A look in the distance at a rock outcropping known as Bruff's Singular Rock near Massacre Ranch east of Vya, Nevada, named after Joseph Goldsborough Bruff who traveled the Applegate Trail in September 1849.  He is best known as a topographer, journalist, and artist of the gold rush era. Bruff was born in Washington, D.C., on October 2, 1804. He attended West Point from 1820 until his resignation in 1822. From 1827-1836 he worked as a topographical engineer, predominantly at Gosport Naval Yard in Norfolk, Virginia. He returned to Washington, D.C., in 1837 and from 1838-1849 worked for the U.S. Bureau of Topographical Engineers. Bruff then organized the Washington City and California Mining Association, which he accompanied to California. While in California he produced extensive journals and drawings of the mining camp experience. In 1853 Bruff returned to Washington, D.C., where he worked in office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department until his death on April 14, 1889.

The marker placed in 1999 along the original trail reads:

Applegate Trail - Singular Rock

"After we left (Upper High Rock) canyon we crossed over one or two hills and passed some water and grass and then took round a hill and encamped in a valley a short distance after passing some large rocks on our left."  Israel Hale, August 29, 1849.

Source: https://calisphere.org/item/824de1bd20a92e4a63701d74554c2632/