Lees Ferry and Lonely Dell Ranch: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, National Park Service
Froeschaur Nelson P, Curran M, L'Orange P, Cowley J, Mardorf C. 2010. Lees Ferry and Lonely Dell Ranch: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, National Park Service. Cultural Landscapes Inventory Report. 890166. NPS Intermountain Regional Office. Intermountain Regional Office/CLI Database
The Lees Ferry and Lonely Dell Ranch Historic District is located at the confluence of the Colorado and Paria Rivers, in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area within Arizona’s Coconino Country. Lees Ferry, located on the right bank of the Colorado River, was one of the few crossing points along the Colorado in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Its position made it important to the transportation of people and goods, thus influencing growth and settlement patterns of northern Arizona. The ranch enabled John Lee and his families to subsist in this remote area during the time that he operated the ferry. The period of significance for the landscape spans from 1871 to 1972, representing a period of continuous occupation and use. It begins when John D. Lee began agricultural and ferrying operations in 1871 and extends to 1974, when the National Park Service (NPS) assumed ownership of Lonely Dell Ranch. Listed as a combined district on the National Register, the significance of the landscape is associated with early transportation, commerce, tourism, and exploration in the Colorado Plateau region of the American Southwest. The site is significant in the context of Mormon settlement and the expansion of the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS), as cultural traditions such as polygamy influenced Lee’s settlement in this isolated area. Early explorers of the region used the ferry site before it became associated with John Lee. An excommunicated member of the LDS Church, Lee built Lonely Dell Ranch on the bank of the Paria River, where he constructed cabins, built irrigation ditches, and planted fields. The ranch made the ferry operation feasible, providing shelter and food within the isolated setting of Glen Canyon. In the early 1900s, mining claims were established in the area. Although the mining operations ultimately failed, they resulted in several buildings, a mining trail, scattered remnants of mining equipment, and a partially sunken sternwheeler on the river bank. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) also took interest in Lees Ferry in the early 1920s, reusing and renovating many of the prospector buildings for their operations. USGS constructed the first gaging station along the Colorado in 1921 to monitor the flow of river water. Lees Ferry was established as Mile 0. In the 20th century, ferry and ranching operations shifted to reflect technological advances. Numerous ferry accidents drew attention to safety issues, eventually resulting in construction of the Navajo Bridge across Marble Canyon. Completed in 1929, traffic bypassed the ferry, rendering it a symbol of a bygone era. Nevertheless, recreational use of the Colorado River increased after World War II and Lees Ferry again became an important location for river transportation. Similarly, operations at Lonely Dell Ranch also shifted to support tourist and recreational dude ranching activities. The landscape includes the three historic ferry crossings with their associated buildings and structures, as well as the remains of mining activity. The historic vernacular landscape associated with the Lonely Dell Ranch includes former fields and grazing areas; a largely intact, tree-shaded building complex with several historic structures; an orchard; and an irrigation system. The entire landscape is connected by the remains of historic wagon trails and the original Arizona Road. The historical remnants at these sites primarily serve as interpretive features for visitors. The landscape today retains much of its integrity. However, continuous use by boaters and visitors have created the need for more contemporary amenities, which alter the historic setting. Harsh environment and periodic flooding of the region also pose some threat to resources.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Froeschaur Nelson, Peggy; Curran, Michele; L'Orange, Pete; Cowley, Jill; Mardorf, Carrie
- Date of Issue
- 2010-08-12
- Publisher
- NPS Intermountain Regional Office
- Units
- GLCA , IMR
- Keywords
- Agriculture, Architecture, Arizona, Arizona Road, Black Sand Gold Recovery Company, Building Complex, Bureau Of Land Management, Charles H. Spencer, Church of Latter Day Saints, Coconino County, Colorado River, Commerce, Dude ranch, Entertainment-Recreation, Ethnic Communities, Exploration-Settlement, Expressing Cultural Values, Ferrying Operation, Flooding, Frontier, Gaging Station, Glen Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Historic Wagon Trail, Industry, Interpretive Landscape, Irrigation System, isolated, John D. Lee, LDS, Lees Backbone, Lee's Ferry, Marble Canyon, Mining, Mormon, Mountain Meadows Massacre, Navajo Bridge, Navajo Nation, Orchard, Paria River, Peopling Places, Ranching, Recreation, River flow, Social History, Southwest: Arizona and New Mexico, Sternwheeler, Subsistence Agriculture, The Mining Frontier, Tourism, Transforming the Environment, Transforming the Environment, Transportation, United States Geological Suvey, USGS, Vernacular Landscape, Warren Johnson, Ways of Life, Zane Grey