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During the mid-19th century, Ute Indians were hired by explorers and pioneer groups to guide expeditions and fight neighboring Navajos who had migrated from northern Canada and spread into southern Utah around the area now known as Bluff. After a many conflicts between the Navajos and the Government,  the southwestern domain surrounding what was to become Bluff was once again opened for the Native American and Anglo use which caused many rapid changes to life in the west.
Although many Spanish explorers in the 1700's may have traversed this area, there are no records of white settlers calling the Bluff valley home until 1878. The city of Bluff was founded in 1880 by the famous "Hole in the Rock" expedition of Mormon (Latter-day Saint) pioneers, who were trying to establish an agrarian community near the San Juan River. The town was surveyed and made with a fort and village of log homes, church, school, and co-op store in the center. These were surrounded by the town's agricultural fields and orchards. Although attempts were made to farm along the San Juan River, the river proved to be a tricky ally, as it was either flooded or went dry too often to be considered dependable for irrigation.
During the period from 1886-1905, livestock became a precious commodity, and the log cabins in the town were replaced with larger red sandstone houses as well as others built of wood frame lumber. Many of these original homes are now listed on the National Historic Register, and tours are available for those interested in the early architecture of Bluff.
Like many other southern Utah towns, the economic history of the 20th century shows a substantial rise and fall of many mining opportunities in coal, oil and uranium. Other economic ventures include cattle ranching and agriculture. Bluff is now a very active center for artists and craftsmen, but continues to progress in farming and ranching. Tourism has also become a large portion of the economy because of the national parks, prehistoric sites and canyons and river recreation located in the surrounding areas.
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