Moab Museum | Moab Sun News Columns

Bates Wilson was a National Park Service employee in the early 1930s—by 1937, he had become the Acting Superintendent of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, and in 1949, the park service transferred him to Arches National Park and Natural Bridges National Monument. Wilson spent his time split between the two regions, mapping the nearly boundless…

Following the discovery of gold and silver in the La Sal Mountains late in the 1800s, the remote town of Castleton, Utah developed near the base of the mountains at the southeastern end of Castle Valley.  In its heyday, it was comparable in size to Moab. It served as a hub for miners in nearby…

Dewey, Utah, a crucial transportation link in Grand County’s history, was home to several key families throughout history. In 1902, Richard “Dick” Westwood and his wife Martha Westwood moved to Dewey, Utah to operate the ferry used for crossing the Colorado River. For the Westwood family and their many small children, life in Dewey posed…

On September 8, 1522, Spanish-Basque navigator Juan Sebastian Elcano, from the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, completed the first known single expedition voyage around the globe as part of the journey that began under the command of Ferdinand Magellan. When Magellan died in 1521, Juan Sebastian Elcano took over as commander of the ship “Victoria,” sailing…

This week marks the 60th anniversary of an explosion at Texas Gulf Sulphur’s potash mine, called “Cane Creek,” along the banks of the Colorado, 24 miles southeast of Moab.  The mine site, now owned by Intrepid Potash Inc., can be seen from the heights of Dead Horse Point State Park: Visitors to the area lay…

Gold was discovered by prospectors in the La Sal Mountains in 1888. It was a discovery that launched the establishment of the now-depopulated town of Miners Basin deep within the La Sal Mountains.  The town is located in a ravine on the northern end of the La Sal Mountains, above Pinhook Draw and the upper…

“The People’s Tapestry: Weaving Tradition in Navajo Culture” is currently being exhibited at the Moab Museum, featuring a variety of styles of Navajo textiles, as well as renderings of the various ways textiles were used. In this column throughout the summer, the Museum team will feature a variety of weaving styles and their associated backgrounds…

“The People’s Tapestry: Weaving Tradition in Navajo Culture” is currently being exhibited at the Moab Museum, featuring a variety of styles of Navajo textiles, as well as renderings of the various ways textiles were used. In this column throughout the summer, the Museum team will feature a variety of weaving styles and their associated backgrounds…

“The People’s Tapestry: Weaving Tradition in Navajo Culture” is now on display at the Moab Museum, featuring a variety of styles of Navajo textiles, including the Tree of Life. In this column throughout the summer, the Museum team will feature a variety of weaving styles and their associated backgrounds and stories.   This exhibition is a…