In 1934, an Arizona couple’s unusual home came with snakes and scorpions

A honeymoon is usually associated with hotels, beaches or at least a room with four walls. For Sallie and Jim Brewer, it was something quite different. In 1934, the newly married Arizona couple arrived at Wupatki National Monument, where their temporary home was part of an ancient pueblo. The building had stood for centuries. Their own quarters, by comparison, were scarcely finished. There were only two walls and no roof, with snakes and scorpions as their neighbours rather than the comforts expected.It was an unusual beginning to a marriage that would become closely tied to the early National Park Service. Over the years, the Brewers moved through eight Southwestern national monuments, living in pueblos, tents, cabins and other makeshift quarters while carrying out work that often extended far beyond their official duties. But their extraordinary life in the monuments would not last forever. In 1945, after more than a decade of marriage, Sallie and Jim divorced, bringing an unexpected end to a partnership that had begun in one of the most unusual homes.The Brewers’ unusual home in a remote national monumentThe Brewers' move to Wupatki came at a time when living and working in the ...