San Juan County was established in 1880 following the famous winter trek and steep descent through the Hole-in-the-Rock Trail to Bluff, Utah. Behind the settlement of this community by the San Juan River is a story of tenacity, determination, and hardship. The Hole-in-the-Rock was a sandstone crevice discovered fortuitously by pioneers when a wild ram escaped its pursuers and descended to the river by that route. After blasting, building up the

In the spring of 1916, Ruby and Minnie Syrett packed up their children and belongings and traveled to their new homestead at the gateway of what would one day become Bryce Canyon National Park. In the early 20th century, Southern Utah was still pioneer country. Hardy descendants of Mormon converts worked to tame the land and create productive farms. Little time was left to marvel at the scenery that surrounded their small communities. By 1919,

South Davis County is bounded by the majestic Wasatch Mountain Range to the east and the Great Salt Lake to the west. Bountiful, Centerville, Farmington, and Kaysville are the major population centers—all originating as early Mormon settlements. Concerned that their livestock might harm new crops and gardens being planted in Salt Lake City, their leader, Brigham Young, sent herds of cattle, mules, and horses north to graze along the lakeshore