Morrell, George

George Morrel was one of the four scouts sent by the party to find a trail to San Juan from Hole in the Rock. "Three Georges and a Redd."
SITE MARKER : In 1879, a company of Mormon pioneers were camped on the Bluff of the Colorado River. They were blasting a road down through the Hole-in-the-Rock. Four men were sent out as an advanced scouting party to locate a route across this impossible terrain to Montezuma Creek. George Hobbs, George Sevey, George Morrel, Lemuel H. Redd, Sr., were camped on this spot the night of Dec. 27, 1879. Having been lost in the snow storm and without food for 4 days, George Hobbs carved his name and the date on the sheltered canyon walls, thinking they would never get out alive. They were successful, however, and the main company of pioneers settled Bluff April 6, 1880.

Kumen Jones writes the following concerning these four and the experiences they had.

The exploring trip of those four men will always be remembered by all those who were acquainted with it, and more expecially by those who took part in it, as one of the hardest and most trying in the way of perserverance and persistant andurance of any undertaking conected with the San Juan Mission. It was one, also, in which the participants must have had the assistance of our Heavenly Father. It has been a source of wonder to all those who since those early days, have become acquainted with the country through which these explorers had traveled. How they ever found their way through deep snow and blinding snow storms in such a broken timbered country, all cut to pieces with deep gorges, for such a long distance, without compass, trail, and most of the time no sun, moon, or stars to help them in keeping their course is a mystery. The only answer is that a kind providence came to their assistance in answer to their humble fervent prayers. They endured difficulties and grilling experiences almost unbelievable with snowstorm, boxed canyons, thick cedar and pine forests, and food shortage.

See also Miller's book: pp.73, 84-89, 91, 93-94, 164, 183.