The first Mormon colonists from Utah arrived in Arizona in early 1854. The Navajos were on the warpath at the time and the Saints were driven out a year later. Between 1858 and the early 1870s Jacob Hamblin, the Mormon’s greatest trailblazer, made several reconnaissance missions, locating river crossings, water holes and suitable trails. By this time the Navajos were at peace thus making attempts at colonization safer. However, the greatest enemy facing the newcomers was the harsh, arid land and the fickle moods of the Little Colorado River.
Mormon settlements at Kanab (Utah), Pipe Springs and Lee’s Ferry were designated as bases from which to launch new colonies in Arizona.
The primary mission of the Church during these years was expansion. Under the dynamic leadership of Brigham Young, the Mormons were determined to establish a far-flung empire from their Utah base west to California and south to the Salt River Valley and eventually to Mexico.
