Capitol Reef National Park is characterized by sandstone formations, cliffs and canyons, and a 100-mile long bulge in the earth’s crust called the Waterpocket Fold. Erosion has carved the rock into incredible shapes. The most scenic portion of the Waterpocket Fold, found near the Fremont River, is known as Capitol Reef: “Capitol” for the white domes of Navajo Sandstone that resemble capitol building rotundas, and “Reef” for the rocky cliffs which are a barrier to travel, like a coral reef.

Human use of this area dates back at least 10,000 years, but the Waterpocket Fold is best known for its Fremont and Anasazi Native American peoples. The area was also used by Paiute, Ute and perhaps Navajo until it was settled by Mormon pioneers in the 1880′s. Archeologists have identified several kinds of artifacts that are distinctive to the Fremont people. One was a singular style of basketry, called one-rod-and-bundle, which incorporated willow, yucca, milkweed, and other native fibers. They also created pottery, mostly gray wares, with smooth, polished surfaces or corrugated designs pinched into the clay. Pictographs (painted) and petroglyphs (carved or pecked) are depictions of people, animals and other shapes and forms left on rock surfaces. The figures are often elaborately decorated with headdresses, ear bobs, necklaces, clothing items and facial expressions. A wide variety of animal-like figures include bighorn sheep, deer, dogs, birds, snakes and lizards.

Settlement came late to south-central Utah; the Capitol Reef area wasn’t charted until 1872.  The origin of the little community at the junction of the Fremont River and Sulphur Creek is obscure. The first “resident” may have been an 1879 squatter by the name of Franklin Young, but the first landholder of record was Niels Johnson. Others soon followed, and the community that sprang up became known as “Junction”, later called “Fruita”. The Fremont River was the key to life; without irrigation, farming would have been impossible. Visitors to Capitol Reef National park are often curious about the fruit trees that lie within a mile or two of the Visitor Center. These trees – apple, pear, peach, cherry, apricot, mulberry, even Potawatomie Plum  are the most obvious reminder of the pioneer community that once prospered in the narrow valley of the Fremont River. Although it became widely known in south-central Utah for its orchards, Fruita residents also grew sorghum (for syrup and molasses), vegetables and alfalfa. The one-room schoolhouse, constructed by residents in 1896, also served as a community center. The desks were movable and the community enjoyed dances and box socials in the little building. Residents also held church activities there, as well as in private homes. Women often quilted together and men and boys were especially fond of baseball. “Putting up” foods was not a hobby in Fruita; it was essential for survival through the winter, farming techniques in Fruita remained in the 19th century, it was not until World War II that the first tractor was purchased.

Although most of the structures of the Fruita settlement are gone, with the exception of the restored schoolhouse, the Gifford house and barn, the Blacksmith Shop, and a few others, the orchards remain and dominate the landscape. Owned by the National Park Service  and maintained at a level of about 2,500 trees with 1,800 in production a small crew is kept busy year-round with pruning, irrigation, replanting, and spraying.

I hope you enjoyed the Photos, and the brief History of Capitol Reef National Park, there is so much more then I covered in the day I spent at the park.  If you ever visit Capitol Reef, be sure to visit the Gifford House and pick up some of their Cherry and Peach preserves, made from fruit of the orchards that remain from the early pioneers of the area. Thanks for visiting!!