With a blast of the steam whistle, a small steamboat cast off from California’s Fort Yuma during the early days of 1858 to explore the Colorado River. The 54-foot shallow draught riverboat carried exploration personnel under the command of Lt. Joseph Christmas Ives, who was tasked with exploring the navigability of the river toward Utah and its course through the great canyon beyond. The U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers wanted to know if the Colorado River could serve as a military s
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