CHAPTER
5
GARFIELD COUNTY AND EXPLORATION OF THE COLORADO RIVER
WÂťhile Panguitch was being settled for the second time, important events were taking place in the eastern p o r t i o n of the future county. John Wesley Powell led two scientific explorations of the Colorado River, the first in 1869 and the second in 1871-72. These expeditions h a d several purposes. Powell wanted to k n o w if the Colorado River could be navigated, and, in the process of discovering that feasibility, he intended to gather as much scientific information as possible about the area's geology, anthropology, and plant and animal life along the river. At the conclusion of these two expeditions, Powell sent his brother-in-law, Almon H. Thompson, to explore and name the tributaries to the Colorado River. The reports that came from these monumental scientific explorations would serve as a guide to the region for generations to come.
The John Wesley Powell Colorado River Expeditions (1869, 1871-72) Although Native Americans, early explorers, trappers, and settlers 93
