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Lonely Dell Ranch, AZ

In 1872, a fugitive named John D. Lee established this ranch to hide out from his involvement in the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre.
When they arrived, John's wife Emma (1 of 19 wives) exclaimed, "oh what a lonely dell". John liked the sound of it and named the settlement, Lonely Dell Ranch.

The family was able to make money by shuttling travelers across the the Colorado River on their makeshift ferry boats.
Lee was found in 1874 then taken to the Moutain Meadows Massacre sight to be executed in 1877.

Emma continued operating the ranch and the family business until 1879 when she sold the property to the Mormon church who then put Warren Johnson in charge.

Warren's son, Jerry, turned the Lonely Dell Ranch into a polygamist haven because once the Navajo bridge was built in 1929, there was no need to cross by ferry so the ranch grew quiet and they could practice plural marriage discretely since it was illegal in the U.S. and now longer accepted by the LDS.

Today no one lives here but it is still a quiet haven to travelers seeking a couple days to rest, recuperate, and enjoy nature.

We were able to walk along property with all 4 kiddos and imagined how hard life must have been to survive this desert.
The muddy Paria river made growing crops difficult so the families that once lived here had to be creative with how they watered their plants.

During the fruit season, anyone is allowed to pick the fresh fruit that still grows on the trees today or enjoy a peaceful picnic in the silent courtyard.

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