Show Suicide Rock Now Used as Public Sian board 1 By Dave Manning Contributing Writer What do Beavis The letters Q Q H Hand and S the Batman symbol and absolutely nothing have in common They have all been painted on the peak of Suicide Suicide Suicide Sui cide Rock at the mouth of Parleys Parley's Canyon As early as the Suicide Rock has served as a public signboard signboard signboard sign sign- board for anything and everything that could be painted The peaks peak's surface is now smooth with decades of paint The base is strewn with dozens of empty paint cans used paint brushes and graffiti Today Suicide Rock is easily accessible via a short road to the east of the Westbound lanes of the 1 I belt route Prospective painters paint paint- ers wishing to leave their mark on the rock must brave the unmarked freeway exit and entrance only to face a slew of No Parking signs The changing face of Suicide Rock seems to indicate many make the trip a 1990 graduate graduate grad grad- graduate of Skyline High School made the trip as a sophomore We painted it to represent our school as being the best said About 20 of us went up after school with paint paintbrushes paintbrushes paintbrushes brushes and rollers and painted a blue and gold S. S The summit of Suicide Rock has also been used as a memorial In 1994 following the death of Steve Quarry a center on the Skyline High football team Skylines Skyline's administration tion allowed students to go to every classroom and collect money to paint a Q on the rock Is all this painting legal According According According Accord Accord- ing to K Goodwin of the Salt Lake County Sheriffs Sheriff's Department painting painting painting paint paint- ing Suicide Rock is considered graffiti graffiti graf graf- graffiti fiti and falls under the category of Criminal Mischief Depending on the severity it can be punishable by bya a fine of up to 2500 and 5 0 years in jail Sometimes we let it painting painting painting paint paint- ing Suicide Rock slide because of the ambiance said Goodwin Suicide Rock has not always been the rock by the freeway with stuff painted on it According to the Historians Historian's library in ancient times Suicide Rock was the Indians Indian's watch tower Braves kept a lookout for enemy tribes from the peak Squaws awaited return of their warriors warriors warriors war war- from battle According to writers writer's project project files in the Utah State Historical Society Suicide Rock was given its name when a beautiful Indian maiden leaped to her death from the top of the rock thousands of moons ag ago The young girl after waiting many days for the return of her warrior warrior warrior war war- lover learned he had been killed in battle She climbed to the top of the steep rock and threw herself on the rocks below After the beautiful chieftains chieftain's daughter committed suicide suicide suicide sui sui- sui- sui cide Indians shunned the rock with horror During the late Parleys Parley's Creek Water Plant was built at the base of Suicide Rock A small reservoir reservoir reservoir reser reser- voir was built on the northeast side in order to supply water to the eastern part of the city A tunnel was drilled through the center of the rock to a large screening and settling tank From the tank a inch 36 pipe lead north across the creek on a astone astone astone stone culvert According to an article published May 14 1943 in the Salt Lake Telegram Newcomers may 4 y r be p y Y N ly y A. A Y S ts 30 s Z 4 I tI w W If h Al m 7 Jr- Jr q i JY J- J P Y tI J If t FL At Of w. w wi Photo By Days Dave Manning Decades of paint have built up on the rock smooth smoothing Ing I t its s su surface rf ace ov dt Tt jj 7 V t J t 1 N 6 A as b r. r s r I Photo Courtesy ot of Utah State Slate Historical Society Spectators visiting Suicide Rock circa 1905 enjoy picnicking near Suicide Rock to and expanding water system made famous by Indian legend The dam remains although its Visitors to Salt Lake were supplied center is torn tom out both sides are still with a map and were invited to visit intact The tunnel through the rock the serene area surrounding the rock has been plugged but the remains of The Parleys Parley's Canyon Dam the settling tank and the traditional served well for many years but was keystone symmetry of the stone culvert cul cul- eventually abandoned in 1955 due vert are visible 1 g ij K L r b t rS w tiM n t o I k f. f r Photo By Dave Manning Present day face of ever-changing ever rock j |