orial ▁Legisl ature , ▁and ▁following ▁church ▁orders ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 2 , ▁Lee ▁moved ▁from ▁Iron ▁County ▁and ▁established ▁a ▁heavily ▁used ▁fer ry ▁crossing ▁on ▁the ▁Colorado ▁River , ▁where ▁the ▁site ▁is ▁still ▁called ▁Lee ' s ▁Fer ry . ▁The ▁nearby ▁ran ch ▁was ▁named ▁the ▁L on ely ▁D ell ▁R anch ▁and ▁is ▁now ▁listed ▁on ▁the ▁National ▁Register ▁of ▁Historic ▁Places , ▁together ▁with ▁the ▁fer ry ▁site . ▁ ▁Mountain ▁M ead ows ▁mass acre ▁ ▁Mass acre ▁ ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 8 5 7 , ▁the ▁Baker - F an cher ▁party , ▁an ▁em igr ant ▁group ▁from ▁Ark ansas , ▁camp ed ▁at ▁Mountain ▁M ead ows , ▁a ▁st aging ▁area ▁in ▁southern ▁Ut ah ▁used ▁to ▁prepare ▁for ▁the ▁long ▁crossing ▁of ▁the ▁M oj ave ▁Des ert ▁by ▁groups ▁trav elling ▁west ward ▁to ▁California . ▁They ▁were ▁attacked ▁by ▁a ▁combined ▁group ▁of ▁Native ▁Americans ▁and ▁M orm on ▁milit iam en ▁dressed ▁as ▁Native ▁Americans . ▁There ▁were ▁multiple ▁mot ives ▁for ▁the ▁conflict , ▁including ▁a ▁general ▁atmosphere ▁of ▁rising ▁t ensions ▁between ▁the ▁US ▁Federal ▁government ▁and ▁M orm on ▁sett lers ▁( see ▁Ut ah ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 8 5 7 - 1 8 5 8 ) ▁and ▁a ▁rum or ▁that ▁the ▁Baker - F an cher ▁party ▁included ▁those ▁who ▁had ▁murder ed ▁M orm ons ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 8 ▁event ▁known ▁as ▁Ha un