Bessie Haley Hyde

In 1928, Bessie Haley Hyde and her husband, Glen Hyde, head down the Colorado River in an attempt to have Bessie be the first documented woman to travel down the Colorado. Their hope was to use this experience to begin their career on the lecture and vaudeville circuits.

Bessie Haley Hyde: The Early Years

Bessie was born in 1905 and lived most of her life in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. She was active in her high school and had a flair for art. It’s there she met Earle Helmick and the two began dating. After graduating, Earle and Bessie stayed together, but Earle went off to work and Bessie went to attend Marshall College, now known as Marshall University, in West Virginia.

During her sophomore year, Bessie was living off campus and pursuing her degree in art when she and Earle suddenly eloped. In the brief marriage announcement it stated she was planning on going to California to study art. And within two months, she did, attending the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco. 

In California, she roomed with Eraine Granstedt and Eraine’s brother. Eraine had her own interesting history that we hope you’ll explore. Earle did not accompany Bessie.

In February 1927, Bessie drops out of her classes and takes a passenger ship to Los Angeles with Eraine. Eraine planned to become a Hollywood actress. On the ship, Bessie met Glen, a young Idaho farmer and adventurer.

The two were immediately smitten and not long after Bessie met his family and he met hers, including her husband who refused to give her a divorce. Bessie moved briefly to Nevada, a state with more lenient divorce laws, and established residency so she could divorce Earle. The day after the divorce was granted, Bessie was in Idaho marrying Glen.

Trying to Become the First Woman on the Colorado River
The couple spent the summer of the Hyde family farm in Idaho planning their trip down the Colorado River. The plan was for Bessie to become the first woman documented to traverse it so they could then use this as a way to get on the lecture and vaudeville circuits.

Bessie had never down white water or river rafting before. Glen had successfully made it down the Peace River in Alberta and the Salmon River in Oregon, that time with his sister. He received a lot of praise for this.

After harvest season the two went to Utah where they constructed their boat, a flat bottomed scow. They were discouraged from their trip by locals but they ignored warnings. The two begin their journey in October and early in the trip Bessie falls in the water, swept in by the sweeps used to maneuver the boat. She’s rescued. 

Eventually they make it to Lee’s Ferry where they are again warned not to continue. It’s after this that Glen falls into the water, this time rescuing himself with Bessie’s help. 

At this point in their journey, it’s unclear from their letters how they felt about this trip. At times it seems like they both wanted to quit but cited the other person as the reason to continue. By the time they reach Grand Canyon, Arizona, the trips seems to be weighing on them both. But when they’re offered life vests and life preservers by Emery Kolb, who had made it down the river themselves, they turned down the offers.

Those who spoke to them in Grand Canyon indicated that it seemed Bessie wanted to quit. After this stop they were briefly joined by adventurer Adolph Sutro who exits the trip quickly believing the couple unprepared for the journey they’re on. 

The Hydes are last seen leaving Hermit Camp on November 18th.

Disappearance
The Hydes are supposed to make it to Needles on Glen’s 30th birthday, December 9th, but they never arrive. When they don’t, Glen’s father launches a search for the couple. Eventually, on December 19th, their scow is spotted at mile 237, stuck in the rapids. Inside the scow, searchers including the Kolb brothers, find their gear is inside the boat and the boat in intact. Searchers collect a few items and then release the boat where it quickly breaks apart on some rocks. Days later, searchers find what appear to be Glen’s tracks along the banks at mile 217. There are no other signs of the couple.

Glen’s family searches for them several times in the coming months, but they never come any closer to finding the couple.

Legacy
Honeymoon Rapid at mile 232 is where it’s believed that Glen and Bessie may have lost their lives. It is named Honeymoon Rapid after the couple. In the years since, tall tales and legends have arisen around the couple and their story with several women claiming to be Bessie. One of these was famous river rafter Georgie Clark. Though the details don’t match, Georgie had, at times, claimed to be Bessie. A copy of Bessie and Glen’s marriage certificate was included in Georgie’s belongings.

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People and Cases Mentioned in this Episode:
Bessie Haley Hyde (unsolved missing person case)
Glen Hyde (unsolved missing person case)