From The Zephyr Archives:
The magnificent rock art at the mouth of Courthouse Wash had survived centuries of wind and rain. Thousands of people had admired the brilliantly painted pictographs.
But on the morning of April 16, 1980, park rangers were horrified to discover the panel had been severely vandalized during the night. Historian John Hoffman interviewed Ranger Tom Wylie who remembered “getting out of the car and looking up there, and having a sinking feeling.”
The vandals had used wire brushes and soap and water to literally scour the images from the ancient sandstone.
The Park Service hired art restorer Connie Silver to repair the damage. She was able to restore some of the fgures but the colorful shields were lost.
No one was ever caught or punished for the crime.
JS
The Dec/Jan Issue (click on cover)
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