History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

752 COMMERCE AND COMMUNICATION.
Hastings pass in the Humboldt Mountains, where
it branched off in a south-westerly direction toward
Carson lake and river, and from Carson City south
to Genoa. 2 The southern route was by way of the
Sevier, Santa Clara, and Virgen rivers, striking the
Fremont trail near Las Vegas, thence partly across
desert tracts to the junction of Indian River and the
Colorado, and from that point to San Bernardino. 3
On neither of the last two were grass and water
abundant, but the southern route had the advantage
of being rarely blocked with snow, except for the portion
of it that lay between Salt Lake and the Rio
Virgen.
At the close of 1883 there were more than 3,000
miles of common roadway in Utah, 4 and 1,143 miles
2 In 1859 J. H. Simpson of the topographical engineers received instructions
from Gen. Johnson to explore the great basin, with a view to find a
direct wagon route from Camp Floyd to Genoa, in Carson Valley. An account
of the expedition will be found in his Rept Explor. Gt Basin. For
about 300 miles his route was identical with Egan's, except for a few unimportant
deviations; but soon after reaching Ruby Valley it tended more
toward the south. Egan's line was preferred, however, as on the one taken
by Simpson grass and water were scarce. Howard Egan, a major in the
Nauvoo legion, and a well-known guide and mountaineer, was for some years
engaged in driving stock to Cal. in the service of Livingston & Kinkead, and
afterward became a mail agent. Burton's City of the Saints, 550. See, for an
account of the explorations of E. F. Beales between Fort Defiance and the
Colorado, and F. W. Lander between Green and Bear rivers in 1857, Warren's
mem. in Pac. R. R. Rept, xi. 91; for remarks on the advantages of
different routes, Wheeler's Surveys, Progress Rept, 1S72, 33-6; for J. W.
Powell's exploring and surveying expeditions, Applcton's Jour., xi. ; Smithsonian
Rept, 1877, 67-82; for further matters relating to government roads,
House Ex. Doc, 34th Cong. IstSess., i., pt 2, 504-7; 35th Cong. 2d Sess.,
ii , pt 2, 12, 149-51, 202-6, pt. 3, 1300-3; 36th Cong. 1st Sess., Mess and
Doc, pt 2, 13-15, 131-2, 194-5, 200-4, 221-30; House Rept, 34th Cong. 1st
Sess., i. 185; Sen. Doc., 35th Cong. 2d Sess., nos. 39, 40. Appropriations
were made at various dates for the building and repair of bridges, for which
see Utah Jour. Legisl. and Utah Laws, passim. In 18S2 the sum of So, 000
was appropriated toward building a bridge across the Weber at Riverdale,
and $1,000 for a bridge across the Provo at Provo City. For description of
Provo caiion bridge in 1858, see Deseret News, Oct. 13, 1858; for condition of
bridges a:ul roads in 1859, Id. , July 6, U59.
3 Portions of this route were traversed by Chandless and Remy, by whom
it is described in their respective works.
4 For reports of commissioners, appropriations, work done, condition, and
other matters relating to local roads, see Utah Acts, 1855-6, 44-6; Utah Jour.
Legisl., 1859-60, 96-8; 1860-1, 5S-9, 113-14, 149, 165, 168; 1861-2, 59, 70,
73, 104, 116-17, 121, 132, 144; 1862-3, 29-30, 45, 51, 63; 1863-4, 54-5, 85,
108, 131-2: 1864-5, 53-6, 73, 140-1; 1805-6, 20-3, 29, 53, 70-1, 102, 122,
156-7; 1866-7, 20, 23-5, 2S-9. 61-3, G6; 1868. 21-2, 25, 44-6, 75-6, 92,
116-18, 129; 1869, 20-1, 23-4, 55-6, 71-2, 7 ( J-S0, 82-3, SS, 93-4, 102, 112,