Bluff Fort 1880-1883
When the San Juan colonizers arrived in this valley,
their survival hinged upon their ability to irrigate the
land and successfully grow crops. As soon as an
irrigation system was established and their first crops were
harvested, the pioneers focused their energies on helping
one another construct one room log cabins from
the surrounding cottonwood trees.
On this parcel of land, the pioneers built their cabins
in close proximity to each other to form a fort. The fort
grew into an open square outlined by a wall of cabins
whose doors and windows all faced the center. A log
meetinghouse at the north end of the fort became the
center of all social activity. A well in the center and a
trading post and blacksmith shop at opposite corners
added to the community's self-sufficiency.
This site is being developed and maintained by the Hole-in-the-Rock Foundation
