The John Wesley Powell River History Museum announces new members of the River Running Hall of Fame

Thousands of river runners have traveled and guided visitors down the waters of the Colorado and Green rivers for decades. But only a handful have made an indelible mark on the river’s history.

The John Wesley Powell River History Museum houses the River Runners Hall of Fame, dedicated to preserving and sharing the stories of historic river runners and their contributions.

In 2024, six river-running pioneers are joining the ranks of over 30 individuals and groups who have been commemorated for their contributions to the history and protection of the Colorado River system and the surrounding communities.

The new inductees include Don and Ted Hatch, Roy Webb and “The French Trio”—Bernard de Colmont, Antoine de Seynes and Genevieve de Colmont.

“Our selection committee is thrilled to recognize these individuals,” said Latimer Smith, committee chairman. “Each left their mark in a profound way. Through pioneering expeditions, environmental preservation, historical research and education, early commercial outfitting, and introducing others to the wonders of rivers, their influence has been vast and far reaching.”

Don and Ted Hatch

As sons of the legendary river pioneer Bus Hatch, who ran the first ever commercial river trip on the Green River in 1929 and later founded Hatch River Expeditions, Don and Ted lived up to and expanded on their father’s legacy.

After taking over the operations of Hatch River Expeditions in 1967, Don and Ted expanded and split the company, focusing on the Utah operation and the Grand Canyon operation, respectively.

The Hatches also played a key role in stopping the Echo Park Dam in Dinosaur National Monument and encouraging people to speak on behalf of the monument’s irreplaceable wonders.

The Hatches knew the power that being on the river had on public conscience. They used Hatch River Expeditions as a platform to not only entertain but to educate their visitors on the importance of river preservation.

Today, Hatch River Expeditions is one of only 16 companies approved to take multi-day expeditions through the Grand Canyon.

Roy Webb

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more experienced and knowledgeable river runner than Roy Webb. Along with an impressive river-running resume—including running all of the Green below Fontenelle Dam in Wyoming, most of the Colorado between Grand Junction and Pearce Ferry (including 30 trips through the Grand Canyon), the San Juan, the White River and other rivers in the western United States—Webb is also a certified archivist and has dedicated his career to researching river history.

Webb has written five books on river-running history and created the Utah River Running Archives housed in Special Collections at the University of Utah’s Marriott Library. He also teaches classes on river running and river history at the university.

His unique contributions to the river-running community allow its history to be recorded and passed on to upcoming generations.

“The French Trio”

In 1938, newlyweds Genevieve and Bernard de Colmont, along with their friend Antoine de Seynes, launched from Green River, Wyoming. The trio had traveled from France to attempt the first trip down the Green and Colorado rivers using only kayaks and documenting their journey on 16 millimeter color film.

Genevieve, at age 21, was the first woman to pilot her own craft the length of the Green River and through Cataract Canyon. Unfortunately, Bernard’s kayak was damaged beyond repair on his own attempt to navigate Cataract Canyon, and the group decided to celebrate what they had accomplished and return to France.

While the group wasn’t able to complete their journey, they proved that kayaks could be used to explore rough water and with their footage created the first color whitewater film.

In a heartwarming coincidence, each of these groups has a connection to Don and Ted’s father, Bus Hatch. On their expedition down the river, the French trio had the pleasure of making Bus’s acquaintance, and Roy Webb is the author of “Riverman: The Story of Bus Hatch.”

The John Wesley Powell River History Museum will host an induction ceremony for this year’s honorees on Saturday, October 5, 2024.

“The annual ceremony speaks to the core of the museum’s mission,” museum director Janet Smoak explained. “We come together as a river-running community to honor the people whose contributions inspire, teach, and amaze us. It’s also an opportunity for our friends, new and long-standing, to support the museum’s research, events, and exhibits that preserve and share the stories, history, and science associated with the Colorado Plateau’s rivers, landscapes, and cultures.”

Those interested in supporting the museum and learning more about the 2024 induction ceremony are encouraged to visit the new website at https://johnwesleypowell.com/, follow the museum on Instagram @jwpmuseum or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jwpmuseum or call Janet Smoak at (435) 564-3427.

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