First River Crossing Scene

We speed along our highways and biways at a mile a minute crossing rivers, streams and even canyons with hardly a thought. Our pioneer progenitors traveled at about one or two miles per every hour and every river crossing was a big dangerous deal. Was it shallow enough to drive the animals and pull the wagons across? Was it necessary to build a barge or a raft? I painted this scene many years ago and it was the first of a subject matter that still intrigues me and gives me pleasure to paint.