John Deering, Bih Bitoodnii Nez, born 1870 of the Deer Water Clan, his wife Susie Deering, born in 1878, of the Maii Deeshgiizhinii Clan, and their nine children pioneered the areas of the Gap, Copper Mine, Cedar Ridge, Bitter Spring, Page, Marble Canyon, and Lee’s Ferry. Bih Bitoodnii Nez transported supplies and U.S. Mail from Flagstaff to Salt Lake City and supported his family by raising livestock and hunting in the Kaibab and Dixie National Forests. John Deering operated the Lee’s Ferry and maintained the historic trail until the historic Navajo Bridge was constructed in 1929. He died April 18, 1956 in Cedar Ridge, Arizona.