Very little has changed in this part of Bluff’s landscape, as shown by these two photos, 100 years apart. Bluff residents gathered on Cemetery Hill, with Locomotive Rock in the background, in February to re-photograph scenes depicted in some of the historical photographs.
Although the cemetery has gained a few additions, efforts are underway to protect the rest of the hilltop from development. The area is the location of a prehistoric Anasazi “great house” as well as the probable location of numerous unmarked gravesites. In response to a proposed subdivision on top of the hill, Southwest Heritage Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to research, education, and preservation, negotiated a grant and loan through the generosity of the Eccles Foundation to purchase a large portion of the hilltop. Funds are being sought to repay the loan, due this summer.
–This article first appeared in the March 1997 issue of the Canyon Echo
Canyon Echo 