At the trailhead: Mark, Connie, Kent, Melissa, Jill, Rick(ety), Mike, and Paul. Susan is on camera duty.
On Labor Day at 8 am nine adventurous souls set off to find the Parrish Canyon Fremont pictographs. The pictographs are not very far up the canyon. It was a little cold and Mark loaned Jill his coat. I am told it is a thirty minute hike but I didn’t time it. According to the minutes of the Centerville City Trails Committee meeting held Thursday, April 10, 2008, the pictographs had been damaged:
Mark Day reported he hiked to the Fremont pictographs in Parrish Canyon, and he said they have been vandalized. He said some of the pictographs have been scratched, and others have been rubbed out. (Trails Committee Meeting Minutes)
So we set off to see if we could take some pictograph photographs. I will show you first the path we took to the pictographs and then in the next post the pictographs themselves.
We set off on the trail. We got lost. Asked directions. Continued.
When you get to the bridge, cross it and turn right.
Take a picture of the waterfall and continue.
Follow the creek just like Connie and Susan are doing here.
At this point in a normal blog you would see the pictographs. But there are too many photographs already so the pictographs are in the next post.
Paul and Mike continued onward and upward. I followed. I wish I hadn't.
We got back before the others and met Merrill on Red.
Red is an Arabian Paint and his real name is in Russian which I can't pronounce much less spell.
That is interesting that the pictographs had been rubbed out. This is the adventurer in me speaking and is pure speculation, but I wonder if it was done for a purpose ~ given some of the history of this area.
Basically, those panels tell a story. Every position of each mark means something. Notice how the “horns” on one head comes down to a point and another is squared off? Or the figure next to the “fox” has one arm larger than the other? It means something.
So, what if someone {who knows what it all means of course ;) } was trying to prevent others from translating it? It is pure speculation, but makes it more exciting, doesn’t it?
It makes sense that the drawings must have meant something. I just tried to take good photographs of them, I didn’t really look at them that closely. Well done.
Has anyone tried to date these pictographs? This panel looks as though there is a pack train of donkeys laden with supplies (?) or something. . .
As far as I know, this is the only panel- or anything close to it, showing an actual pictograph depicting pack animals.
This is a fascinating panel, which should have a most interesting history of the area, since it is the only one ever found in the area… and, for some reason. . . nobody seems to want to date it, or follow up with trying to resolve it’s history.
The canyon in which it was created is small and very steep.
I read years ago, that the remains of an old Spanish mission was found at what is now Kaysville, when the early pioneers came to that area. So, this pictograph may be authentic during this period.
Also, in a book by George Anderson, (Some Dreams Die), a “cave” in the same canyon, or a canyon over, that a Spanish helmet and breastplate was found in a small “cave” in Parrish canyon.
I found this “cave” and his directions were accurate.
All of this history leads me to believe that the pictograph is totally real and from possibly the late 1700’s.
If so, why hasn’t anyone cared enough to follow this exciting tid bit of history at all???
I am visiting from Washington State and having some trouble finding the origin of these pictographs online.
If you or anyone was able to trace the history I would greatly appreciate a quick note. Thank you!
Steven.stevenjames @ gmail .com
Thank you for this post. Parrish and Deuel Creek canyons have special significance for me personally. I’d love to hear more about your visit to that “cave” if you see this.
Thanks,
RF
801.648.3085