Bradshaw's Ferry was a ferry at the crossing point on the

Colorado River The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...

, of the

Bradshaw Trail Today's Bradshaw Trail is a historic overland stage route in the western Colorado Desert of Southern California. It is a remnant of the much longer Bradshaw Road, also known as the Road to La Paz, or Gold Road, established in 1862 by William D ...

at Olive City and later at Mineral City and Ehrenburg, between what was then

San Diego County, California San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county (United States), county in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of California, north to its Mexico-United States border, border with Mexico. As of the 2020 United States Cen ...

, and Arizona County, New Mexico Territory. The ferry connected the Bradshaw Trail to the road to the gold placers of

La Paz La Paz, officially Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Aymara language, Aymara: Chuqi Yapu ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With 755,732 residents as of 2024, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities by populati ...

, the first big strike of the Colorado River Gold Rush. From 1863, the La Paz - Wikenburg Road connected the Bradshaw Trail to the new mining boom town settlements in the interior of

Arizona Territory The Territory of Arizona, commonly known as the Arizona Territory, was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the ...

History

Bradshaw's Ferry was established by William D. Bradshaw soon after he had discovered the route of the Bradshaw Trail when he made a partnership with William Warringer of La Paz to establish a ferry on Providence Point, across the river from Olive City and the road to nearby La Paz. Williams returned to Los Angeles and published an announcement in the ''

Los Angeles Star ''Los Angeles Star'', known in Spanish as ''La Estrella de Los Ángeles'', was the first newspaper published in Southern California, in Los Angeles, California. The publication ran from 1851 to 1879, written in both English and Spanish. Histo ...

'' of the new road between

San Gorgonio Pass The San Gorgonio Pass, or Banning Pass, is a elevation Gap (landform), gap on the rim of the Great Basin between the San Bernardino Mountains to the north and the San Jacinto Mountains to the south. The pass was formed by the San Andreas Faul ...

he had established and of the ferry to the goldfields at the end of the trail. On November 7, 1864, the Territorial Legislature permitted the ferry, now in Yuma County, Arizona Territory, to charge $4.00 for a wagon and 2 horses, $3.00 for a carriage and 1 horse, $1.00 for saddle horse, $0.50 for a man afoot, $0.50 a head for cattle and horses, $0.25 a head for sheep. It was authorized to operate ferries at any and every point between Mineral City and five miles above La Paz for up to twenty years. At first the ferry operated at Olive City then in 1864 at Mineral City, and lastly at Ehrenburg from 1866 when it replaced the two other settlements. William Bradshaw himself left operations of the ferry to his brother Issac and died in 1864, officially a suicide, but possibly a murder. Issac Bradshaw sold out his interest in 1867. Terry Munderloh, Isaac Bradshaw picked up legacy after brother’s death, Days Past, Prescott Daily Courier, July 23, 2000
from sharlot.org accessed June 11, 2015

References

External links

Official Map Of The Territory Of Arizona, With All The Recent Explorations. Compiled by Richard Gird C.E. Commissioner. Approved By John N. Goodwin, Governor. In Accordance With An Act Of The Legislature, Approved Oct. 23d. 1864. We hereby certify that this is the Official Map of the Territory of Arizona, and approve the same. Prescott October 12th 1865. (with signed seal dated 1863). Published By A. Gensoul, Pacific Map Depot. No. 511 Montgomery St. San Francisco. Lith. Britton & Co. San Francisco. Accessed from www.davidrumsey.com, December 1, 2014.
Shows location of Bradshaw Ferry, Olive City, Mineral City and other landings, settlements and the mining districts along the Colorado River and the interior of the territory in 1865.
Topographical Sketch showing the Outward and Inward Route of a Party, while examining as to the practicability of a Diversion of the Colorado River for Purposes of Irrigation, Lithograph by Eric Bergland, 1875. From, Wheeler, G.M., Topographical Atlas Projected To Illustrate United States Geographical Surveys West Of The 100th Meridian Of Longitude Prosecuted In Accordance With Acts Of Congress Under The Authority Of The Honorable The Secretary Of War, And The Direction Of Brig. Genl. A.A. Humphreys, Chief Of Engineers, U.S. Army. Embracing Results Of the Different Expeditions Under The Command Of 1st Lieut. Geo. M. Wheeler, Corps Of Engineers. Julius Bien, lith., G. Thompson, Washington, 1876
from davidrumsey.com accessed December 3, 2014.] From davidrumsey.com, accessed April 20, 2015. Shows the Colorado River above

Ehrenburg, Arizona Ehrenberg, also historically spelled "Ehrenburg", is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in La Paz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,470 at the 2010 census. Ehrenberg is named for its founder, Her ...

to Stones Ferry at the mouth of the

Virgin River The Virgin River is a tributary of the Colorado River in the U.S. states of Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. The river is about long.Calculated with Google Maps and Google Earth It was designated Utah's first wild and scenic river in 2009, during the ...

; in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

, parts of Nevada, and Arizona. Includes the roads and railroads of the time, including the detailed route of the

. From a Wheeler Annual Report. Gift to the David Rumsey collection by Mark Sappington. {{Riverside County, California Ferries of Arizona Ferries of California History of La Paz County, Arizona History of Riverside County, California Steamboat transport on the Colorado River Historic sites in Arizona 1862 establishments in New Mexico Territory Populated places established in 1862 Bradshaw Trail