In the early 1890s, reports of gold along the San Juan River set off a rush of prospectors from across the United States and from places as distant as Canada, Mexico, Norway, and New Zealand, filling the vicinity of Bluff and the river bottoms for many miles with camps, outfits, coaches, and solitary travelers. Newspaper accounts in December 1892 and January 1893 reflected the growing excitement as men passed through Bluff on their way to the gold fields. But the little gold that was found was only flour gold, so fine that it was impractical to extract, and prospectors soon abandoned their claims when the hoped-for riches failed to appear. By January 1893, thousands were heading back, leaving provisions and goods scattered along the river, and some who had arrived unprepared died in the harsh country. The rush ended almost as quickly as it began, but some unsuccessful prospectors, including stone cutters and carpenters, stayed on in Bluff, where their work can still be seen in the town’s early stone homes.