Sherman Loy’s ancestral roots in the Sedona area go three generations deep. His interest in the area’s history goes much deeper. Both sets of Loy’s grandparents were among the earliest settlers in the area. He is the grandson of Heinrich and Doretta Schuerman, who came here in 1884. His other grandparents were Samuel and Jane Loy. They arrived from Missouri in 1876.

The Loys settled close to Cottonwood near the confluence of Oak Creek and the Verde River. Later, they moved closer to Sedona, near what is now known as Loy Butte. Sherman and his sister, Martha, grew up on the Schuerman ranch, where they both have homes today. Their parents were Myron and Frieda Loy.

The ranch is located outside of Sedona’s city limits on Red Rock Loop Road. Sherman attended school within 200 yards of the ranch, at Red Rock School District No. 27. “That school was there from 1891 until sometimes in the 1950s,” Sherman said. He attended first through eighth grades at that school. After his family moved into Coconino County, he went to ninth grade at the school on Brewer Road. He graduate from high school in Clarkdale. After high school, Sherman did some work as a cowboy but eventually went into the Army. He retired with the rank of major in 1970, after 26 years.

I like it if there is a pretty hot site.
I don’t like digging all summer for a few pot shards.
-Sherman Loy

It was then that Sherman began pursuing his interest in history by studying anthropology. “Back in the 70s, I went to Northern Arizona University on the GI Bill,” Sherman said.

While he was running the ranch after retiring from the Army, he was contacted by some people who were interested in working on ruins in the area. “About five years ago, they became aware that I had some old photos of Indian ruins. They wanted to do some stabilization work out there (at Honanki and Palatki ruins) so they contacted me,” he said. Sherman said he became involved at that time with the Sedona Forum that resulted in the formation of the Friends of the Forest.

“The intent was to aid the Forest Service in areas where they didn’t have the dollars needed,” Sherman said. In 1997, Sherman became the coordinator for the Arizona Site Steward Program that had been started years earlier by the Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt. “The purpose of the steward program was to provide assistance to land managers to help monitor cultural resources as both historical and pre-historical site,” Sherman said.

Now, he help train people who volunteer to work for the Site Steward Program. “We hold half-day classroom sessions. We use slide shows and also teach what artifacts are,” Sherman said. He also helps teach the volunteers about antiquity laws, and takes them out to show them what the actual sites look like. “We even teach them about land navigation and safety,” he said. Those volunteers then become valuable assets to the managers of the historical sites. The volunteers help monitor the sites, which includes checking them for disturbances such as vandalism. “We also aid the Forest Service in mapping sites,” Sherman said. The program asks volunteers to put in at least one day per month. “Most of us do much more than that,” Sherman said. Sherman is using the experience and knowledge he gained while studying anthropology at NAU during the 1970s.He is active with the Verde Valley Archaeology Society (VVAS), the local chapter of the Arizona Archeology Society. The VVAS does some hand-on things to help the land managers of the various historical sites, Sherman said.“When excavation is permitted, we assist in that,” he said. But not a lot of excavation is being done these days, he said. “To excavate, you must have a potent reason for it. Pus, you must be connected to a major university or museum,” Sherman said. He said an excavation is usually under the direction of someone with a doctorate degree. “Everyone wants to be paid, both for managing a site and for all the laboratory analysis that needs to be done,” he said.The money and other restrictions greatly reduce the number of sites where excavation is being done, Sherman said. “About the only reason we have for digging is for salvage archaeology,” he said. He said a good example of salvage archaeology is when a new highway is being built, such as the new four-lane under construction between Cottonwood and Sedona.“The law requires a survey to determine if any archaeological sites need to be recorded and removed,” he said. Sherman enjoys some excavation work. “I like it if there is a pretty hot site. I don’t like digging all summer for a few pot shards,” he said. Sherman, now 73, has five children, 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. In his spare time he reads about all kinds of history. He also spend a fair amount of time doing research on the Internet.

He put his interest in and knowledge of history to work to help others learn about the area. He is a board member of the Sedona Historical Society, and he serves on the society’s accessions committee. He also puts on historical presentations in the area for both the archaeological and historical societies. “I just did an overview talk of the Verde Valley’s activities using slides and old photos,” he said. Although he enjoys giving the talks, he says it is difficult to get very deep into the history of an area or a specific site. “In five hours, I could give a good history. But in one hour, I can only touch on the history,” he said.

For now, Sherman intends to keep doing what he is doing. His explanation of why he enjoys volunteering to work on archaeological and historical projects is simple. “Cultural history is important, and it needs to be protected,” he said.

Source: Red Rock News, Sedona, Arizona, Friday, January 7, 2000. Phillip Wright, Staff Writer