Green River is on I-70 and the Green River. The town receives its name from the river and should not be confused with Green River, Wyoming. The earlier recorded name for Green River, Utah was "Blake" for a J.P. Blake who settled on the east bank of the river.
This is an important, historic, river crossing. The early Indians used it for centuries and it became known as the Ute Crossing. In 1830-31 Williams Wolfskill and George Young crossed the river at this point and were given credit for being the first white men to do so. The Old Spanish Trail also crossed the river. Captain Gunnison and his men forded the river here, giving the crossing his name after he and some of his men were massacred by Indians a few days later. In 1883 the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad bridged the river in this area.
