Show aC Itt t s t x II jt The brass plaque at the Crossing of the Fathers Is now accessible only by boat and Md is expected to be removed before waters of Lake Powell back up to cover the site Editors Editor's Note This is an an- other Bother In a series of See Utah articles designed to better acquaint acquaint ac ac- j quaint with their home state The stories have been prepared by the Utah Tourist and Publicity Council and each week a different subject will willbe willbe be featured The famous Crossing of the Fathers on the Colorado River In Kane County will wilt be cons consigned to a watery grave early In 1963 but will cheer rather than Its demise beca because se of the cause Begin Water Vater Storage j Engineers from froin the U U. U S. S Bureau Bu reau renu of Reclamation will close diversion dl di version tunnels at Glen Olen Canyon CanyonDam CanyonDam Dam and begin storing water In massive Lake Powell soon to be De bethe bethe Dethe the largest freshwater lake In Utah and one of the largest manmade man made bodies of water In the entire entire en en- tire world Water backing up behind the dam will soon cover up the his ford where the tho first white men on Utah soil soli cross crossed d the Colorado River In 1776 on their I Iway way back to Santa Fe N N. M. M I Loss of the Crossing however however how how- ever will be greatly offset by the I creation of a vast recreation area In In the s spectacular e southern Utah wilderness r. r a recreation area destined to be one of the most popular In western America Crossing of the Fathers' Fathers played play play- I ed a significant part In the first chapter of Utah's history said D. D James Cannon director of the Utah Tourist and Publicity Coun cu Catholic Priests The first white men to penetrate penetrate pene pene- the state were two Spanish Catholic priests from Santa Fe Father Escalante and Father Dominguez Do Do- who with a small party I of soldiers and Indians crossed Utah in 1776 In search of a route to California While encamped In what later was to become Be County the Franciscan explorers gave up their search and then traveled south and md southeast looking for fora a place to cross the walled steep Colorado River After many hardships and tin weeks of searching F Father ther Escalante's Escalante's Escalante's Esca- Esca lante's party made its way down what later was to be named Padre Creek chipped steps out of the sandstone walls to give their horses footing and eventually crossed the Colorado on Nov 7 1776 at the spot known today as asI I Crossing of the Fathers I Plaque Erected Th The stone steps chipped by the Franciscan explorers are still visible vis vis- Ible about a mile up Padre Creek They too will be covered by the I waters of Lake Powell A plaque at the mouth of Padre Creek commemorates the crossing The Fathers actually crossed the liver a little downstream downstream down down- stream diagonally fording the stream over a shallow sandbar The brass bras I marker was erected in 1938 by Dr Russell nOMell G O. O Frazier frailer Charles Kelly and Byron Davies three well known river runners Presumably It wilt will be removed before be before fore water backs up to cover I be up the tho Crossing of the Fathers |