The Coconino sun., 1927-04-15

i The Lee log cabin showed that some
of its logs originally had been used
in some sort of raft or rude ferry
boat. There was also found in the
yard a boat, said to have been one
of those of the Powell expedition.
This may have been the Nellie
i Powell" !"
i The first real ferryboat was that
built by John l.. Blythe, on October
| Is, 1873, a barge 20x40 feet, one that
would hold two wagons, loads and
:, teams. 1t was in this boat that the
Jas. S. Brown party crossed in 1875,
and much larger migration to the
( Little Colorado in the spring of 1876.
i The river at Lees Ferry in Janu-
ary, 1878, was frozen over and many
heavily loaded wagons, some weigh
ing upwards of $500 pounds, crossed
from shore to shore, but above and
! below short distance the river was
open.
Mr.. Clark, now located at Lees
Ferry, showed me kodak views of the
river at the ferry when the river was
II frozen over and great packs of slush
:
d At point about six miles below
the ferry the county of Coconino with
national aid is preparing for the con-
, struction Of a bridge with 400 foot
span. Upon its completion Lees
4 Ferry will pass save for its place in
| history. As many of you know, the
. last legislature, still in session, APP
propriated $185,000 to match 100000
appropriated by the federal govern
ment for the purpose of constructing
this bridge
In May, 1879, Emma Batcheler Lee,
I widow of John d. Lee, deceased, con-
veyed by warranty deed as follows:
"Know All Men BY These Pres
ents:
"That I, Emma Batcheler Lee,
owner of and residing at place
Il known as Lees Ferry on the
Grand Colorado river, supposed
to be in Yavapai county, territory
of Arizona, for and in considera-
, ton of the sum of $4,000 to be
/ paid by John Taylor of Salt Lake
| City, Salt Lake couny, Utah ter
ritory, certain real property there
! in described, together with all
ferry privileges, rights of landing
II on both sides of the river, boats,
/ chains, ropes, lumber, dugways on
!. both sides of the river, crossings,
fences, houses, cellars, water
rights and privileges"
Jeremiah Johnson, who now lives at
! Lees Ferry states that the dug-way
. was made in 1888; that an outfit from
! Utah contracted to build the dug-way
!, for So 900 for the Mormon church.
1 Evidently there was dug-way COM
menced, and perhaps some of it con-
/ structed prior to 1879, because Mrs.
| Lee in her deed to John Taylor par
ticularly mentions dug-ways.
Nothing further is found of record
until August, 1909, when Joseph F.
Smith, trustee in trust for the Church
/ of Christ of Latter Day Saints, by a
quit-claim deed conveyed to the
Grand Canyon Cattle company, cor
poration organized and doing business
in Los Angeles, all the interests
owned by the church in the property
known as Lees Ferry, situated on the
Colorado river, county of Coconino,
territory Of Arizona.
In September, 1909, James S. En-
NETT and Emma ]. Emmett quit.
claimed to the Grand Canyon Cattle
company all their right in what is
y
and premises situated on Paria creek.
In April, 1910, w. G. Dickinson,
1 member of the board of supervisors,
was authorized by the board to make
II such arrangements as in his judg
| ment was necessary with the Grand
4 Canyon Cattle company for maintain
/ ing a ferry over the Colorado river at
a point known as Lees Ferry.
In June, 1910, the clerk of the
board of supervisors was instructed
to notify the Grand Canyon Cattle
company to execute a bill Of sale to
4 Lees Ferry equipment; and, on the
/ 3Oth day Of June, 1910, the Grand
! Canyon Cattle company gave q bill OF
sale to Coconino county, territory OF
Arizona, to that certain ferry boat
now operating and known as Lees
| Ferry across the Colorado river in
Coconino county.
i In August, 1910, a contract between
1 the Grand Canyon Cattle company
and the county of Coconino for oper-
ating a ferry boat at Lees Ferry was
/ signed by the members of the board
for the county.
In September, 1911, w. H. Switzer,
clerk of the board of supervisors,
wrote to the board of supervisors as
/ follows:
II have examined the ferry boat re-
Gently built by G. H. Spencer at Lees
Ferry for the county, from lumber
furnished by the county, and find
same to have been built and finished
! in a substantial and workmanlike
manner. / saw boat tested by heavy
4 loads being crossed on same and be-
/ lieve that this boat will answer the
county for all ferrying purposes at
4 this point for an indefinite time.
sT respectfully recommend though
that aprons be made and attached to
1 each end Of the boat, so that the load
ing and unloading will be easier and
safer for men and stock. G. Fl. Spen-
Ger will agree to build and attach the
aprons if the county will furnish the
necessary material at the ferry. The
work Of making free of expense toI
county.
4 II further recommend that upon the
approval of this report by your hon
.orabie body, the job of building the
- : u II