Earliest Crossing of the Deserts of Utah and Nevada to Southern California

In the early fall of 1826 the venturesome explorer and fur-trader, Jedediah S. Smith, led a small party on horseback from Great Salt Lake, Utah, to San Diego, California. He appears to have been the first white man to cross the vast expanse of unknown deserts between the Rocky Mountain region and southern California, as he was also the first to cross the Sierra Nevada, which he did in May of the following year.1There is some doubt as to certain details of the route, but in his letter to General William Clark, of Lewis and Clark fame, written July 12, 1827,2 he states: “My general course on leaving the Salt Lake was South-W. towards the West there are sandy plains and detached rocky hills.” This is correct for the Escalante Desert and Meadow Valley Wash, but grossly incorrect for any part of the Virgin.In order to have reached the upper waters of the then unknown Virgin River, Smith would have been obliged to depart from the direction he wished to take and continue south up the Sevier to its very head, thus entering the region of the formidable cliffs and canyons of the Markagunt Plateau, instead of crossing, as he said he did, “a range of mountains running S.E. and N.W.”—the mountains that separate the upper course of the Sevier from the valleys on the west that lead to the Escalante Desert. Furthermore, the part of the Virgin which he could have reached and followed on horseback is so short that he could not possibly have marched down it for 12 days—or even half that number—unless entangled in its marvelous canyons which, had he seen, he most certainly would have mentioned. And finally, the main course of the Virgin to its junction with the Muddy being westerly and southwesterly, he could not have described it as turning to the southeast two days’ march from its junction with the Colorado.Remember his statement that about 10 days’ march down the stream “the river turns to the southeast.” This just fits the Muddy, but is entirely wrong for the Virgin, as admitted by Dale, who, misidentifying the stream as the Virgin, criticized Smith’s directions as “confused and inadequate.” Smith continued following the river “two days further to where it empties into the Seedekeeden,” by which name, ordinarily written Seedskedee, the Colorado River and its upper continuation the Green were then known.Referring again to the stream he named Adams River he says: “Passing down this river some distance, I fell in with a Nation who call themselves Pa-Ulches”; and adds, “here (about ten days march down it) the river turns to the South East.” This is very important information as it locates his position with remarkable exactness, for we know that the “Pa-Ulckes” or “Pa-Utckes”—written Payuckas and Payuckis by the early Spanish explorers, Escalante, Garces, Font, and Cortez—dwelt and still dwell on the lower part of Meadow Valley Wash and the adjacent part of the Muddy, and we know also that this is where the stream turns to the southeast.4That just at this point Smith chose the gravel mesa several miles west of the stream bed instead of the less desirable course closer in, is obvious to anyone following the route on horseback, and is absolutely proved by the following interesting circumstance:In his letter to General Clark, Smith makes particular mention of a remarkable Salt Cave. After having followed for some time the stream he named Adams River and which I identify as Meadow Valley Wash, and after passing the Pa Ulche Pah Ute Indians, he states, “Here (about 10 days march down it) the river turns to the South East.” This would have brought him to the neighborhood of the junction of the Muddy and Virgin. He then goes on to say, “On the S.W. side of the river there is a Cave the entrance of which is about 10 or 15 feet high Colton’s Map of New Mexico and Utah, 1855; Lieut. Whipple’s Government Map, 1854; Lieut. Warren’s Map of the Territory of the United States from the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean, 1857; Major Emory’s Map of the United States and Territories between the Mississippi and the Pacific Ocean, 1857–1858; Ives’ graphic relief map (drawn by Egloffstein) entitled “Map No. 2, Rio Colorado of the West,” 1858; the Abbé Domenech’s Map of the United States, 1860; Lloyd’s Map of the Territories and Pacific States, 1865; the Government Land Office maps of “Utah and Nevada, 1866”; Keeler’s large “National Map of the Territories of the United States from the Mississippi River to the Ocean, 1867”; and Bancroft’s Map of California and Nevada, 1868.The Wheeler Survey map sheets published in 1874 (Nos. 50, 58, 59, 66, and 67) show with much detail the region between Great Salt Lake and the Great Bend of the Colorado, including Escalante Desert and the courses of Sevier River, Meadow Valley Wash, the Muddy, Santa Clara, and Virgin, thus covering the whole of the country traversed by Jedediah Smith from Utah Lake to the Colorado. They are very graphic, exhibiting in bold relief the mountains, canyons, and plateau escarpments of the region, and while not always accurate in minor details should be consulted by everyone interested in tracing the steps of the first white man who had the courage to explore this unknown route to California.In conclusion, it may be said with confidence that “Ashley’s river” of Smith is the upper part of the Sevier—the part flowing northerly toward Utah Lake, as correctly identified by Chittenden, Richman, and Dale; that “Adams River” of Smith is Meadow Valley Wash of eastern Nevada and its continuation the Muddy—not the Virgin, as heretofore misidentified (except the last few miles of its lower course, as previously explained); and that Smith’s route after crossing the mountains west of the Sevier lay across the Escalante Desert and thence down Meadow Valley Wash and the Muddy to the lower Virgin, and down it to the Colorado River, which he crossed to the south side and followed westerly and southerly around the Great Bend, continuing south to the Mohave villages, where he recrossed to the west side before setting out over the Mohave Desert bound for the coast region of Southern California. JEDEDIAH SMITH’S LETTER TO GENERAL CLARK Verbatim copy from original in Office of Indian Affairs, Washington. Little Lake of Bear River. July 12th. 1827.Genl Wm. ClarkSupt. Indian AffairsSir.My situation here, has enabled me to collect information respecting a Section of the country which, to the citizens of the U. States, has hitherto been veiled in obscurity;—I allude to the country S.W. of the Great Salt Lake, west of the Rocky Mountains.I started about the 22nd. of Augt. 1826 from the Great Salt Lake with a party of fifteen men for the purpose of exploring the Country S.W. which was entirely unknown to me, and of which I could collect no satisfactory information from the Indians who inhabit this country on its N.E. borders.My general course on leaving the Salt Lake, was South-W. & West—passing the Little Uta Lake, and ascending Ashleys River which empties into the little Uta Lake: from this, I found no more sign of Buffaloo—there are a few Antelope & Mountain Sheep and an abundance of Black-tailed Hares. On Ashleys river, I found a Nation of Indians who call themselves Sampatch.—they were friendly disposed towards us. I passed over a range of Mountains running S.E. & N.W. and struck a river running S.W. which I called Adams’ River, in Compliment to our President. The water is of a muddy cast, & is a little brackish—the country is mountainous to the East—towards the West, there are Sandy Plains, and detached Rockey Hills. Passing down this river some distance, I fell in with a Nation of Indians, who call themselves Pa Ulches. these Indians, as well as those last mentioned, wear rabbit Skin robes.—who raise some little Corn & Pumpkins. the Country is nearly destitute of Game of any description except a few Hares here (about 10 days march down it) the river turns to the South east. On the S.W. side of the river there is a Cave the entrance of which is about 10 or 15 feet high & 5 or 6 feet in width—after descending about 15 feet, the room opens out from 25 to 30 feet in length & 15 to 20 feet in width. The roof, sides, & floor are Solid Rock Salt—a sample of which, I send you, with some other articles which will be hereafter described. I have found a kind of plant of the Prickly Pear kind, which I called the Cabbage Pear.—the largest of which grow about 2½ feet high & 1½ feet in diameter. Upon examination, I found it to be nearly of the substance of a Turnip, altho’ by no means palatable.—its form was similar to that of an Egg—being smaller at the ground & top, than in the middle.—it is covered with Pricks, similar to the Prickly Pear, with which you are acquainted.There are here also, a number of shrubs & small trees with which I was not acquainted previous to my route there, and which I cannot at present describe satisfactorily, as it would take more space, than I can here allot.The Pa Ulches have a number of marble pipes, one of which I obtained & Send you—altho’ it has been broken since I have had it in my possession—they told me there was a quantity of the same material in their country. I also obtained of them, a Knife of Flint which I send you, but it has likewise been broken by accident.I followed Adams’ River 2 days further, to where it empties, into the Seeds Keeden, a southeast course. I crossed the Seeds Keeden and went down it four days, a South Course.—I here found the country remarkably barren, rocky & mountainous—there are a good many rapids in the river. About at this place a Valley opens out, about 5 to 15 miles in width, which on the river banks is Timbered and fertile. I here found a Nation of Indians who call themselves Am-muchábas.—the cultivate the Soil, and raise Corn, Beans, Pumpkins, Water & Muskmellons in abundance, and also a little Wheat & I was now nearly destitute of and had it was to I there fifteen days and my and I was enabled also to my & a few more of a few Indians who some of the have information of the Spanish and obtained two recrossed the Seeds Keeden which I found into the of California, about miles from this place by the name of the the river from the a West course, fifteen days over a Country of from I crossed a Salt about 20 miles long & [now known as Lake or the of the on the was a of white the there is a of from to 1 in between this & the upper there is about of my in the of upper California, I was with & was to in of the of the at by the of some American of the from I was to to return with my the route I and such as I in would not me to up the coast to I to my party and such articles as were & went of the Spanish on the route I had I then my course from to miles from the very high range of mountains being on the east. After miles in that direction, through a country in which there was a many Indians and destitute of with the of & and is very singular the their to the length of proved to be of is on & my at a River which I called the after a of Indians who on it of that I found a few & in I here a small and to take my party across the which I before mentioned, & which I called to on & my at the Great Salt found the so on that I could not cross my of which to I was to return to the Valley which I had And there leaving my I started with two & 2 which I with for the & for and on the of May & in crossing it in only two & 1 I found the on the of this from to feet but it was so by the of the that my only from to one 20 days from the side of I struck the S.W. of the Great Salt Lake, over a country barren, and destitute of water for two days, over sandy where there was no sign of we found water in some of the Rocky we most found some Indians, who the most of the to on any except we arrived at the Salt Lake, we had but one & one which were so that they could the little which I had of my I was to as the The are now must close this JEDEDIAH of the of Smith, & and of the original have been it should be that at the of the and there a short an which is here by a