ola ▁and ▁camp ed ▁some ▁si xty ▁miles ▁east ▁of ▁Hol bro ok . ▁ ▁Cor on ado ▁sent ▁an ▁expedition ▁west ▁to ▁find ▁the ▁Colorado ▁River , ▁and ▁they ▁crossed ▁the ▁Little ▁Colorado ▁some ▁twenty - five ▁miles ▁east ▁of ▁Hol bro ok ▁and ▁found ▁a ▁wonder land ▁of ▁colors ▁they ▁named ▁" El ▁Des ierto ▁P int ada " ▁- ▁The ▁P aint ed ▁Des ert . ▁ ▁The ▁expedition ▁was ▁then ▁led ▁by ▁the ▁Hop is ▁to ▁the ▁Grand ▁C any on . ▁ ▁U . S . ▁settlement s ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁Mexican – American ▁War ▁ended ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 8 ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁c eded ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁From ▁ 1 8 5 1 - 5 7 ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁sent ▁three ▁exped itions ▁along ▁the ▁ 3 5 th ▁parallel , ▁the ▁third ▁led ▁by ▁L t . ▁Be ale ▁who ▁created ▁a ▁ten ▁foot ▁wide ▁w agon ▁road . ▁ ▁The ▁area ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁N ava jo ▁Spr ings , ▁after ▁a ▁spring ▁a ▁dozen ▁miles ▁n ortheast ▁of ▁Hol bro ok . ▁So on ▁afterwards ▁a ▁store ▁and ▁sal oon ▁were ▁established ▁at ▁the ▁confl u ence ▁of ▁the ▁Rio ▁P uer co ▁and ▁Little ▁Colorado ▁R ivers ▁two ▁miles ▁east ▁of ▁Hol bro ok , ▁and ▁the ▁area ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁Hor se head ▁Cross ing . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 6 , ▁M orm ons ▁em igr ated ▁from ▁Ut ah ▁and ▁began