Introduction
Many fans of the great Western romance author, Zane Grey, may not be familiar with "Uncle" Jimmy Owens. Others may relate to Owens as a seasoned veteran of the Old West who was already nearly 60 when the two men first met. Even then, many consider Uncle Jimmy only as a complimentary figure to Buffalo Jones, the aging buffalo hunter who first brought Grey to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in 1907 and 1908.
In the context of Zane Grey fans looking back at their favorite author's life and works, Owens may seem to be a minor character. However, one needs to look at the two men through the "lens" of those long ago times to gain a different perspective. As you will learn, Jimmy Owens was part of the fabric of many of the great and not-so-great events of the Old West. To him, Zane Grey was a tenderfoot from the East who was tolerated mostly out of respect for Buffalo Jones, one of Owens' friends and business partners.
By the time Zane Grey came West, he found a land in transition between the old days of huge cattle drives, millions of buffalo, lawmen and outlaws; and a more civilized region. Though he was a bit late on the scene, Grey still experienced things never known by other Western authors. He was able to spin yarns of the Old West largely because of the many nights spent around campfires with wizened men and women like Uncle Jimmy Owens.
Much of the information shared in this exhibit is based on three highly recommended resources: The Grand Canyon's Uncle Jimmy Owens, Albert L. LeCount; "Uncle Jimmy Owens- Grand Old Man of the North Rim", Dick Brown, Ol' Pioneer, Vol. 28, Number 2; and "Uncle Jim Owens Visits Panhandle", Annie Dyer Nunn, Frontier Times, September 1928.