Hualapai Smith's facts for kids

Hualapai Smith's, also known as Smith's Ferry, was an important place on the Colorado River in Sonora, Mexico. It was a spot where steamboats could land, people could cross the river using a ferry, and there was also a farm. This location was active from the late 1860s until 1878.

It was named after its owner, J. L. Smith. People called him Hualapai Smith because he was the first explorer to discover the Hualapai Valley in Arizona in the early 1860s. Today, the area where Hualapai Smith's used to be is part of a farming community called La Grullita, near San Luis Río Colorado.

History of Smith's Ferry

Before Hualapai Smith's, there were other ferry crossings in the area. These included Gonzales' Ferry and Mariposa Ferry. They were located about 30 miles below Fort Yuma on the Colorado River. These ferries were active before the American Civil War began in 1861.

Ferries During the Civil War

During the Civil War, the Union Army at Fort Yuma wanted to stop anyone who supported the Confederacy from crossing the river. On November 21, 1861, the Union Army ordered the destruction of Gonzales' Ferry boat. The owner, Fecunda Gonzales, then left the area. Paddock's Old Ferry was already abandoned and in ruins.

J. L. Smith Establishes His Ferry

Around 1865, there were conflicts with the Hualapai and Paiute tribes. This caused many mines in the northern Colorado River area to close. J. L. Smith, who had made some money from mining, likely bought the abandoned ferry site and land for his farm around this time. He then started his own ferry crossing.

By 1872, Smith's Ferry was well-known. A newspaper in Yuma, Arizona, called The Arizona Sentinel, reported on December 7, 1872:

"Mexican Doings. A report reached town yesterday to the effect that about forty Mexicans had taken possession of the property of J. L. Smith, better known as Hualapai Smith, who lives on the Mexican side of the line, about 20 miles from this city."

In August 1873, the Sentinel newspaper reported that Smith's Ferry was told to watch out for two men. These men were wanted for a murder at Kenyon Station.

End of the River Landings

The river landings below Yuma, including Smith's Ferry, stopped being used in 1878. This happened after the Southern Pacific railroad reached Yuma in 1877. The railroad company bought the Colorado Steam Navigation Company. By 1878, they had replaced the old river port at Port Isabel, Sonora with a new one at the railroad's end in Yuma.

What Remains Today

Today, there are no signs left of the old Hualapai Smith's settlement. The area is now covered by farmland and farm buildings. It is part of the farming community called Ejido Grullita, located along a former path of the Colorado River.

See also

In Spanish: Hualapai Smith's para niños