No county in Utah has a more colorful past than San Juan. An integral part of Four Corners history, this dramatic geographical region hosted Native American cultures ranging from the Paleo-Indian through the Anasazi to the Navajos, Utes, and the Paiutes of today. Spanish and, later, Mexican explorers and traders left an ephemeral legacy as they pushed through an uncharted region of red rock, sagebrush, and imposing mountains.
By 1880, a new and sudden change was afoot. Settlers' wagons rumbled through the historic Hole-in-the-Rock, cattlemen staked their claims, and miners flooded the banks of the San Juan River which federal and local government became increasingly responsible for maintaining control. Conflict and change for all three major groups--Ute, Navajo, and Euro-Americans--followed as they struggled to wrest a living from a beautiful but sometimes stingy land. Their exciting and important story is outlined from past to present within the pages of this volume.
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