: One story led to another which was their favorite seeker, saint or scoundrel. the story. I had various moment I digressed. I had Bonnie performing
Photo by Bonnie Springs
was interlaced with other lives and stories. discussions with her not long returned to
Chuck recruited (some say coerced) others See if you agree with their choices. and when I heard of a Bonnie’s account when someone else intruded
into writing chapters. The result of their ef- reenactment of the his- Buddy and Tighman Rhea and seemed to want attention. After all, wasn’t
Courtesy Rhea Family
forts is Seekers, Saints & Scoundrels – The tory of Blue Diamond, it Bole who was responsible for Bonnie’s father
I suggested we should go to it. Faye brought her becoming a director rather than an actor and for
You wrote nine chapters in the book ranging What was the most interesting story or fact you family, and her mother was able to reminisce with Bonnie mixing with the great and famous of the
from the first Europeans passing through the learned in your research? people she had known from her younger days. We early movie days?
area to present day Red Rock. Who was your There were so many. Maybe the also hiked out to the quarry to see the remnants
Volunteers dedicated to the preservation of Red Rock Canyon
favorite character and why? group that was digging for buried of the operation and check on details. It was there Buster Wilson seemed to say, “You can’t tell
Buster Wilson was my favorite treasure in Sandstone Quarry in that I really became aware of the human aspect Bonnie’s story without talking about me” and so I
because he was remembered by the late 1960s. of the story and of the strong family ties. Faye’s found the story taking on a life of its own.
everyone I interviewed for the book. father had taken the family out to the quarry and
He most definitely was a “Colorful You spent almost three years had poured cement into a mold. So many people played a part in the story, but
Character of Red Rock Canyon” coordinating this project. What He then got each of the children the part which moved me most was when Bonnie
who knew all the early settlers as was the most surprising thing to make a handprint in it. Surely, sheepishly admitted that she was pleased when
well as having a Paiute heritage. you learned about the process? that would no longer be there the children couldn’t
How much work has to go into after all these years but there get to school because
If you could go back in time, who researching and writing non-fic- it was: A poignant reminder of she had them all to
Chuck Williams is the one person you would like tion plus what seems like endless Faye’s father and of his ambi- herself that day. She
to personally interview? edits and corrections. The whole Faye matching her tions for the quarry and his loved children. She
I would like to be able to interview Buster Wilson publishing effort was an interest- handprint family. invited the whole
when he had not been drinking and ask questions ing learning process and much Photo by Dan Wray school over for par-
about growing up in Red Rock Canyon, his family more complicated than I imagined. My name is Buster Wilson and I am the Bonnie at the Petting Zoo ties. She loved ani-
and Native American cultural sites. While I would I was lucky to have recruited a most fascinating man in this book. You also wrote an amazing chapter on Bonnie Photo by Mary Sue Kunz mals and the petting
record everything he said, I could hopefully deter- great volunteer team/staff of writ- UNLV Archives McGaugh Levinson – the “Bonnie” of Bonnie zoo is where she can
mine fact from fiction – to separate the wheat from ers, editors and reviewers who Springs. Much of your research was based on combine the love of both.
the chaff so to speak. guided the book through completion.
(Continued on page 14)

the Rock - Volume 6 Issue 1 Fall 2015