Frances Canyon is one of the largest sites of the Gobernador phase of Navajo history (1700-1775). When first studied, the site was composed of forty surface rooms in four major room blocks. Since that time considerable erosion has taken place, and many of these rooms no longer exist. The site is dominated by a roughly triangular tower now two stories high. Tree ring dates indicate the site was constructed between 1715 and 1742. Excavation in 1915 recovered items of Navajo, Pueblo, and Spanish material culture. Frances canyon ruin was nominated to the national register of historic places in 1975. This site was stabilized by the BLM stabilization team in 1975.
The Frances canyon site reflects economic and social change taking place among the Navajo of the area during the 18th century. In the previous century the Spanish introduced sheep, fruit, cattle and horses into the area. This along with the Navajo's adaptation of certain pueblo lifeways after the pueblo revolt led to increased settlement size and new trade relations. This site can be contrasted with modern Navajo communities which consist of clusters of hogans widely dispersed with a trade system based on scattered trading posts and the motor vehicle.
Looking from the east, you can see signs of many rooms to the north of the main tower. Of the original 40 rooms about 30 are still easily identified.
There are several smaller rooms below the main tower. The room in the foreground below the tower is also shown below.
Many of the roofs are in excellent condition. Notice the small entrance way in the bottom of the pit. The roof is supported by original timber and is still quite strong.
The rooms inside the tower are quite impressive. The suspended floors, passage ways, and plastered walls are all in very good condition. This is one of the best preserved (stabilized) sites that I have seen.
You can see the roof and the walls looking back into the corner of one of the rooms in the tower. The roof timbers are blackened from smoke. The walls are plastered with a mud compound. Notice the small window in the wall on the right side. A flash was required to take these pictures.
Link to the BLM information on the Frances Ruins
Back to Ruins Directory
Opening text quoted from the BLM marker found on site.
E-mail: ron@neartime.com