Back to the pioneers into Arizona

The 1873 Roundy Expedition to Arizona was almost a complete failure, likely more from the attitude of the pioneers, rather than any particular conditions in Arizona. Bishop Lorenzo W. Roundy has the distinction of drowning at Lee's Ferry in 1876.

"The year before the above incident, in the spring of 1873, President Brigham Young had called a number of people to establish settlements in Arizona. They met at the tabernacle in Salt Lake where they were given instructions by President Young. A company of these people headed by Lorenzo W. Roundy stopped in Kanab for a short time in April as they were on their way to Arizona. After the river was crossed, the expedition was abandoned when they saw the desert wasteland and because they feared Indians. They returned to Utah. Among these were Charles S. Cram and family, who first settled in Johnson, but later located at Kanab. They brought with them a number of cows and horses which they first ran in Stewart Canyon.

According to John R. Young, it was 1873 that the road over 'Lee's Backbone' near Lee's Ferry was built.

Zadok Judd, Jr., says that he, Walter Dinsor, and L. C. Mariger from Kanab worked with the other men in Southern Utah on this project. They repaired the road from Kanab and spent about three weeks building the road over Lee's Backbone. On their way home they met the Lorenzo W. Roundy company. He says, "Thus we opened the gateway from Utah to Arizona and it was, I suppose, the only wagon road used for many years."

From information attributed to a manuscript "History of Kanab" compiled from old journals, etc. by Rose H. Hamblin. See Jared Pratt Family Association.

Jacob Hamblin's Narrative gives a more complete account of the death of Bishop Roundy:

In May, 1876, Brothers D. H. Wells, Erastus Snow and other leading men among the Saints, were sent to visit the new settlements in Arizona. I was sent with them as a guide. The Colorado was then high — a raging torrent. The current shifted from side to side, and the surging of the waters against the rocks caused large and dangerous whirlpools.

We put three wagons and some luggage on the ferry boat. We were under the necessity of towing the boat up stream one mile, to give a chance for landing at the proper place on the other side of the river. When taking the boat around a point of rock, the water poured over the bow. Word was given to slacken the tow rope. In doing so, the rope caught in the seam of a rock, and the draft on the boat continuing, the bow was drawn under water.

In a moment the rapid current swept the boat clear of its contents. Men, wagons and luggage went into the surging waters. When I plunged into the cold snow-water to swim, my right
arm cramped, which caused me to almost despair of getting ashore. A large oar was passing me, and I threw my arm over it to Save myself from sinking. About the same time Brother L. John Nuttall caught the same oar, so I thought it best to try to swim with one arm. However, I was soon able to use both, and went safely to shore.

I ran down the river bank, got into a skiff with two others, pulled out to the heads of the rapids, and saved a wagon and its contents on an island. The other two wagons with all the valuables they contained, including the most of our supplies, passed over the rapids into the Grand Canyon of the Colorado. On getting together we found that Brother Lorenzo W. Roundy was missing. He was said to be a good swimmer, and it is probable he was taken with the cramp and sank at once. His body has never been found.

Brother Lorenzo Hatch sank deep into the river, but saved himself from drowning and was picked up by the skiff. Brother Warren Johnson and another man hung to a wagon until they were taken up with the skiff, just in time to save them from going over the rapids.

This unfortunate affair occurred on the 28th of May. We gathered up what was left of our outfit, and visited the missions at Mowabby and Moancoppy, and the settlements on the Little Colorado.

Little, James A. Jacob Hamblin; A Narrative of His Personal Experience As a Frontiersman, Missionary to the Indians, and Explorer. Disclosing Interpositions of Providence, Severe Privations, Perilous Situations and Remarkable Escapes. Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-Day Saints. Salt Lake City: The Deseret News, 1909.