1872 Founding Family

John D. Lee arrived at this river bend in 1872 a fugitive, wanted for orchestrating the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre, where a Mormon militia killed roughly 120 California-bound emigrants. The ferry his church sent him to run doubled as a hiding place. His wife Emma held the operation together through his long absences; the law caught him in 1874 and executed him by firing squad in 1877. Emma stayed on at the ranch she named Lonely Dell until 1889, then sold and left.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Antelope Canyon — 12 mi
  Tsé bighánílíní — where the water runs through the rock

More markers nearby

• 1925 Polygamist Cabin — steps away
• Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness — steps away
• Lonely Dell Ranch — steps away
• Lees Ferry Fort — 0.6 mi