Focusing On Travel : Grafton, Utah - A Boo-tiful Spot for a Ghost Town

LOCATION: The ghost town of Grafton is located just south of Zion National Park near Rockville in Washington County, Utah (USA).

BACKGROUND: Grafton was settled in the 1860's. At that time there were about 28 families living here. The small town included a post office, church, school, and community hall. It is reported to be the most photographed ghost town in the western United States.

According to Wikipedia, a ghost is “an abandoned village, town, or city, usually one which contains substantial visible remains. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters.”

So, what happened to Grafton? In 1866, the town was deserted due to Indian attacks but the residents did return here. The ultimate demise of Grafton was due to the numerous floods (or droughts) that occurred. By the 1940's, the town of Grafton was abandoned.

Here is the good news/bad news:

The good news is that preservation efforts for the Grafton historic site are being done through the Grafton Heritage Partnership Project. They are a volunteer non-profit organization whose purpose is “to preserve and enhance the outstanding historical, agricultural, scenic, riparian, and cultural values of the Grafton historic town site for the benefit of present and future generations.” In 1999, the Grafton Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The bad news (debatable by some people) is that the buildings are in good shape and not abandoned per se. You won’t see ruins of decaying buildings which might be a preconceived image when thinking of an old “ghost town”. Also, it doesn’t have a “town” feel – just a few nicely restored buildings.

Grafton’s biggest claim to fame came from Hollywood when the movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969) used it as a background for some of its scenes – remember the bicycle ride?

DIRECTIONS: Take UT-9 to the small town of Rockville then turn south onto Bridge Road (drive over the historic Rockville Bridge).

A short distance down the road is an intersection with a sign for Grafton (at least during our visit there was a sign). Turn right and follow the road to the ghost town of Grafton. The paved road will end. Continue following the dirt road (passable by car in dry weather but use your own discretion when travelling this stretch of road).

Dirt Road to Grafton

Today, the road is dry and we have a 4-wheel jeep. We reach a fork in the road. The left fork goes to the Grafton Cemetery and the right fork will take us to the ghost town. We turn to the right where we begin to see remnants of days gone by.

Wagon

Orchard

The pioneers made their homes here on the banks of the Virgin River. They planted orchards and grazed their animals in the green pastures. The first building we see is the John and Ellen Wood home (circa 1877).

John & Ellen Wood House

From the Wood Home, we look a short distance down the road where we can see the Grafton School (1886). Like many frontier towns, this one-room adobe school house was multi-purpose and also served as a church and meeting place.

Grafton School/Church

Grafton School

Grafton School from Russell Home Porch

Next to the school is an adobe home. It is the Alonzo Russell House (circa 1886). The house eventually fell into a state of disrepair due to neglect and vandalism. In 2004, restoration on this house began and is still a work in progress.

School & Alonzo Russell House

Russell House

Russell House from across dirt road

View from Russell House Porch

The house was not open but we peek through the windows and see some of the interior work that is being done. I stand on the covered porch and look out at the mountain views. I see the old lane leading into the fields and orchards. Across the dirt road there is a shed, an old barn, and a few outbuildings.

View from Russell House

Barn

Outbuildings

Near the shed is a large tree with a thick limb that is perfect for hanging a tree swing. This is a good place to let your “inner child” have some fun!

Tree Swing

From our parking space near the school, the road makes a sharp turn left. We follow the road a short distance until the road dead-ends at private property. There is a small log building near the gated fence.

End of the Road

We retrace our route back to the fork in the road. We take the left fork to the historic Grafton Cemetery. Despite the surrounding beauty, life was hard for those who lived and worked here. The headstones are simple like the life these pioneers led. Some grave markers are wood but most are thin stones.

Grafton Cemetery

Old Headstones

A sign near the cemetery reads, "Many headstones are missing. It is believed 74 to 84 graves exist. The Grafton Cemetery also includes Southern Paiute people who worked and lived alongside early settlers."

Among those known burials are Robert Berry and Joseph Berry. The history records show the Berry brothers were traveling through Kane County when they were attacked and killed by the Piutes in 1866. Their bodies were brought to Grafton for burial. In the center of the cemetery is a handcrafted fence which surrounds the grave sites of the two brothers. The fence needed repair and was restored in 2004.