In 1875, Scottish-born Ebenezer Bryce and his wife Mary Ann established a homestead first in the Bryce Amphitheater and then in the adjacent Paria Valley. The Mormon pioneer built a timber road and an irrigation canal to support his cattle ranch and help establish a farming community. The locals began referring to the area as Bryce’s Canyon. Harsh conditions caused the settlement to be abandoned in five years. In 1880, Ebenezer Bryce moved to Arizona.