 The crossing was named for Edward Fitzgerald Beale who lead the expedition that built what came to be called Beale's Wagon Road from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Beale's Crossing in California, then by way of the Mohave Trail/Old Spanish Trail, and another old route west from the Mojave River to Fort Tejon, California.Beale's Crossing was at first just the place Beale's expedition swam his camels, horses, and mules west across the Colorado River and ferried their goods over on rafts.The first pioneer wagon trains that soon followed along Beale's road to the crossing, cut down trees along the river bank to make rafts.