At the confluence of two creeks in Oak Creek Canyon, Mayhew Lodge grew from primitive beginnings into a famous rustic retreat. In the early 1870s, when there was no road or electricity and grizzly bears still roamed the canyon, a hunter known as Bear Howard built the first cabin on the site. He earned his nickname after a friend was mauled to death, prompting him to hunt and kill every grizzly in the canyon, according to local legend sometimes with only a knife. Years later, the Thomas family enlarged the cabin and planted apple orchards, and over time other families also homesteaded there. Western writer Zane Grey's travels through the canyon inspired his novel, Call of the Canyon, and in 1923 Flagstaff photographer Carl Mayhew came to the site to work on a film of Grey's novel. Mayhew bought the property, expanded the existing cabin, and opened Mayhew Lodge to guests in 1926. The Mayhew family operated the lodge through 1968, and the canyon resort gained national and international fame while hosting notable guests including President Herbert Hoover, Jimmy Stewart, Walt Disney, and Clark Gable. The Forest Service acquired the property in 1968 but closed it to the public because it lacked restoration funds. In 1980, a fire destroyed the entire complex, leaving only the foundations, while the lodge fireplace and some wall sections remained standing. Nearby are the remains of a cabin later converted into a chicken coop and an opening in the cliff wall likely used by early settlers for food storage.