Hanksville

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Hanksville was originally known as Graves Valley after John Graves, who is said to have been a member of the Powell Expedition. Ebenezer Hanks, headed a group of settlers, to include my Great Grandfather John Gerrit Ekker, who came to the Hanksville valley in April 1882. Soon, the name of the new settlement was changed to Hanksville after Ebenezer Hanks. The Hanksville community was very self reliant, as it was located 54 miles from Green River and 72 miles from upper Wayne County. The upper grade students still ride bussed to Bicknell for Middle and High School some 72 miles through Capitol Reef. Hanksville has known a gold boom, uranium boom and is said to be on the verge of an oil boom. It is the western gateway to Hite, Glen Canyon, the Robbers Roost and Lake Powell. It is the nearest approach to the Henry Mountains in Garfield County. The Henry Mountains rise from the desert almost 12,000 ft. On this mountain range is the states only herd of wild buffalo. The BLM has some of its own offices here. Rich in folk lure of "Robbers Roost", the Butch Cassidy Gang and the buffalo herd, Wayne County makes the real "Old West" believable again.

2018 - Pictures taken on a trip for the Ekker family reunion

During our trip to for the 2018 Ekker Family Reunion we Mike and Kris meet us in Hanksville to spend a week in my home town after the reunion in Torrey. We had been planning the trip for year and in 2018 made it happen. We brought our 4-wheelers and explored Poison Springs Canyon, Henry Mountains, and made a driving trip down to Bull Frog, crossed the lake by the ferry boat, and drove to the upper end or the lake through Hite to Hanksville.

Poison Springs Canyon