A pioneer settlement began in this valley on July 21, 1878, when William J. Flake and his wives Lucy and Prudence led five families with their wagons and livestock there. Lucy Flake called it "a beautiful place" with "clear water" and "hills covered with green grass." Within weeks, destitute families drifted in, sharing the small four-room adobe home sold with the land and helping harvest crops on the newly purchased ranch. In September 1878, while William J. Flake and part of his family traveled north to sell wool and buy Utah cattle, they met Erastus Snow near what is now Winslow. Snow, a Mormon leader directing colonization efforts in Arizona, heard Flake's account of failed attempts to establish settlements along the Little Colorado River, the hardships endured, the death of a young son, and Flake's decision to purchase the cattle ranch on Silver Creek. Snow praised Flake's efforts, suggested the growing settlement be named Snow-Flake, and plans were made for a permanent town. Afterward, Snow and his companions Ira Hinckley and Jesse N. Smith visited Flake's ranch and helped survey and lay out the townsite. Jesse N. Smith was later called to move his family there, where he served as a prominent church and civic leader for nearly three decades. As more pioneers arrived, schools were established, irrigation systems were built, and brick homes were erected, shaping a community that affected generations of descendants.