1910s Cliff Dwellers Canyon CA Postcard

This 1910 postcard features the mysterious “Cliff Dwellers” nestled in a rugged canon of Southern California. The spelling “canon” may catch the modern eye, but it was a common way to write “canyon” in early 20th-century America. Borrowed from the Spanish word cañón, the spelling reflected the limitations of early printing, which often didn’t include the ñ character. These romanticized cliff homes, inspired by the ancient dwellings of the Southwest, were popular attractions at the time, blending historical imagination with the natural beauty of the California landscape.