This lively account captures the character and flavor of the Yuma Crossing. It portrays in an exciting manner the people and events shaping the dramatic story of the Crossing. The author provides a colorful documentary history of the opening and development of the Yuma Crossing and the American Southwest. This authoritative chronicle synthesizes and interprets a variety of archival and secondary sources, providing a balanced, vivid narrative of the region surrounding the lower Colorado River, Fratzer examines the history of the Yuma Crossing from its beginning as the homeland of the Quechan Indians to its invasion by Euro-Americans. He provides a glimpse into the lives of missionaries and mountain men, soldiers and surveyors, immigrants and entrepreneurs, explores the influence of transportation systems at the crossing, and stagecoaching. The author concludes his study with a dramatic description of the outlaws confined at the Arizona Territorial Prison, showing how the image of the prison has overshadowed the broader view of Yuma history. The volume provides a moving narrative of the famous Southwestern Crossing and brings into focus the historical significance of a vast section of the American West.