 Navajo Springs was first noted by white men when Lt. Amiel W. Whipple passed through in 1853 and observed a "fine pool of water which breaks through the surface of the valley".Later, on September 1, 1857, Lt. Edward Fitzgerald Beale found Whipple's trail while scouting for a wagon road to be used by emigrants.At this point, Navajo Springs began to develop as a rest stop for travelers heading further west.