Co-Op member Ryan Maloney: first visit summer 1997
The Painted Desert Trading Post Co-Op members and volunteers are on-site May 23-28, continuing our efforts to stabilize and to protect the structure. We are posting pictures documenting our progress. The images below are thumbnails. Click on a thumb to load the (much) larger image, then use your browser's "back" button to return here.
Thursday, May 23: Day one started with a cold, windy rain. Some of us began digging out and removing the broken and deteriorating concrete stem walls. Others were contructing interior walls and frames to support the exterior walls in preparation for the new concrete foundation.
Friday, May 24: Day two weather was nearly perfect - cool, calm, and clear. We continued digging out and removing the broken and deteriorating concrete, and clearing soil and debris in preparation for the concrete foundation. The exterior walls are now supported by framing and interior walls in preparation for new baseplates to be placed atop the concrete. The south-facing west window has new framing and lower sill. Rich roamed in with lumber, tools, a generator, water tank, and a Bobcat.
Saturday, May 25: Day three weather was nearly perfect again. We continued with reframing the windows and doors, and installing new baseplates. We began placing the rebar in the trenches for the concrete.
Sunday, May 26: Day four weather was very windy. It was hard just to keep our balance as we worked. We completed installing the new baseplates to be placed atop the concrete. All the rebar is in place, and we began work on the wood forms for the concrete.
Monday, May 27: Day five weather was very windy again. We completed installing the wood forms for the concrete. The wind was so strong that it pushed the trading post from plumb into a parallelepiped (Google it). The roof was displaced northward from the floor. We pulled it back into place with the Bobcat and chains.
Tuesday, May 28: Day six weather was ideal - cool, partly cloudy, dry, and almost no wind. The first cement truck arrived promptly at 09:00 and we began pouring, shoveling, filling, trowling, and cleaning the stucco. The second truck arrived in early afternoon. We continued with the foundation, then we replaced some bare patches inside. There was enough cement for us to create a gas/oil pad in front of the post, just as we see in vintage photos. Mission accomplished.
