9 2 0 , ▁an ▁improved ▁gra vel ▁road ▁over ▁Johnson ▁Pass ▁from ▁St . ▁John ▁to ▁Or r ' s ▁R anch ▁( just ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁modern - day ▁termin us ▁of ▁SR - 1 9 9 ) ▁was ▁built ▁with ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁a ▁don ation ▁from ▁Carl ▁G . ▁Fish er , ▁replacing ▁Sk ull ▁Valley ▁Road ▁( an ▁un im pro ved ▁d irt ▁trail ) ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Lincoln ▁Highway . ▁This ▁road ▁( al ong ▁with ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁Lincoln ▁Highway ) ▁was ▁included ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁road ▁system ▁as ▁an ▁un number ed ▁highway ▁from ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁to ▁ 1 9 2 5 . ▁ ▁Further ▁west ▁in ▁Ut ah ▁( near ▁the ▁current - day ▁D ug way ▁Pro ving ▁Gr ound ), ▁Frank ▁Se iber ling , ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Lincoln ▁Highway ▁Association ▁and ▁the ▁Go ody ear ▁T ire ▁and ▁Rub ber ▁Company ▁committed ▁$ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁ ▁short ▁cut ▁across ▁the ▁desert ▁from ▁County ▁Well ▁( west ▁of ▁Or r ' s ▁R anch ) ▁to ▁Gold ▁Hill , ▁which ▁would ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Go ody ear ▁C ut - off . ▁After ▁comple ting ▁only ▁, ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Ut ah ▁re evalu ated ▁its ▁long - term ▁highway ▁plan ▁and ▁terminated ▁the ▁project , ▁and ▁instead , ▁began ▁construct ing ▁the ▁Wend over ▁C ut - off ▁farther ▁north . ▁Ut ah ▁officials