John Deering

John Deering carried the Diné name Bih Bitoodnii Nez and belonged to the Deer Water Clan. Born in 1870, he and his wife Susie, of the Maii Deeshgiizhinii Clan, raised nine children and opened country across the Gap, Cedar Ridge, Bitter Spring, and Marble Canyon. He hauled supplies and U.S. Mail between Flagstaff and Salt Lake City, ran livestock, and operated the Lees Ferry crossing, keeping its trail passable until the Navajo Bridge replaced the boat in 1929. He died at Cedar Ridge in 1956.

What the plaque says

John Deering (Bih Bitoodnii Nez) born 1870 of the Deer Water Clan, his wife Susie Deering, born in 1878, of the Maii Deeshgiizhinii Clan, and their nine children, pioneered the areas of the Gap, Copper Mine, Cedar Ridge, Bitter Spring, Page, Marble Canyon, and Lee's Ferry., Bih Bitoodnii Nez transported supplies and U.S. Mail from Flagstaff to Salt Lake City and supported his family by raising livestock and hunting in the Kaibab and Dixie National Forests., John Deering operated the Lee's Ferry and maintained the historic trail until the historic Navajo Bridge was constructed in 1929. He died April 18, 1956 in Cedar Ridge, Arizona., In Memory of John and Susie Deering, Gap Bodaway Chapter.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Antelope Canyon — 14 mi
  Tsé bighánílíní — where the water runs through the rock

More markers nearby

• Lewis Nez — steps away
• Navajo Bridge — steps away
• Lafe McDaniel — steps away
• Marble Canyon Lodge — 0.2 mi