Keyhole Bridge
Keyhole bridge seen from the air and the ground.
After taking some aerial photographs of the Sinyala Fault in the Grand Canyon on April 16, 1956, Plez Talmadge Reilly noticed what appeared to be an unidentified land feature while looking at them with a magnifying glass. A notable Grand Canyon enthusiast, he organized a trip with some companions and hiked to the spot on June 29, 1956, where he found and named Keyhole Bridge, one of the last natural land bridges identified by Anglo Americans in the region (Reilly initially believed he was the first to find the bridge, but later acknowledged that native groups spent time in the area prior to his arrival).
Aerial view of Keyhole Bridge, in tributary of 140 Mile Canyon, September 29, 1956, P.T. Reilly Collection, NAU.PH.97.46.27.3, Cline Library Special Collections and Archives, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona.
Reilly's story of discovery not only contributes an interesting tidbit to the Grand Canyon's history, but it also highlights the P.T. Reilly Collection in the archives. The collection's numerous articles, notes, photographs, and other materials document the history of the Colorado Plateau, making it an essential part of Cline Library's success. Large donations, like the P.T. Reilly Collection, and materials from other major donors are vital to the continued growth of archives across the nation.
"Our canteens were nearly empty and the bridge was still a thousand feet ahead. The wash grew steeper and the hike became a climb through geological ages. Finally I was close enough that the bridge filled my viewfinder, so I caught my breath, then took my pictures."
� P.T. Reilly, P.T. Reilly: Keyhole Bridge Correspondence, P.T. Reilly Collection, MS 275, Box 10, Folder 157, Cline Library Special Collections and Archives, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona.
Newsworthy
Reilly's discovery reach well beyond northern Arizona. Click the image below to view the entire article.
"Big Natural Span Found in Colorado River Area," Los Angeles Times, August 5, 1956.
Additional Images
Keyhole Bridge, in tributary of 140 Mile Canyon, June 29, 1956, NAU.PH.97.46.27.2, Cline Library Special Collections and Archives, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona.
Aerial view of Keyhole Bridge, in tributary of 140 Mile Canyon, September 29, 1956, NAU.PH.97.46.27.4, Cline Library Special Collections and Archives, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona.