Beaver Creek Village Voice | 2005 -2010© All Rights Reserved | Member@BeaverCreekVillage.org
One of the more famous historic residents of the area was Paul Dyck, a collector and preservationist of Native American artifacts. A portion of Dyck’s vast collection is on display at the Buffalo Bill’s Historic Museum in Wyoming and consists primarily of many early to mid-nineteenth century Plains Indian cultural materials.
Several ruin sites and cliff dwellings align the banks of Dry and Wet Beaver Creek throughout private residential areas of Lower McGuireville. While mostly on private lands, the Forest Service in recent years acquired adjoining properties in attempts to protect the sites. Area residents value the protection of these sites and provide private access to hikers and horseback riders.
The Paul Dyck Collection is recognized by scholars as one of the largest and most significant private collections of Native American art and artifacts. The collection itself—started by Dyck’s father in 1886—includes clothing, eagle feather bonnets, bear claw necklaces, buffalo hide tipis and tipi furnishings, shields, cradles, peace medals, moccasins, and much more. It dates from the late 1700s to pre-1890s, a period identified by Paul Dyck as the “Buffalo Culture” era.
Paul Dyck, a descendent of Flemish painter Sir Anthony Van Dyck (1599 – 1641), was born in Chicago in 1917. The family lived in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, near Blackfeet reserves. Later, Dyck was sent to Europe to apprentice with an uncle who was a successful artist, and by age 15, he was on his own, studying at the Munich Academy. Dyck served in World War II and then settled at an Arizona ranch where he became an author, illustrator, lecturer, and painter of western subjects. Dyck developed many friendships with Blackfeet, Crow, Cheyenne, Lakota, and other Plains Native people.
The 300+ acre Dyck Ranch remains in the family and a contributing member of BCVPOA.
To learn more about Verde Valley’s Wet Beaver Creek historic residents...
Visit: Verde Valley Archaeology Center at:
www.verdevalleyarchaeology.org
Historic Trails such as the Palatkwapi and Chaves trails and more recently, the Old Stagecoach Trail are said to cross through the area.