Fifteen years after being destroyed by the Dude forest fire, the Zane Grey cabin is back, giving visitors a look at how “the father of the Western novel” lived during his frequent visits to Arizona’s rim country.

In 1990, the 28,400-acre Dude Fire swept through the mountains of central Arizona and destroyed the western writer’s original cabin. The Zane Grey Cabin Foundation, a nonprofit organization formed in 2003, recently completed the historically accurate replica of the cabin.

The dedication of the cabin is scheduled for 10 a.m., Oct. 15, adjacent to the Rim Country Museum, in Payson’s Green Valley Park. The dedication will be the opening ceremony for the 6th Annual Western Heritage Festival. The foundation will transfer ownership of the cabin to the Rim Country Museum. During the ceremony, the cabin will be designated an “Arizona Treasure” by the director of the Arizona Office of Tourism, Margie Emmermann.

“We had a difficult time finding certain materials and furnishings we needed so the cabin would look as it did when built 83 years ago,” said Dick Wolfe, president of the Zane Grey Cabin Foundation. “For example, because of the fire danger associated with shake roofs, we had to have each shingle specially treated with a fire retardant. It’s very gratifying that so many people and groups donated time, materials and money to help us succeed. For example, students of the Payson High School’s woodworking class made the rough-cut furniture for the cabin,” he said.

24 books with Arizona settings

Mr. Grey spent each October at the cabin as he hunted for game and collected material for stories. Of his 62 Western novels, 24 have Arizona settings with 13 set in the Rim country.

He abandoned the cabin after a spat with the Arizona Game and Fish Department in 1929. That year he was bringing a large party to join his hunt. Upon arriving in Arizona, he learned the hunting season had been changed to begin in November. He sought special treatment, asking for licenses that could be used in October. When the state refused, he left, vowing never to return.

For information, call 928-474-6115 or check www.rimcountrymuseum.org. —