The Paria crossing had served as route of most of the Mormon migration
south. The ferry has been passed occasionally by river explorers,
particularly by the Stanton expedition, which reached that point on
Christmas Day, 1889, in the course of a trip down the Colorado that
extended as far as salt water. The ferryboat was not needed at one stage
of the history of Lee's Ferry. The story comes in the journals of several
members of a missionary party. Anthony W. Ivins (now a member of the
Church First Presidency) and Erastus B. Snow reached the river January
16, 1878, about the same time as did John W. Young and a number of
prospective settlers bound for the Little Colorado. The Snow narrative of
the experience follows:
"The Colorado River, the Little Colorado and all the springs and watering
places were frozen over. Many of the springs and tanks were entirely
frozen up, so that we were compelled to melt snow and ice for our teams.
We (that is J.W. Young and I), crossed our team and wagon on the ice over
the Colorado. I assure you it was quite a novelty to me, to cross such a
stream of water on ice; many other heavily loaded wagons did the same,
some with 2500 pounds on. One party did a very foolish trick, which
resulted in the loss of an ox; they attempted to cross three head of
large cattle all yoked and chained together, and one of the wheelers
stepped on a chain that was dragging behind, tripped and fell, pulling
his mate with him, thereby bringing such a heft on the ice that it broke
through, letting the whole into the water; but the ice being sufficiently
strong they could stand on it and pull them out one at a time. One got
under the ice and was drowned, the live one swimming some length of time
holding the dead one up by the yoke."
Concerning the same trip, Mr. Ivins has written the Arizona Historian
that, "the river was frozen from shore to shore, but, above and below for
a short distance, the river was open and running rapidly." Great care was
taken in crossing, the wagons with their loads usually pulled over by
hand and the horses taken over singly. Thus the ice was cracked. Mr.
Ivins recites the episode of the oxen and then tells that a herd of
cattle was taken across by throwing each animal, tying its legs and
dragging it across. One man could drag a grown cow over the smooth ice.
Mr. Ivins tells that he remained at the river several days, crossing on
the ice 32 times. On the 22d the missionaries and settlers all were at
Navajo Springs, ready to continue the journey. It is believed that the
Colorado has not been frozen over since that time.
There now is prospect that the Paria route between Utah and Arizona will
be much bettered by construction of a road that avoids Paria Creek and
attains the summit of the mesa, to the northward, within a comparatively
short distance. At a point six miles below the ferry, the County of
Coconino, with national aid, is preparing for construction of a
suspension bridge, with a 400-foot span. Upon its completion, Lee's Ferry
will pass, save for its place in history.