Hampton's Bear River Crossing

Of all the stage stops that once dotted the West, few outlasted their era; this one did. The ford here was old, used by Native travelers and trappers, when Ben Hampton and William Godbe put a ferry across the Bear River around 1853. It grew into a home station for the overland stage lines — Holladay's and then Wells-Fargo — and around 1866 its owners threw a toll bridge over the river and raised stage barns and a rock hotel. When the railroad reached Malad in 1906 the traffic died away, but the old station still stands.

What the plaque says

Ford was used by Indians, Fur Tappers and Mountain Men. About 1853 Ben Hampton and Wm. Godbe operated a ferry for emigrant traffic. The site became a "home station" successively for stages of Oliver & Conniver, Ben Holladay, and Wells-Fargo. About 1866 Hampton, Godbe, Alvin Nichols, Sr., Mark Bigler and others erected the toll bridge. stage barns, and rock hotel. The bridge was acquired by Box Elder County in 1883. In 1906 the rails reached Malad and traffic through here declined. The station remains one of the best preserved of all the stage stops in the Old West.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Wellsville Mountains — 13 mi
  The steepest mountains in North America for their height
• Logan — 14 mi
  A vibrant college town tucked into a stunning mountain valley
• American West Heritage Center — 15 mi
  A living history farm spanning 160 acres of Cache Valley
• Hyrum State Park — 17 mi
  A family-friendly reservoir at the mouth of Blacksmith Fork Canyon

More markers nearby

• Hansen Dairy — 2.5 mi
• Salt Lake Cutoff, Bear River Crossing — 3.3 mi
• Boise Ford — 6.7 mi
• Newton Reservoir — 7.9 mi