Lees Ferry Fort

Settlers built this squat stone fort in the summer of 1874, bracing for a conflict with the Diné that never came to the crossing. It was never attacked. Instead the building found quieter uses: a short-lived trading post, then a mess hall when Charles Spencer's mining crews arrived in 1911, then a home for ferry families and government surveyors through the 1930s. The plaque calls it a fort, but its real history is one of commerce and shelter, not the siege it was raised to withstand.

What the plaque says

The fort was never attacked, but welcomed travelers as a short-lived trading post. In 1911, miners expanded the building to use briefly as a crew mess hall. Through the 1930s, it mainly served as a home for various ferry families, USGS employees, and passing travelers.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Antelope Canyon — 11 mi
  Tsé bighánílíní — where the water runs through the rock

More markers nearby

• Upper Ferry Site — steps away
• Lees Ferry — 0.4 mi
• Historic District River Trail — 0.5 mi
• Lonely Dell Ranch — 1.0 mi