Beginning in 1829, the Old Spanish Trail, the main trade route between Santa Fe and Los Angeles, passed this way. At the end of the Mexican-American War, this portion of the route evolved into what was variously known as the Salt Lake Road, the Mormon Trail, the California Road, and eventually U.S. Hwy. 91. The original pack trail descended Utah Hill, passed through Beaver Dam, then followed the Virgin River toward Las Vegas. As wagon traffic increased in the 1850s, the route veered westward near today's Utah-Arizona border to avoid the river gorge. In January 2005, a major flood roared through this valley, destroying thirty homes and causing massive property damage.