Lee's Ferry, located six miles upstream from this bridge, served as the northern gateway to Arizona for 54 years, from 1873 to 1927. Founded by John Doyle Lee, the ferry was maintained through superhuman effort and in the face of almost insurmountable obstacles, making possible the colonization of Arizona. Lee was remembered as a frontiersman, trail blazer, builder, and a man of great faith, sound judgment, and indomitable courage.