Below Lee's Ferry comes the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, cut a full mile
deep for about 200 miles, in a winding channel, with only occasional
spots where trails are feasible to the river's edge. A suspension bridge
is being erected by the United States Forest Service below El Tovar, with
a trail northward up Bright Angel Canyon. A feasible trail exists from
the mouth of Kanab Wash to the northward. To the southward there is
possibility of approach to the river by wagon at Diamond Creek, but the
first real crossing lies immediately below the great Canyon at Grand
Wash, a point where there was ferrying, in 1862, by Hamblin and a party
who brought a boat from Kanab. Return on this expedition was via the Ute
ford. Hamblin, with Lewis Greeley, crossed again at the Grand Wash in
April, 1863, and there is record of a later trip of indefinite date, made
by him on the river from Grand Wash to Callville, in company with Crosby
and Miller. Several of the Hamblin expeditions crossed at Grand Wash in
the years thereafter, but it appears that it was not until December,
1876, that a regular ferry there was established, this by Harrison
Pearce. The place bears the name of Pearce's Ferry unto this day, though
the maps give it as "Pierce." A son of Harrison Pearce, and former
assistant in the operation of the ferry, James Pearce, was the first
settler of Taylor on Silver Creek, Arizona, where he still resides.
The next ferry was at the mouth of the Virgin, where there were boats for
crossing at necessity, including the time when President Brigham Young
and party visited the locality, in March, 1870. When the settlers on the
Muddy and the Virgin balloted upon the proposition of abandoning the
country, Daniel Bonelli and wife were the only ones who voted the
negative. When the Saints left southern Nevada, Bonelli and wife moved to
a point about six miles below the mouth of the Virgin, and there
established a ferry that still is owned by a son of the founder. This is
the same noted on government maps as Stone's Ferry, though there has been
a change of a few miles in location. About midway between the Virgin and
Grand Wash, about 1881, was established the Mike Scanlon ferry.
Downstream, early-day ferries were operated at the El Dorado canyon
crossing and on the Searchlight road, at Cottonwood Island. W.H. Hardy
ferried at Hardyville. About the later site of Fort Mohave, Capt. Geo. A.
Johnston, January 23, 1858, in a stern wheel steamer, ferried the famous
Beale camel expedition across the river.