A rock climber scales Morning Glory Natural Bridge in Grandstaff Canyon, near Moab, Utah. The canyon is named for the Black frontiersman William Grandstaff, one of the area's first non-Native settlers. Grandstaff was likely born into slavery in the 1830s or 1840s in Virginia. He came to Moab around 1877 and settled in the canyon, where he ranched, farmed, and ran cattle. Although he reportedly left Moab in 1881, Grandstaff has long fascinated locals. For decades, the canyon was known as Negro Bill Canyon until—after several attempts and much controversy—it was renamed Grandstaff Canyon in October 2017 by the US Board of Geographic Names. The Moab Museum recently hosted an exhibition that traced Grandstaff's life through careful genealogical research. Bob Wick, photographer. Public domain.
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