Mesa Verde
Discovered by Richard Wetherill in 1888

Richard Wetherill and his brother-in-law, Charles Mason are credited for being the first white men to glimpse the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde. At the time, the Ute Indians occupied the area and were probably aware of some if not all of the ruins in the canyons of Mesa Verde.  The Wetherills settled on a ranch in the Mancos valley a few miles north of Mesa Verde in 1881. They were noted for their friendliness toward the Utes who eventually allowed the Wetherills to winter their cattle in the Mancos Canyon which bordered the Mesa on the east and south.

The men started to take interest in the small cliff dwellings they came across in their daily routine of tending the cattle. A Ute, named Acowitz, told them that in one of the canyons to the north was a cliff dwelling that was larger than all the others.  His description of its size sounded unbelievable, and on December 18, 1888 while looking for lost cattle, Richard and Charles saw Cliff Palace for the first time.