Volunteers work to clean up Bluff Historic Fort after flooding in San Juan County

BLUFF, San Juan County — The pioneers who settled this small San Juan County community nearly 150 years ago knew a thing or two about overcoming hardships. Now, the people working to preserve that history face a challenge of their own.

Recent flooding has sent water and mud through the Bluff Historic Fort, leaving behind a mess that volunteers have spent the past couple of days cleaning up.

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Floodwater left walkways covered in mud and forced volunteers to empty 13 cabins. Items inside, such as chairs, beds and furniture, had to be removed from the cabins, then washed, dried and treated before they could be returned.

It's been a massive undertaking, but volunteers have shown up to help preserve a place that means a lot to people, including many who live far beyond San Juan County.

"We have had people call us from every state in the United States saying, 'I visited the fort, and I read and learned that you've been flooded. How is the fort? Have you saved the fort?'" said Connie Hunt, co-director at the Bluff Historic Fort.

Hunt said the response has been encouraging during the exhausting cleanup effort.

"We have received an outpouring of calls and messages and emails, and we are grateful for their interest and love for the fort," she said.

Hunt said there were moments when the work seemed never-ending.

She recalled working until she was exhausted and finally suggesting to her husband that it might be time for everyone to stop for the day.

But the volunteers had another idea.

"They said, 'We just have one cabin,'" she said, with a smile.

The fort tells the story of the pioneers who arrived in Bluff in 1880 after a difficult, months-long journey through southern Utah.

Today, the site features historic displays and cabins that help visitors understand what life was like for those early settlers.

Despite the flooding and ongoing cleanup, the Bluff Historic Fort remains open to visitors.

Hunt said she can find a little humor in the situation.

"I get to do what they did back then, but I do have a pressure washer, and I have a crew of 100 people and a shovel that really works good," she said with a laugh.

Of course, the pioneers who settled Bluff didn't have pressure washers or modern equipment to help them through their challenges, but they did have determination.

Nearly 150 years later, that part of Bluff's history hasn't changed.

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