1Fall 2004

Volume 10 Fall 2004 No. 3

OSTA 2004 Annual Conference Report –Page AZ, on the Armijo Route

This year’s conference dates June 5–6very appropriately coincided withNational Trails Day, and we were one of900 registered celebrations aroundthe USA. OSTA made the centerfoldof a special tabloid issue of AmericanHiker magazine. Our two-day eventin Page and a second OSTA celebrationin southern Colorado got specialtreatment as two of the 41 sampleevents described on the centerfold.

The weekend of activities started withthe Board Meeting on Friday, June 4,followed by an evening social at theJohn Wesley Powell Museum. At thesymposium on Saturday, June 5, wewere again fortunate this year to haveoutstanding speakers, and their completepapers are in this issue. And the fieldtrips on Sunday–they were outstanding!For many of us this was a first-timeexposure to the “Crossing of theFathers” and to the real difficultiesthat Armijo faced in his route finding;our trip leaders were well preparedand extremely knowledgeable.

Welcome bySteve Heath,Pres. OSTA

Pat Richmondgave a wonderfulreview of OSTAhistory in herafter-dinner talk.

photo by Ron ArchibaldDinner at the Marriott

Theme:Founders and Forerunnersof the Old Spanish Trail

photo by KnL CarpenterAt Page AZ

Page Conf. Summary 1Memorial to Dale Querfeld 2Governing Board addresses 2President’s Corner 3OST Pathways, Sanchez 4Page Conf. Door Prizes 8Planning to Plan for OSNHT 9Forerunners on the OST? Cutter 10Board & Annual Meeting Summary 15Armijo Along 37th Parallel, Heath 16So. NV Cultural Hist Fair, Corbett 20Driggs Collection Acquired at SUU 20Arizona Chapter News, Ostapuk 21Western Writers Conf, Steiner 22Treasurer’s Report 22NPS & OSTA Sign Agreement 13OSTA at BLM Trails Workshop, Mastin 25Ode to Cajon Pass, Hockaday 28Poetry, Fallowfield, Halburian 30Wagon Train on OST, Knudson 31Chapter Notes 8 & 32Update on OSNHT Logo 32Chapter Contacts 32Salida del Sol Field Trip, Najdowski 33Page Conf Field Trips 34Crossing of the Fathers 35Workman-Rowland Descendents 36

Inside this Issue . . .

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Governing Board ofOfficers and Directors: 2004–2005

PRESIDENT:Reba Wells Grandrud2322 E. Cholla St.Phoenix, AZ 85028602-992-0339rgrandrud@cox.net

PAST PRESIDENT:Steve Heath207 S 500 WCedar City, UT 84720435-586-9334

VICE-PRESIDENT:Wayne Hinton308 East 200 SouthCedar City, UT 84720435-586-1021hinton@suu.edu

SECRETARY:Judy Knudson0089 Fir DriveSouth Fork, CO 81154-9504719-873-5239silverthreader@aol.com

TREASURER:Ron ArchibaldPO Box 420160Kanarraville, UT 84742435-865-7566ronarc@accesswest.com

DIRECTORS:

Paul Ostapuk – AZPO Box 3532Page, AZ 86040928-645-6577postapuk@canyoncountry.net

Joanne Hinchliff – CAPO Box 685San Jacinto, CA 92581-0685909-925-7068toci@pe.net

Doug Knudson – CO0089 Fir DriveSouth Fork, CO 81154-9504719-873-5239rosejems@fone.net

Pablo Vigil – NMPO Box 3223Las Vegas, NM 87701505-425-9785pablovigil33@hotmail.com

Carol Corbett – NV5036 N. Cimarron Rd.Las Vegas, NV 89149702-658-0725lookout@sprintmail.com

Walter Hayward – UTPO Box 420159Kanarraville, UT 84742-0159435-867-1498mountainman@cedarcity.net

All matters relating to Spanish Traces should bedirected to the Co-Editors and Publisher:

Kenn and Lorraine CarpenterPO Box 7Marysville, WA 98270E-mail: knlcarp@earthlink.netTelephone: 360-653-5330

Spanish Traces is the official publication ofthe Old Spanish Trail Association, a nonprofit501(c)(3) organization, incorporated under thelaws of the State of Colorado. ST welcomessubmission of letters, articles, book reviews, andOST related news. Inquire for guidelines. Thenext deadline for submissions is Dec. 6, 2004.

The OST, one of America’s great long distancetrade routes, is now our country’s most recentNational Historic Trail. We encourage you to joinOSTA and help in its preservation, and increaseappreciation of our SW’s multicultural heritage.

Membership Dues:Regular (single or couple) $20/yearStudent (under 18) $12/yearInstitutional $25/yearSustaining (single or couple) $30/yearLife (single or couple) $250Corporate $100 min/yearMail your check to: OSTA

PO Box 7Marysville, WA 98270

The upgrade is now on-line and you will see some marvelous changes,thanks to our new webmaster, Claude Warren. There is still more tocome, but even so we will appreciate your comments and suggestionstoward further refinements, and especially about what else you wantincluded. S-mail or e-mail to website manager Carol Corbett whoseaddresses are in the side-bar at the right.• Also take a look at “www.nps.gov/olsp”.

— You MUST Visit the OSTA Website —http://www.oldspanishtrail.org

Dale Wade Querfeld, a life member ofthe OSTA, died peacefully on June 23,2004 at the Hospice Care Center inLouisville, Colorado. Dale was born inClinton, Illinois on September 6, 1905.He was 98, trying gamely to make 100.

Throughout his long life Dale gavegenerously of his time, energy andmoney to a variety of non-profitorganizations. In his later years hebecame interested in the Old SpanishTrail and the OSTA. He proofed SpanishTraces articles from 1998 to 2001 andwas one of several major contributors to the plaque placed by theOSTA in the Los Angeles Plaza. He also provided the OSTA with theassociation’s marker fund. He had hoped to see markers comparableto that in Los Angeles placed in Santa Fe, Abiquiu and San Gabriel.The OSTA has lost a good friend; he will be greatly missed.

Dale Wade Querfeld1905–2004

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President’s Cornerby Reba Wells Grandrud

Greetings from Arizona to thefriends of the Old Spanish NationalHistoric Trail everywhere! Isn’t itgreat to have such a fine product,Spanish Traces, that links us alltogether and helps us keep in touch?I hope you agree with me that thispublication is a “keeper.” It looksgood; it has well-researched andwell-written articles, interestingmaps and photographs, and timelyinformation. This next year, wouldyou not only read and enjoy it, but,also, consider sending in appropriatearticles, photos, and news items, andencourage others to do so, as well?Let’s make it even better.

Now, a word of thanks – I appreciatethe opportunity you have given meto serve as president. I am pleased tojoin the fine group who has led OSTAthrough its first decade: Ron, Charles,Hal, Willard, Liz, and Steve. Eachhad a vision, each brought a specialtalent, and each is still working toassure the Old Spanish Trail’s properplace in national history. The basicorganizational structure is in place,and we have a full complement ofdirectors and officers. But, a handfulof good people is not enough; we mustmaintain and build the membership.I wonder – could the membership ofOSTA double, or even triple in thenext year or so? From 365, thenumber reported at the membershipmeeting in Page, to 750, to 1200 –why not? The historic Trail is there,a unique resource. We have membersin six states, a great publication, awebsite whose potential is immense,and out there, waiting for us to reach

them, is a diverseaudience thatneeds to know,and wants toknow, moreabout the rich heritage that marksour American West.

Of course, much work lies ahead.OSTA has a real partnership rolewith the National Park Service andthe Bureau of Land Management,the two federal agencies that shareresponsibility for the Old SpanishTrail. Working with the Trails Officein Santa Fe, we have signed aCooperative Agreement with theNational Park Service, and we willkeep you informed as details areworked out. The ComprehensiveManagement Plan will be writtenover the next months and OSTAmembers will have a vital role in eachstate: sharing knowledge of routesand sites, offering varied skills asvolunteers, attending public meetings,and publicizing the Trail. We shouldget to know our NPS and BLMcolleagues in each region. There aremany excellent volunteer programs –find out how you can help. If there isan OSTA chapter in your area, joinas an active member. If no chapterexists, how about helping put onetogether? Check into getting the OldSpanish Trail written up in local,regional, or state periodicals; findout if you can join a speakers’ bureauand talk about the Trail; put togethera talk, a panel, or an entire sessionfor your local Corral of Westerners,or historical society, or civic group;get involved.

In June, the Western Writers ofAmerica held its annual meeting inMesquite, Nevada, and the OSTAleadership was invited to participatein a panel to inform WWA membersabout the Old Spanish Trail. Whatan opportunity!

The audience was from all over thecountry, published writers of fictionand non-fiction, interested in thehistory and stories of the Trail thatour group presented. Colonel HalSteiner of Las Vegas (a formerpresident of OSTA) led the session,joined by the current Past President,Steve Heath of Cedar City, Dr. LizWarren of Las Vegas (also a formerpresident), Joanne Hinchliff, retiredprofessor from Riverside, California,and myself. Several of us were alsoable to join in a field trip to MountainMeadows, a well-known stoppingplace when the Trail was in constantuse. Its always interesting to be ableto step back in history.

Your next opportunity to be a part ofthe happenings will be the firstweekend in November when theBoard will meet at NPS’ beautifulbuilding in Santa Fe. Board meetingsare always open to the public, andmembers are encouraged to attendwhen possible. The agenda willallow time to enjoy each other’scompany in Santa Fe’s inimitablespaces, eat some great New Mexicanfood, visit Abiquiu, and, perhaps,other Trail sites, and, oh, yes, takecare of OSTA business! We’d loveto see you there.

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Page, Arizona, is one of the mostideal places to host the 2004 OldSpanish Trail Association AnnualConference Symposium, for it is nearseveral key places associated withthe trail’s long history and, of course,along the route of the pioneeringexpedition led by Antonio Armijo in1829. The famous “Crossing of thePadres” in Glen Canyon, Agua de laVieja (today’s Pipe Spring NationalMonument), and the actual OldSpanish Trail pathway that crossedright through the area on both sidesof the Colorado River are withindriving distances from Page. Thereis one last piece of minutia that oughtnot escape the eye. Not far from hereis a tributary of the Colorado knownas the last river explored and placedon the map of the United States in 1872.It was aptly named the EscalanteRiver, a fitting commemoration ofone of the early exploring partiesthat crisscrossed the area under therubric of the Domínguez-EscalanteExpedition of 1776.

The title of this presentation suggeststhat there are many ways to viewOld Spanish Trail. Practicallyspeaking, the word “parallax”indicates that what we see from oneviewpoint may not necessarily be whatwe see from another. For example,when we look up at the night skyfrom Earth and see seven starsgrouped together in a pattern, we see

a “Big Dipper.” But that, in allprobability, may not be the pattern ofthe same constellation from adifferent point in space. The same istrue of history. The Old SpanishTrail offers us an opportunity, timeand again, to view and review themany overlays of its history. Givenits Congressional designation as OldSpanish National Historic Trail, it isofficially a part of our national story.

Our national story, oftentimes, doesnot allow us to hear the other voicesof our long past. Generally, it is thestory of one people—not inclusiveof the diversity offered by history’sother children—that began atJamestown or Plymouth Rock andended with a movement that reachedthe Pacific Coast two and a halfcenturies later. The myopia of such avision is reflected in our historybooks. It creates the myth of aunique frontier that bred the ruggedindividualist who fit the mold ofAmerican Exceptionalism. Indeed,in his book Westward Expansion(1960), Ray Alan Billingtonsurmises that

The molding effect of this uniqueenvironment can best beunderstood by picturing theAnglo-American frontier as amigrating geographic area whichmoved westward from Atlantic toPacific over the course of threecenturies. Here was the outer

edge of advancing settlement, themeeting point of savagery andcivilization, the zone wherecivilization entered the wilderness,the ‘region whose social conditionsresulted from the application ofolder institutions and ideas to thetransforming influences of freeland.’ In this geographic sense,the frontier has been usuallydefined as an area containing notless than two nor more than sixinhabitants to the square mile.Census Bureau statisticians haveadopted this definition in tracingthe frontier’s advance from therecords of each population pollsince the first tabulation of 1790.Decade by decade they havedrawn narrow bands across themap of the United States, eachfarther west than the last, asvirgin territory was engulfed bymigrating pioneers.

Old Spanish Trail Pathways:A Parallax View from the Greater Southwest

by Joseph P. Sánchez, Ph.D.Superintendent, Petroglyph National Monument andThe Intermountain Spanish Colonial Research Center,National Park Service

Dr. SanchezKeynote Speaker

photo by Ron Archibald

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It is an historical truism that the fartherAnglo-Americans expanded theirfrontier line, the less they venturedinto “virgin land.” Certainly, by thetime they crossed the AppalachianMountains, they were dealing withtribes that had been influenced byboth French and Spanish frontiersmen.Indeed, by the time they reached theMississippi River, they were nolonger dealing with the frontier asthey knew it, for both Spanish andFrench tended to view their area ofclaim as provinces, not a thinlypopulated line holding pockets of sixpeople to the square mile! If nothingelse, English settlers must have beenstruck by the rugged individualismof Spanish- and French-speakingfrontiersmen who lived just as theydid: tough, daring, hardworking,tenacious, and proven survivors of ahard life.

Hispanic frontiersmen from NewMexico who dared traverse the hostileand forbidding terrain of the OldSpanish Trail matched the ruggedindividual mold suggested byBillington. Certainly, in 1829,Antonio Armijo and his 30 men were ahardy people descendant from thefirst settlers who went to New Mexicoin 1598, most of whom had walked1,200 miles to get there. Alone, or atleast with a handful of companions,Rafael Rivera explored the Mojavefor a route from the “Río Severo”(not the Sevier River of today, but adifficult river crossing in that area)to establish a route down the Coloradoto the Mojave River. Shortly, Riveraguided Armijo there and showedhim where to cross. Far from home,Rivera gathered information aboutthe area that some have attributed toJedediah Smith. Oddly, Rivera and

Armijo did not know Smith and hadnever heard about him. Still, themyth persists that Smith pioneeredthe route to the area. It was the NewMexicans who braved, as Smith woulddo, the dangers of traveling throughthat isolated and remote country.

New Mexicans used Armijo’s routeor variants of it throughout the shortlife of the Old Spanish Trail. Later,Anglo-Americans referred to it asthe Road to Santa Fe or the NewMexico Road. As William Wolfskilland his companions would admit,“we took a route farther north thanthe one used by New Mexicans.”Armijo’s route supports the notionthat the “virgin land” theory can belaid to rest as another frontier myth.Armijo pioneered a trajectory thatresulted in several variant routes thatwould be used by migrants and tradersas the Old Spanish Trail. It is part ofa long history that has its originsdecades before Armijo took his firststep toward the Crossing of the Padres.

If the first part of the parallax viewsupposes that U.S. history began atJamestown, then the second halfmust present its complementaryperspective. Contemporary to Englishsettlers in the New World, HispanicNew Mexican frontiersmen learnedof Teguayo from their Indian friendswho told them about the commongenesis story of their tribes. Teguayo, afar away place, is, in the oral tradition,surrounded by a large salt lake, wheremost of the tribes of North Americaoriginated when their ancestors cameout of the earth through a cave. Fromthere they migrated to all points inNorth America. The Aztecs had asimilar story about Aztlán, whichSpaniards believed was located in an

area near a large salt lake. Teguayoand Aztlán were associated with aplace called Timpanogos. WhenDomínguez and Escalante madetheir way toward the Great SaltLake, they discovered a people whocalled themselves Timpanogos.

The Native Americans of that areadeveloped trails for trade and huntingthat led through many directions,principally southwest toward the RíoGrande. With exception, some ofthese foot trails later became a partof the horse trails developed byHispanic frontiersmen. At least sincethe middle seventeenth century, NewMexicans led their trade caravans torendezvous points through the manyriver crossings, ravines, canyons, mesas,mountains, and ridges of northernNew Mexico, northwestern Arizona,southern and western Colorado, andUtah. In the beginning, Ute guidesshowed them the way.

Spanish policy prohibited NewMexicans from trading with the tribesthat surrounded the Río GrandeValley. Since 1598, Spanish officialshad forbidden trade with non-Pueblotribes because they feared attacks bythe numerically stronger semi-nomadic tribes such as the Apacheand Navajo and later the Utes andComanches. The policy evolvedwhen Vicente de Zaldívar, who hadspent 54 days hunting on the GreatPlains in 1598, returned to thenorthern Río Grande at San Juan delos Caballeros and briefed his uncle,Governor Juan de Oñate, that thePlains Indians tribes numbered inthe thousands and had stronglydeveloped warrior societies. Shocked atthe possibility that war could startfor any reason resulting from >>>

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contact with warriors, Oñate wiselyforbade anyone from going to theplains for trade or any other purposewithout license. He feared thatanything as small as a trade dealgone bad could result in New Mexicobeing overrun, and that the Spanishcolony, defenseless against all odds,would be destroyed. SucceedingSpanish governors followed the samepolicy throughout the colonial periodending in 1821. As the Mexicannation state emerged, governors inNew Mexico continued the same policyfor the good of New Mexico settlers.

Still, Ute warriors and traders continuedto come to New Mexico, even ifNew Mexicans would not go to them.Nonetheless, illegal traders, that is,Hispanic frontiersmen withoutpermission or license to go to the“Yuta” country, took their chancesand went northwestward towardTeguayo to trade with Utes in themountain wilderness of presentwestern Colorado and southeasternUtah. Sometimes they were caught,other times they managed to maketheir trade without knowledge of theauthorities. When caught, they werejailed, suffered confiscation of theirgoods, tried and sentenced to labor onpublic works. Usually they confessedwhere they had been. Sometimesthey mentioned places like the LaSal Mountains, the Río Severo, theRío Tizón (Colorado River), andTimpanogos. At their trials, theyconfessed to having traded blanketsand tobacco for chamois, and horsesfor Paiute slaves taken by strongerUte tribes who preyed upon them.

Not all expeditions were illegal; somewere sanctioned by Spanish colonialofficials. Two of them were led by

Juan Antonio María Rivera in 1765,and one was led by the Franciscanfriars, Atanasio Domínguez andSilvestre Escalante in 1776. Thoseexpeditions yielded much informationabout the land and people. Interestingly,however, those expeditions wereguided not so much by Indians, butby New Mexican frontiersmen whohad been trading illegally throughoutthe region and knew of the manypathways through mountains, canyons,and river valleys.

The story of the Old Spanish Trail is notisolated to a small region between SantaFe and Los Angeles, or to a short timeperiod between 1829, when Armijoblazed his route, and 1849, whengold was discovered in California.The background for the Old SpanishTrail is set upon a large historic stage.Far from the Old Spanish Trail andits variants, immigrants and tradersthousands of miles away packed theirgoods and headed toward it with thegoal to utilize the route to completetheir journey. Hispanic frontiersmenwho had journeyed along the oldCamino Real de Tierra Adentroestablished Santa Fe in 1609, andtheir descendants pushed the limits ofthe province toward the Yuta countryfor nearly 150 years. Similarly, Anglo-American frontiersmen, whoseancestors had crossed the AppalachianMountains and the Mississippi River,reached Santa Fe in the nineteenthcentury and used and modifiedvariants of the Old Spanish Trail toreach the Pacific Coast.

Three roads met in Santa Fe. TheCamino Real de Tierra Adentro, theOld Santa Fe Trail, and the OldSpanish Trail emanated in threedirections from the old Spanish

capital. From there, trade goodscrisscrossed the continent from theeast coast, northern Mexico, andNew Mexico and made their way toCalifornia along the corridors of theOld Spanish Trail. Some goodsspread from Los Angeles to Oregon,others to locations in the Pacific viaHawaii, and other goods made theirway eastward to Bent’s Old Fort andall points east as far as Boston.Blankets from New Mexico, forexample, may have made their wayto Hawaii—but that is not all.

In the 1830s, the Sandwich IslandsGazette became interested in thetrade from California. One of theirreporters discovered a fascinatingaccount about New Mexican tradersthat he could not ignore. It seemsthat, suddenly, every New Mexicantrader was considered persona nongrata in Los Angeles. There, cityordinances forbade New Mexicansfrom entering the town withoutinspection. It was feared that NewMexicans, who were very astute intheir dealings, had taken advantageof unsuspecting Californios.Interested in their activities, theSandwich Islands Gazette reporterfound a deeper story behind thedistrust. Some New Mexican tradershad found an easier way of acquiringhundreds of head of mules, a prizedtrade item, and sheep. Having tradedwith Ute tribes for Paiute slaves,some New Mexicans were able toinfluence Ute warriors to raidCalifornia missions between SanDiego and San José and run off withmules and sheep. Somewhere in theTulares of the San Joaquin Valley,the two rendezvoused and tradedNew Mexican horses for Californiamules in particular. The reporter’s

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curiosity revealed another glimpse ofthe history of the Old Spanish Trail.While not all trade in California wasillegal, it would be this type of activitythat would spoil relations betweenCalifornios and New Mexicans.

In time, the Californios found NewMexicans could be useful to them inanother way. After all, New Mexicanswere hardened frontiersmen, havingraised several generations for over acentury and a half in a hostile landbefore the founding of California in1769. Historically, New Mexicans haddefended their small province againstthe force of invading Athapascantribes, who ravaged their fields andenslaved whomever they couldcapture. With that in mind, Californiosinvited New Mexican frontiersmento settle the outlying areas to defendagainst raiding Ute warriors. Land inthe Riverside-San Bernardino areaswas granted to New Mexicans todefend the sheltered coastal townsfrom the desert raiders. Places likeAgua Mansa and La Placita werequickly settled by New Mexicans,and a new legacy for the Old SpanishTrail evolved. Indeed, the cemeteriesthere reveal headstones with oldNew Mexico family names and theirdescendants.

Yet, it would be the story of Indianslavery that would emerge. First,New Mexican traders gave horsesfor Paiute slaves taken by strongerUte tribes; then, later, after NewMexican traders had been driven outof Utah, Mormon traders took overthe trade, until it was finally broughtto an end. Historically, slavery is atwo-way street, but as it applies tothe Old Spanish Trail, it is oftenpresented as unique to its history

when, in fact, Indian slavery is notunique at all in the annals of NorthAmerica. In its broader context,however, the theme is part of a largerstory, that of the devastation of tribesthroughout the Americas. In NorthAmerica, Indian removal has beenclouded by other “more important”themes germane to our nationalhistory.

In that regard, nevertheless, we mustask ourselves what happened betweenJamestown and Plymouth Rock thatwas different from that of the Spanishexperience in North America. FromPlymouth Rock to Wounded Kneespanned a difference of nearly threecenturies, but the outcome, in thesense of the devastation suffered bymany tribes between those two events,would be the same. Surely, thedevastation initiated by trails such asthose blazed by Lewis and Clark, thesettlers on the Oregon Trail, theCalifornia Trail, and the Old SantaFe Trail cannot be much differentfrom that of the Old Spanish Trail.All were corridors for trade, migration,and settlement that spelled the removalof tribes from each respective area.

Only the tribes impacted by thosetrails can know and understand theparallax view. The opening of thosetrails could not foretell to them theother kinds of trails that would followin their wake. For example, there isonly one Nez Perce Trail, only oneLong Walk, and only one Trail ofTears. These three trails had nothingto do with immigration and trade,but had much to do with Indianremoval. In part, they explain whathappened between Plymouth Rockand Wounded Knee. They present adifferent view of the westward

movement and are a part of ournational story that we must reveal tocomplete the parallax view. Indeed,the history of the Old Spanish Trail,like the Oregon Trail and the OldSanta Fe Trail among others, canonly grow in stature by presentingall points of view.

It would be a shame if the tribes wereto abdicate their role in the telling ofthat story simply because they wishnot to take part in any of it. Theirinterpretation would be, at least, anopportunity for the tribes to extol thevirtues of their cultures and theirabilities to survive even under theharshest tests of history. In spring2004, Tim Giago, editor and publisherof the Lakota and Pueblo Journals,suggested that Indian Peoples shouldshun the commemoration of the Lewisand Clark bicentennial. Of it, he writesthat it is ironic that people believethat Lewis and Clark contributed tothe scientific knowledge of thegeography and flora and fauna ofNorth America. Giago writes:

It should go without saying thatthe rivers, plants and animalsalready had names long beforeLewis and Clark saw them for thefirst time. For instance, the BlackHills were the He’ Sapa and thebuffalo was tatanka and theturnip-like plant used by theLakota was timpsila. The landtraveled by Lewis and Clark didnot consist of nameless animals,plant, mountains or people.

There should be no reason theIndian nations of this regionwould celebrate the anniversaryof the Lewis and ClarkExpedition, but there are thosetribes who would do so. >>>

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They reason that by joining thecelebration that they are merelytrying to acquaint the rest ofAmerica with their own historyand their own present-daysituation. I would suggest theyfind their own celebrations to dothis. They should not do it bygrabbing on and riding thecoattails of an expedition thatonly brought them destruction.

Clearly, it is a view that is difficultfor outsiders to understand. HistorianPatricia Limerick adds perspectiveto the parallax view by writing ofLewis and Clark (but pertains to allother similar activities) that “theexpedition has that mixed quality ofgreat news for one people and badnews for another group of people. Itis not the greatest news to have aparty of agents of empire comethrough.” Nonetheless, the tribes areinvited to tell their stories about theOld Spanish Trail so that all sides ofa parallax view can be revealed toenrich the interpretation of the route.

But if we speak of the Old SpanishTrail out of its context within thegreater history of the Southwest, wehave failed to discuss its significance inthe larger scheme of things. Like theCamino Real de Tierra Adentro, whichbecame a National Historic Trail inthe year 2000, the Old Spanish Trailcan speak even louder, for itencompasses the diversity of NativeAmerican, Hispanic, and Anglo-American voices whose stories havenot been adequately told. The OldSpanish National Historic Trail is anopportunity for us to extol the virtuesof the global influences of theGreater Southwest as they relate toour national story. Too, in connection to

other historic trails around theworld, the Old Spanish Trail has itsplace in the greater scheme of worldhistory, for, since antiquity, man hasalways immigrated for betteropportunities elsewhere. Like otherhistoric trails, the elements of thestory behind the Old Spanish Trailare not much unlike that of the SilkRoad across Asia. Neither can thehistory of the Old Spanish Trail betold in absolute terms, for its story isrelative to its times and all thatoccurred around it in terms of far-reaching local, regional, and nationalthemes. In that way, the Old SpanishTrail happened as it did at a timewhen it could happen.

Door PrizesGiven at Conference

At several unannounced timesduring the conference, tickets weredrawn from a box to see who gotwhat. As everyone checked in at themorning registration table, they weregiven a ticket on which to put theirname. A total of six drawings weremade for some wonderful items.

1. Lee Hilly received an IOU for tworounds of golf at, and donated by,Tom Evart of the local Lake PowellNational Golf Course.

2. Don Cutter latched on to an IOUfor a tour-for-two into AntelopeCanyon, donated by Carolene Ekisof Antelope Canyon Tours.

3. Claude Warren received the thebook Canyon Light: Lake Powelland the Grand Canyon by GaryLadd, donated by the Glen CanyonNatural History Association.

4. Marion Pierson received an IOUfor two breakfasts at the Marriott,donated by the Marriott.

5. Carol Corbett, lucky lady, won thebeautiful coffee table picture book,Glen Canyon: Image of a LostWorld, donated by the Glen CanyonNatural History Association.

6. Hal Steiner received a copy ofJack Nelson’s new book, ForgottenPathfinders Along the North Branchof the Old Spanish Trail, 1650–1850,donated by Jack Nelson.

We have ten new members who havejust joined for the purpose of form-ing the Tecopa Chapter of OSTA.Tecopa is at the top of the fabulousAmargosa Canyon, rich in historyand still as beautiful as ever. Nearbyis also Emigrant Pass and RestingSpring. There is a campground atTecopa Hot Springs, a hostel in eastTecopa, and a B&B at nearby ChinaRanch. The local businesses in theTecopa and Shoshone area have astrong interest in promoting anunderstanding and appreciation forthe rich local history, and invitetracelers to stop there.

New Chapter News

photo by KnL Carpenter Amargosa Canyon

9Fall 2004

photo by Ron Archibald

Planning to Plan for theOld Spanish National Historic Trail

panel discussion by the Pre-Plan Team

The final draft of the Pre-Plan is doneand awaiting approval by top levelsin the NPS and BLM, and we expectto kick off community “scoping”meetings this fall.

What is the Pre-Plan? It is a basicagreement between the BLM and NPSon how to write the comprehensivemanagement plan (CMP) andcomplete an environmental impactstatement. It sets the planningschedule, the planning team budget,and identifies questions to be answeredthrough the planning process.

Questions to be answered. Duringthe CMP process we must decide howto define the trail corridor, examinewhat opportunities the trail willoffer, and how we will incorporatemultiple voices. How will other usesaffect the trail, and what economicopportunities might be developed?And how will trail management becoordinated across so many landowners and managers?

Defining the trail corridor. We knowthe routes and we have trail sites andlandmarks we want to protect; howdo we do this? How do we connect thetrail routes to on-the-ground resources?How do we define a corridor wherethere are few physical traces? Howwill trail resources be identified forroute marking, public education, andinterpretation?

People on the trail. We want therest of the public to enjoy this trail

as much as we do;how might thishappen? What areappropriate recre-ation uses? How dowe provide for publicaccess? What kind ofmaps and brochuresmight be useful, and how will wedistribute them? Are auto toursadvisable? How will visitors impactthe trail? What interpretive opportu-nities exist?

Giving voice to the trail. Theheritage of the Old Spanish Trail isshared by diverse communities; howwill these voices be heard? How willHispanic perspectives be raisedalong the trail? How will the trailgive voice to Tribal perspectives?How will the perspectives of modernand traditional communities alongthe trail corridor be incorporatedinto trail interpretation?

Old trail, new uses. The Old Span-ish Trail crosses lands now used inmany ways; how do modern usesimpact the trail, and how will the trailimpact other uses? What protectionmeasures are appropriate for trailresources? What are other uses ofthe trail corridor? How will conflictsbe resolved? When should the trailtake precedence over existing uses?

Planning schedule for the CMP.Included in the Pre-Plan was thefollowing schedule, and we are allcommitted to making it work:

The Pre-Plan team (L to R), Kenn Carpenter of OSTA,Steve Knox of BLM, Sarah Schlanger of BLM, andAaron Mahr of NPS not shown.

• Pre-Plan is signed Summer ’04• “Notice of Intent” to proceed Fall ’04• Public “scoping” period Fall/Winter ’04• Data Analysis and alternative development Late ’04–’05• Public input on draft Fall/Winter ’06• Plan completed Fall ’07

What’s next for OSTA?• First, put together a cooperativeagreement between OSTA and theagencies, and this is nearly finished.• Work with the trail reconnaissanceteams for a travel-through survey oftrail geography and conditions.• Assist in holding 18 public scopingmeetings along the trail.• Feed trail info to the planning team.

10 Fall 2004

Among the almost impossible featsfor the historian who wants to trackyesteryear’s exploratory routes isstirring the campfire ashes of bygoneyears. An even harder feat is to followthe wake of old sailing vesselsbuffeted by unpredictable winds, andtaken off their intended course bythe strength of unknown currents.But how do land and sea explorationdiffer? Or, to make it easier, in whatways are they similar?

The routes of both land and seaexplorations are clearest in the firstdays and again in the final stages ofsuch activity. But mostly we have todeal with Mr. In-between, always muchlonger in time and distance. With seavoyages, identifiable intermediatelandfalls may help our orientation.I am often impressed, or amused, orincredulous by the ability of some ofmy colleagues to draw a line on a mapto show readers exactly where a shiptraveled or an explorer went overland.Clues are rare. In one case it is justwater, water everywhere. In the other itis from sagebrush to rabbit grass.

Comparatively, the explorer by landleft behind many advantages for thoseof us who want to know where hewent, but even so the task of followinghis footsteps is never easy. You alreadyknow some of the problems involvedand if forced to do so, you couldeasily list a dozen more, such as, howliterate was the journalist? How oftendid he fail to give us a clue as to the

direction he was following? Howoften did he neglect the estimateddistance traveled in any single day?etc. etc.

Given the extremely rare possibilityof finding a journal that ideally meetsour needs, since his time of writingjust how many travelers, horsebackriders, campers, picnickers, and dunebuggy enthusiasts have added to ourproblem of finding anything eitherboth interesting and/or identifiable?The passage of time and people areuncontrolled enemies and uncontrollablefactors in reconstruction of paths past.Yet, with the cards stacked againstus, we still try our best to recreate,for ourselves and posterity, as clearan image as possible of importantgeographical developments, such asmarking as precisely as we can theOld Spanish Trail. Despite manydiscouraging factors, there are anumber of favorable aspects: 1) Ourold trail is not ancient as the nameimplies: it is relatively “New,” and itis “Spanish” perhaps only in recognitionof its forerunners and of the language atits beginning and end being a commonone among its users. 2) Since ittraverses largely under-inhabitedland, the area has suffered minimalalteration, and is not in great dangerof being over-occupied. 3) More thanwould be expected, a greater thanaverage number of Old Spanish Trailusers felt they were doing somethingunique when they followed the trailand therefore left us some written

record. 4) As fast as we get most ofthe facts gathered together, sortedout and published, there are a goodnumber of people who will becomemore interested in this chapter ofWestern American history.

I identify with both the New Mexicoand the California portions of thetrail, the beginning and the end, theAlpha and the Omega – the easternend as the result of a lucky find aquarter century ago in a Spanisharchive, the Rivera manuscript, andthe California portion because myearly hero and subject of my M.A.thesis was a forerunner in that area.

Complementing and complicatingmy interest in the Rivera documentis another subsequent archivaldocument that was written someyears later by an unidentified author,one that sheds a bit of added light onRivera’s activity. This document istantalizing, obviously basicallyfounded on credible knowledge withjust enough information to whet ourappetite for greater detail. It was

Forerunners on the Old Spanish Trail?I’ll give you six!

by Dr. Donald C. CutterProfessor Emeritus of History, Uiversity of New Mexico

photo by Ron ArchibaldDr. Cutter

11Fall 2004

written by an important person recentlyarrived in New Mexico, possibly agovernor. It is undated, is 90 foliosin length and is in the style of thelatter part of the 18th century. It hasthe archival title of “Descripción dealgunas provincias de la AmericaSeptentrional con varias reflexionesPolíticas y Militares” [Description ofsome provinces of northern Americawith several political and militaryreflections], which I found in theArchivo del Ministerio de RelacionesExteriores in Madrid. Upon completeinspection, internal evidence clearlyindicates that it was completed sometime after the independence of theUnited States.

Although Rivera is not mentioned byname, let us focus upon the all-too-brief portion concerning his expeditionsand therefore about the beginnings ofwhat we are all interested in today –Forerunners and Founders of TheOld Spanish Trail. The supplementaryinformation, sketchy as it is, ispresented publicly for the first timetoday and, appropriately, to the groupthat would have the greatest interestin its contents.

The author of this supporting documentsays that, at some time prior to hisarrival in the Province of New Mexico,its governor, Tomás Vélez Cachupín,sent some of his “subjects” out toreconnoiter the land and Indiannations to the northwest that “extends asfar as the abundant Río del Tizón,which is probably the Colorado Riverthat flows into the upper end of theGulf of California.” In view of theirproposed itinerary, they began theirmarch accompanied by some UteIndians, and after having gone throughthe land of various uncivilized

groups who received them peacefully astraders, at 150 leagues [about 450miles] from the capital of Santa Fethey arrived at the banks of the Ríodel Tizón, “which runs to the southwestand which they couldn’t cross becauseof its extraordinary depth and width.”They asserted that in places it wasmore than a league wide, and amongother details they had observedmany signs of all kinds of metal.

En route, some of the Indians withwhom they traded informed theirvisitors that “a short distance fromthe far side of that Río del Tizón”was to be found a populous nation ofwhite Indians, who had long, thickbeards, who dressed in furs, and whospoke Spanish. All this informationwas subsequently confirmed by aUte who added another interestingelement. The Ute asserted that afterdeparture of the Spanish explorers, alone person of that “white Indian”group crossed the river from the otherside in pursuit of them. Realizing hismissed opportunity, he showed signsof sadness, and was moved at thesight of a cross that they had left cutinto a cottonwood.

This addition to the story adds to themystery and causes us to speculate onpossibilities. Were these people theinspiration for the “bearded Indians”depicted on one of the several mapsdrawn by Bernardo de Miera y Pacheco,mapmaker of the Domínguez-Escalante expedition over a decadelater? Was it true that someone whospoke the “Spanish language” hadhastened to near the spot of Rivera’smaximum penetration? If so, whowas he? To Indian eyes and ears “allWhite men looked alike” and spokethe same language. Or, were the

bearded White Indians dressed infurs just early French Canadian furtraders considerably beyond theirdocumented early range?

The touching scene of disappointmentand pathos suggests that the reportedlate-arrival who sought to make contactwas a coreligionist, as evidenced byhis reaction to a crucifix carved on atree deep in the interior of NorthAmerica. It is unlikely that anyadditional information concerning thisnear miss will ever be found, leavingus room for unbridled speculation.In this regard, one of my colleagues,not a member of the lunatic fringe,is investigating the possibility that,because these Great Basin inhabitantshad beards and wore pointed hatsmaking them look like Bethlemites,they might have been members ofthat Catholic order founded in CentralAmerica and known especially fortheir dedication to medical andhospital care. I have gently attempted todissuade him. But I liked this documentbecause it neatly fit my presuppositions.In fact, it helped me confirm someof my earliest mistakes

But what about what we alreadyknow of Rivera, based on my earlierluck? I dislike the need to eat crow,but since it is often good for thesoul, I will do so publicly before asympathetic audience — you.

The question arises of why after mysmall team of researchers and Iaccidentally hit upon the Riveraaccounts in the archive of the ServicioHistórico Militar in Madrid, andafter my early study of the manuscriptand a careful translation of it, andafter I introduced the topic in mypresidential address to the >>>>

12 Fall 2004

Western History Association inOctober 1976, I have not publishedmy translation of the documents norcompleted my tracking of Rivera’sroute with proper precision. Answeredsimply, I had no trouble with the earlyroutes of Rivera on his first trip inJune-July of 1765, nor with his secondtrip (of Sept-Oct) of that same yearas far as his arrival at the big southernbend of the Dolores River in WesternColorado. From that point, the contentsof the document, good sense, andother evidence led me to believe thatRivera would take what any moderntraveler would use in trying to get tothe logical target, which was theColorado, the Río del Tizón. I knewwhere he was, the direction of theclosest part of the Colorado River,and how, by approximating federalhighways 666 to Montecello and 181to Moab, I could get from point A topoint B. But I was never completelysatisfied with my “logical route”because there were parts that didn’tfit well enough. Furthermore, asupposed expert and volunteer helper,Clell Jacobs, came up with a halfdozen alternate routes, none of whichwere any better nor even as good asmy mistaken guess. My problem wasmy acceptance of the extantdocumentation as almost infallible.

An additional problem for me wasthat the subsequent Domínguez-Escalante expedition of eleven yearslater made frequent use of Rivera’sjournal and used his place names upto and including the Dolores River, butnever once thereafter. This persuadedme that the two expeditions could nothave been on similar itineraries fromthat point on the upper Dolores onward.At all times in my mind I was fullycertain that Rivera reached the Tizón,

and that directions and distanceswere as his journal indicated. I nowrealize that of all the large streams ofthe Upper Colorado drainage area, andwithout first hand knowledge of anyof them, it would have been impossiblefor Rivera to be certain that he hadreached the Tizón. Who could havetold him that it wasn’t the Colorado[Tizón] when he hit the Gunnison?Did the local Indians make a studyto determine which was the maincourse of the Colorado and whichwas a primary tributary when thetwo met at Grand Junction? Did theIndians know or care? I alwaysquestioned the statement by Riverathat his Tizón was over a league(roughly 3 miles) across, and I feltthat width was quite excessive formy projected area of Rivera’s terminalpoint being Moab, but it seemed tobe at least as wide there as at anyother part of the true upper Colorado.

I gave no consideration, and thereforeneglected the fact, that a majortributary, the Gunnison, might havesuch an extensive flood plain area,which it did – not deep but wide.However, it was not until quite recentlythat a colleague (Steve Baker) whoknows the area intimately, is wellacquainted with its ethnogeography,and has been giving much thought tothe problem of Rivera’s possibleitinerary, invited me to take a trip withhim. By automobile and by smallplane the possible routes involvedwere traced, and I gradually becameconvinced of what ought to have beenclear much earlier, but hadn’t been.Without Steve’s knowledge, I wouldstill be in doubt, but seeing is believing,and from the air things became clearconcerning the alternative possibilities,and the logical choice based on a

combination of the terrain, theethnogeography, the documents, andour exploratory results. Up to then Ihad followed the documentary leadingsto the exclusion of other even moreimportant indicators. But now thereseems to be no other logical possibilitythan that both Rivera in 1765 andthe later 1776 expedition of FathersDomínguez and Vélez de Escalantewent in much the same, but notidentical, directions, and that the crosson the cottonwood was on the southbank of the westward course of theGunnison before it joins the Colorado atGrand Junction. Rivera missedgetting into what is today Utah, andis somewhat less a precursor of theOld Spanish Trail than I had earlierhypothesized. But he was involved inthe area more than a decade before thetwo Franciscans.

In dealing with exploration there aremany problems that have to be faced.Many create limits on our possibilities;others just cause difficulties to besurmounted. The chance find of theRivera journals is a good objectlesson in dealing with the forerunners ofthe Old Spanish Trail and associatedexploration of an earlier day. Theeasiest solution is to give up and todismiss such activity in a simplesentence. For example: “FranciscanFather Francisco Hermenegildo Garcéswas an important early precursor towhat eventually became the OldSpanish Trail.” Punto. This sort ofstatement assumes that everybodyknows who Garcés was and what hedid to be classed as a forerunner. Butwho was he? There would be no OldSpanish Trail if his advice had beenfollowed or if he had not died in theYuma Massacre. But we can’t dothat with someone who is otherwise

13Fall 2004

unknown, and so we need to assesswhat we have found and what to doabout it. Permit me to present asomewhat new method of research.Let me introduce a single new wordof research terminology - Limfacs. Itis a convenient term for limitingfactors that I learned as a historyconsultant to the US Air Force inattending briefing meetings, and Ihave found it useful in associationwith the find of the Rivera journals,and other new documents.

What limiting factors (Limfacs)existed and exist – in this case, withthe Rivera document?1) Part of the journal is missing, awrap-around sheet. Is there anothercopy somewhere? Domínguez-Escalante had some sort of version,and almost certainly not the one Ifound.2) The document is in the hand of ascribe. So what? What did he copyfrom?3) What was the motive for this trip?They were not California bound. Itwas too early, so was it perhaps forthe Tizón and silver or gold, andpossibly Indian trade?4) Rivera is an unknown person. Notrace before or after. “Don.”5) They had no equipment to facilitateexploration or to record position.6) There is a lack of divulgation.Was this due to the Governor’sillegal involvement?7) The document was found in amilitary archive. Why? No goodanswer for this.8) There is a need for good translation,certainly better than any of the D-EJournal translations. This is essentialfor any attempt. “Broza.”9) How far did Rivera get and bywhat route?

10) What is the significance of thecross on a cottonwood and maybe arock inscription? Was this intendedas a symbolic act of sovereignty?

Domínguez-Escalante ExpeditionComparison with Rivera:1) It was over a decade later. D-E hadsome sort of copy of Rivera’s journaland used mostly its place-names upto the Dolores River. Study of theseearly routes yields items of interest.One such item not copied by theFranciscans is, for example, San JuanRiver, almost certainly given in honorof Juan María Rivera’s Saint’s day. 2) Rivera had a slightly larger party,but D-E had a better journalist andmapmaker. Its ex-post-facto maps.3) D-E had a specific goal – Monterey,in newly founded Upper California.Rivera couldn’t have had such a goalsince Monterey didn’t exist.4) Bicentennial rebirth of interest inD-E route. Little known until Bolton’sbook, and hardly a pageant. Not evenremembered.5) D-E had more interest in topographyand ethnogeography, and in potentialsettlement resources (due to possiblefuture missionization) and less inminerals.6) Need for greater precision in D-Etranslations.

Your research on the trail: Winnowingof low-grade pay dirt. How indelibleare the footprints of Rivera, D-E,Garces, Armijo, Wolfskill? Andwhat of the campfires of dozens ofilliterate fur traders and trappers?And the hoof prints of thousands ofsheep headed for the Mother Lode?

I began my serious interest in landexplorations as a student of Dr. HerbertE. Bolton and even earlier when in

high school I was a student of one ofhis students, Dr. Adele Ogden. Studyof interior exploration of California’sCentral Valley brought to my attentionone of California’s pioneer explorers,Gabriel Moraga, whom I now realizewas also a precursor on the OldSpanish Trail without his ever knowingit, or my knowing it until very recently.As a 14-year old boy he had arrivedin California along with his motheroverland from Sonora as part of theFernando de Rivera y Moncadaexpedition. He missed by a few hoursbeing a casualty in the Yuma Massacreof 17 July 1781 that took the life ofthe commander, as well as that ofGarcés. Gabriel Moraga lived toeventually become California’sgreatest explorer and a well-respectedofficer, just as his father before himhad been under Juan Bautista de Anza.He is best known for his earlierprimary explorations in both the SanJoaquin (1806) and Sacramento(1808) valleys, but as far as we areconcerned today, it was two expeditionson the southwestern end of the OldSpanish Trail that make GabrielMoraga a forerunner.

In 1816, as a result of attacks andthreatened attacks by the Amajabas(Mojave) Indians on the largelyundefended Los Angeles area, Moragawas sent to the desert frontier topunish the marauding Mojave, awarlike group who had their principalvillages along the Colorado River andnowhere near either the later trainstop of Mojave or the Mojave River(called a river by courtesy only). Theriver had been given its present namemany years later by John C. Frémontin 1844. He did admit of hearing itcalled the River of the Martyrs(Garcés on 9 March 1779 >>>>

14 Fall 2004

while en route from the Mojavevillages to San Gabriel) and of theAnimas, or Benditas, (by Moraga andNuez in 1819). Little is known of thisfirst expedition save for the fact that itwas initiated from San Gabriel Mission,entered the desert via Cajón Pass, andwent as far as what Moraga namedSan Hilario, or Cacaument. Threeyears later, in 1819, Moraga returnedto the Mojave Desert with one of thelargest military forces ever to use a partof the trail, consisting of 35 cavalry,15 infantry, 4 artillerymen, a smallcannon, and a large group of Indianallies. Clearly this was a larger forcethan all of the other precursorscombined. As chaplain and diarist,the Mission San Gabriel-basedAragonese Franciscan priest, 34 year-old Joaquín Pasqual Nuez, accompaniedthe troop and kept a diary, which stillexists. The objective was once morethe punishment of hostile Mojaveraiders. The well-armed party leftagain from San Gabriel, entering thetarget area via Cajón Pass, going wellbeyond the San Hilario of 1816, toas far as where the place names usedwere of Chemehuevi or Vanyume(Garcés spelled it Beñumé) origin,indicating that the invading group wasnot far from the Mojave villages. Theitinerary brought them from San GabrielMission to Puente and Cucamonga,to the Cajón de Amuscopiabit (pop.15 to 18), and from there 9 leaguesto Guapiabit (pop. 46); and 10 moreleagues to Atongiabit (pop. 83) where, on27 November, the soldiers discoveredthe remains of four neophytes fromSan Gabriel Mission, three more fromSan Fernando, and some of paganIndians, all of whom had been murderedby the Mojaves. Funeral serviceswere held the next day, with the bodiesbeing interred under a large cross,

which had been appropriately blessedearlier that morning by Father Nuez.The place was called Las AnimasBenditas (the Blessed Souls) deAtongaibit. (Note: vit or bit as asuffix means “place of” in Serrano.)With some help from anthropologists, itseems that this can be equated asbeing along the Mojave River not farfrom where it disappears into SodaLake, a playa near what is now Baker.From there Moraga continued to followwhat was later I-15 well beyond Baker,or it is vaguely possible that he tookthe other fairly level Mojave Desertroute, which is today I-40, and almostgot to Needles. After the mass burial,the journal kept by Father Nuez givesthe expedition route as follows: toJesús de Topiabit, 8 leagues; to SanHilario de Cacaumeat, 3 leagues; toSan Miguel de Sisuguina, 4 leagues;to San Joaquin y Santa Ana deAngayaba, 14.5 leagues; which totals50.5 leagues farther east than the CajónPass Indian village of Amuscopaibit.On 2 December, Moraga, with adetachment of ten soldiers and fourcivilians, continued the pursuit forapparently an entire day plus thefollowing night. Place names involvedwere Atsamabeat and the campingplace of Guanachiqui. This couldhave resulted in as much as 15additional leagues eastward. ProfessorCharles E. Chapman, the Universityof California early specialist onregional history, suggested that Moragamight have been the first non-Indianinto Nevada. Moraga’s itinerarycarried him beyond Angayaba andprobably over a trail of Mojaves whocame to the missions for trade. Failureto apprehend and punish the hostilenatives, and lack of both water andforage, prompted his return from thatpoint. Figuring the league generously,

Moraga and company were eitherclose to the Mojave area or hadfulfilled Chapman’s desire of Moragabeing the first white man to enterNevada and not far from the latergreen oasis of Sin City. In followingan exploration there is always adifficulty in converting leagues intomiles. There are short leagues intravel over comfortable land witheasy slopes, available grass and goodwater, and then there are long leagues ofsandy terrain, scarce forage, andnearly non-existent water sources. Thejournalist, with input from his fellowtravelers, may convert long into shortand short into long depending upontheir motivation, their mood, or theirfuture audience. This was the last andlargest military force in SouthernCalifornia from the Spanish period,and although it can be considered atrail precursor, its purpose was not inany way commercial, but rather wasa retaliatory military sortie in defenseof the growing Los Angeles area.However, it had as much impact onthe western end as did Rivera orDomínguez and Escalante on theeastern end of the trail. What all ofthis really signifies is that people hadbeen on the trail before it had reasonto become a commercial route. Nuezdied two years after the expedition,and Moraga three years after itsconclusion. Actually Moraga andthe young Arageonese priest werenot the first into the area, havingbeen preceded in 1806 by one ofNuez’s San Gabriel companions,Father José María Zalvidea, aBasque Franciscan whoaccompanied Lt. Francisco Rúiz on anexploration from Santa Barbara to theSouthern Central Valley and whothen exited via Antelope Valley andthe western end of the Mojave

15Fall 2004

desert. The population figures citedabove are from Zalvidea’s diary.

In conclusion, all of our precursors,or six forerunners, would be bothsurprised and pleased to be celebratedin such a worthy role. It seems thatthe inherent nature of precursors andforerunners is that they appear onthe scene, act out their parts, anddisappear, oblivious of the roles thatwe later assign to them.

Board and Annual Meeting SummaryThe board met in Page on Friday,June 4, and the general membershipmeeing was on Saturday, June 5,following the symposium presentations.Actions taken on key issues were:1. T. Rowe Price Account: It wasagreed this account should be main-tained; we cannot find as safe anaccount with better interest than wenow have.2. OSTA’s 2005 Conference: Willbe held in Las Vegas June 17–19;Liz Warren appointed chairman. Thedates for the annual conference ofthe Partnership for the NationalTrails System (PNTS) are June 19–22,having been chosen to coordinatewith our OSTA conference; OSTAwill host the PNTS conference.3. OSNHT Route Designations.Discussion continues on the stan-dardization of names for the threedifferent routes (and cut-offs) of theOST. In general terms they are thesouthern route, northern route, andnorth branch.4. Website. Improvements continuewith Claude Warren as webmaster.Have had 15 inquiries via web overpast few months for brochures andmaps. Also some memberships viaweb membership coupon.

5. Abiquiu Marker. Board approvedpaying $1300 towards the marker asrequested by the Salida del Solchapter, with the Chapter to pay theremainder. Installation will be on thehighway-side wall of Bode’s store inAbiquiu. Graphics have been re-viewed by NPS, and the aluminum4’ x 3’ frame and graphics will befrom Pannier.6. Table-Top OST Display.Knudson showed a 3-sided stand-updisplay developed by Camille Getzand himself. Three are on display inthe San Luis Valley to try out, to seehow they hold up, and what theresponse is to them.7. Display and Brochures. It wasagreed to allocate $2000 for the displayproject, $1000 for displays and $1000for brochures, most of which will bedistributed from pockets in the displays.8. Comprehensive ManagementPlan for the OSNHT has beencompleted and is being circulatedfor official approval. See page 23.9. CaféPress. It was agreed to have

them test market on their websitevarious items with the OST logo onthem.10. Chapter Presidents. It wasagreed that chapter presidents bespecifically invited to attend boardmeetings. In fact, all board meetingsare open to all members and guests.11. OSTA 2006 Conference will beheld in Greene River Utah. No dateis set, but presume will be early June.12. Spanish Traces. The Carpentersasked the board to look for a neweditor: it is essential for personalreasons that they are replaced.13. Elections. The 141 vote returnfor this election was the largest ever.New officers and directors electedwere:• Reba Wells Grandrud, President• Wayne Hinton, Vice-President• Carol Corvett, Director NV• Paul Ostapuk, Director AZ14. Next Board Meeting will beNovember 6 in Santa Fe. Salida delSol Chapter will host and make localarrangements.** Treasurer’s Report on Page 22.

OSTA’s Governing Board, effective June 5, (L to R).Lorraine Carpenter (ST Co-Editor), Paul Ostapuk (Dir. AZ), Wayne Hinton(Vice-Pres.), Ron Archibald (Treas.),Walt Hayward (Dir. UT), JoanneHinchliff (Dir. CA), Reba Wells Grandrud (Pres.), Steve Heath (Past Pres.),Carol Corbett (Dir. NV), Judy Knudson (Sec.), Doug Knudson (Dir. CO).

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Antonio Armijo’s pioneering trekfrom Abiquiu, New Mexico to LosAngeles, California in 1829–30 was thefirst of numerous trading expeditionsbetween the two isolated regions ofnorthern Mexico. His success resultedin annual expeditions until 1848 alongwhat later became known as the OldSpanish Trail between Santa Fe andthe “City of Angels.” Armijo’s journeywas unique not only because it wasthe first successful trading venture,but also because he followed a paththat was not used again by SpanishTrail travelers, a path that paralleledthe rugged country along today’sArizona-Utah border.

The knowledge of Armijo’s trip wasnot brought to the attention of historiansof the southwest until Leroy and AnnHafen published his journal in theirclassic book, Old Spanish Trail -Santa Fe to Los Angeles in 1954(Hafen & Hafen, 1954; 155–170).Though Armijo’s journal entries arecryptic, a careful reading of them and afamiliarity with the topography of theregion they traveled make it possibleto retrace the route of this historicundertaking. The Hafens’ commentaryon the diary gave us the first generaldescription of their path. In essence,they claimed that Armijo’s party of31 men (another report says 60 men)headed west from Abiquiu, downLargo Canyon, crossed the San Juan,Animas, and La Plata Rivers (in NewMexico) and reached the MancosRiver (in Colorado) south of what is

now Mesa Verde National Park. Afterdescending the Mancos River Canyonand crossing the San Juan River fora second time, they traversed NavajoIndian country to the Colorado Riverwith the aid of a Navajo guide. Theycrossed the Colorado at one of itsmost famous places, known today asthe “Crossing of the Fathers.” Thehistoric crossing was named for theSpanish Fathers Domínguez andEscalante after their November 1776crossing of the river.

Traveling further west, the groupreached the Virgin River near St.George, Utah. After ascending theSanta Clara River, they re-joined theVirgin at Littlefield, Arizona andfollowed it to its junction with theColorado River. From that point theytraveled down the Colorado to VegasWash east of Henderson, Nevada.Exiting to the west, the Hafens creditArmijo with the establishment of thesouthern route of the Old SpanishTrail across the Mojave Desert fromLas Vegas to Los Angeles.

The Hafens’ interpretation wentunchallenged until 1974 whenElizabeth Warren presented us witha different view of Armijo’s trace inthe Las Vegas region (Warren, 1974).Liz, past-president of OSTA, is oneof a few responsible for convincingthe National Park Service that theOld Spanish Trail was worthy ofnational trail designation and thatthe southern route needed to be

included (Lewis, 2003; 10). This papertoday concentrates on Armijo’s tracebetween the party’s departure fromthe San Juan River on November21st to their arrival at the VirginRiver on December 20th.

From the San Juan to theColorado:Fortunately for us Yale Universitygeologist, Herbert E. Gregory,undertook detailed studies of thewater resources in the Navajo IndianReservation between 1909 and 1913for the United States Government andthe Navajo Tribe. His United StatesGeological Survey Water-SupplyPaper #380 was published in 1916.This comprehensive study identifiesall the reservation’s springs and rivers(Gregory, 1916; 93–94, 149–158). Inaddition, the maps accompanying thisimportant study indicate the locationof the major trails on the reservationbefore the impact of modern routesand roads. Gregory’s study and Armijo’sjournal make it clear that, after leavingthe San Juan River, they traveled a

From the San Juan to the Virgin –Armijo’s 1829 Journey along the 37th Parallel

by Steve HeathPresident, Old Spanish Trail Association

photo by Ron Archibald

Prof. Steve Heath, SUU

17Fall 2004

path near our Four Corners Monumentfor a camp at “the springs of NavajoMountain” (Mission Spring on thenorth side of the Carrizo Mountains).At the springs the group traded elevenmares for a Navajo guide. The guide,who is not named, probably stayedwith Armijo until December 2nd wherehe left them at a point near theColorado River.

From the Carrizo Mountains theytraveled west to “Escondido Spring”(Hogansaani Spring) on the WalkerRiver. The next day they obtainedwater in the bottom of “Chelli Creek”(Chinle Wash). From Chinle Washthey moved further west until theyreached the perennial water of LagunaCreek. The route paralleled present-day Arizona Highway 160. Populationgrowth at Kayenta, Arizona and therecent drought in the southwest hasdried the stream. On November 26th

Armijo wrote: “At the rock artenesales”.This is almost certainly the intrusivevolcanic neck of Church Rock, which isjust west of Kayenta, but might alsobe Baby Rock a little further east.The traders then ascended the narrowcanyon to the southwest to “mountainpass of Las Lemitas” (Marsh’s Passand middle Laguna Creek). In 1829there was a meadow here. At Marsh’sPass the old Navajo trail turned to thenorthwest through the heart of present-day Navajo National Monument.Armijo’s group did not mention thespectacular ruins at Betatakin andKeet Seel, most likely because theruins were in side canyons away fromthe main trail. The goal for the partywas “the water hole of El Cuervo”(Boiling Spring) in Segi Canyon.Gregory described the perennialspring, which produced two gallonsof water a minute, as “excellent”

(Gregory, 1916; 157).

From Boiling Springs, Armijo’s partyexited Segi Canyon to the north andcrossed the upper part of Piute Canyonto another spring, which Armijoreferred to as the “waterhole of thePayuches” (Upper Crossing Spring).At this spring the party encounteredthree Paiute Indians, who gave theirgroup no problem. The guide thenled Armijo west on the plateau southof Navajo Mountain. John Wetherill,Kayenta Trading Post owner, used thesame path to take early nineteenthcentury visitors to Rainbow Bridge,except he took the trail to the northaround Navajo Mountain (Hassell,1999; 66-67). After crossing to a pointon the westward extension of the10,000 foot laccolith, Armijo’s groupturned south and crossed the upperNavajo Creek. After crossing thecanyon, they came to a temporarylake, which Armijo referred to as“Las Milpitas”. Gregory explains:“Dune areas, both shifting andstationary Y over the western portion ofthe reservation, have completelymasked normal drainage and in manyplaces hold short lived pools of waterin hollows between wind-formedmounds” (Gregory, 1916; 100).

The guide left the group somewherenorth of present-day Kaibito, Arizonaon December 2nd. With only generaldirections, Armijo and one of his men,Salvador Maes, “went out onreconnaissance” to locate the “trailof the padres.” The journal makes itclear that Armijo seems perfectlyfamiliar with the Dominguez-Escalanteexpedition of 1776 and their crossing ofthe Colorado, even though it occurredfifty-three years before. On December 3rd

the group re-crossed Navajo Creek

as it neared the Colorado withconsiderable difficulty and complaint,then they headed north into what wenow call the Glen Canyon NationalRecreation Area. Another two daysof reconnaissance and travel broughtthem to a massive cliff overlookingthe Colorado River.

At Crossing of the Fathers:Armijo’s party crossed the ColoradoRiver on December 5th and 6th. Thediary indicates that they repaired therock steps “the padres” had carvedto get their horses to the river overfifty-three years before. Fortunatelyfor historians, Dr. Gregory C. Cramptonand cohorts collected documents andphotographed the site before it wasburied under the waters of Lake Powell(Crampton, 1959).

An excellent trace of the route, withpictures, was published by Cramptonin 1988 (Crampton, 1988; 30–32).Perhaps the single best descriptionof the historic site was made byMajor John Wesley Powell >>>

Glen Canyon DamLake Powell behind the dam has buriedthe Crossing of the Fathers. Top of thedam is 583 feet above the original riverchannel.

photo by KnL Carpenter

18 Fall 2004

after his 1869 and 1871 trips downthe Colorado River. He writes:

In the year 1776, Father Escalante,Spanish Priest, made an expeditionfrom Santa Fe to the northwest,crossing the Grand and Green, andthen passing down along theWasatch Mountains and thesouthern plateaus until he reachedthe Rio Virgin. His intention was tocross to the Mission of Monterey;but, from information receivedfrom the Indians, he decided thatthe route was impracticable. Notwishing to return to Santa Fe overthe circuitous route by which hehad just traveled, he attempted togo by one more direct, which ledhim across the Colorado at a pointknown as El Vado de los Padres.From the description which we haveread, we are enabled to determinethe place. A little stream comesdown this that he came, and ourboats are lying at a point where theford crosses. A well-beaten Indiantrail is seen here yet. Between thecliff and the river there is a littlemeadow. The ashes of many campfires are seen, and the bones ofnumbers of cattle are bleachingon the grass. For several years theNavajos have raided on the Mormonsthat dwell in the valleys to the west,and doubtless cross frequently atthis ford with their stolen cattle.(Powell, 1890; 2)

Powell was not aware of the Armijoexpedition when he studied the area.

Colorado to the Virgin:Crampton’s reconstruction of theDominguez trail of 1776 makes itclear that Armijo had to follow in thefootsteps of the fathers in the oppositedirection. After crossing beneath

Romana Mesa, the traders followedan old Indian trail through lower WarmCreek and on south into lower WahweapCreek near Big Water, Utah (Crampton,1960; 1–5). On December 9th the groupascended Blanco Canyon (WhiteCanyon). They had entered Utah’snewest national monument, the GrandStaircase-Escalante National Monument.It is this portion of the journey I knowbest because I have had the fortunateopportunity to work on several projectsin the monument. A half day’s journeywest from Big Water brought them tothe “Creek of Ceja Canyon” (PariaRiver) and a settlement of Paiutes.Just beyond the river they encountereda major obstacle – The Cockscomb.On December 11th Armijo wrote “Atthe Creek of Ceja Canyon,” whichprobably means they followed thepath northward through what we call“The Box.” On the west side of theCockscomb, the traders crossed a“tree-covered ridge” (the north endof the Kaibab Mountain). Aftercrossing the juniper-covered ridge,they entered the dry plains in theregion east of present-day Fredonia,Arizona. Since there were no streamsfrom the canyons on the north, as theyexpected, they had to melt snow forwater. On December 14th, they reached“Ram Creek” (Kanab Creek). It wasthe first stream of water since theyleft the Paria over forty miles to theeast. Continuing on their westwardroute along the base of the VermillionCliffs, they came to “Agua de la Vieja,”or “Water of the Old Woman” atpresent-day Pipe Spring NationalMonument. Apparently, all the Paiuteswho lived by the spring were gone,or had deserted an old Paiute womanas the large party of white men nearedthe spring.

West of this historic spring, Armijoand his men crossed “the CoyotePlains” and entered another longwaterless stretch. This time they foundwater in the limestone cavities alongthe top of the Hurricane Cliffs. Afteranother reconnaissance, they found theIndian trail off the 1000-foot naturalbarrier. In 1858, Jacob Hamblin, theMormon scout, rediscovered this pass,and on the same trip he also foundthe Crossing of the Fathers on hismission to preach Mormonism to theHopi Indians in northern Arizona.Armijo’s route from Fredonia to St.George has became the western partof the famous “Honeymoon Trail,”which was used to transport Arizonaand eastern Utah couples in the lastquarter of the nineteenth century tothe St. George Temple for their sacredmarriage rites. The honeymoon came asthese newly married couples traveledback to their homes.

At the base of the cliffs, the tradingparty traveled down “Stinking WaterCanyon” (Pearces Wash). In 1866,Mormon militia built a fort overlookingthe springs in Pearces Wash to keepIndian raiders from stealing livestockin the area. On December 20th, theparty reached the “Severo” River(the Virgin River). A few hundredyards downstream they came to the“Milpas River” (Santa Clara River).The group rested here while theydecided which direction they shouldgo next. Just three years before,American fur trapper Jedediah Smithhad stopped at the same place. Smithchose to go down river through therugged and dangerous Virgin RiverGorge. On his second trip to California,the very next year, Smith and histrapper brigade went up the SantaClara. Armijo’s group also went up

19Fall 2004

the Santa Clara and then over UtahHill and back to the Virgin nearLittlefield, Arizona.

Liz Warren’s thesis provides the detailsfor the rest of Armijo’s pioneeringjourney to California (Warren, 1973).Hopefully our Old Spanish Trailfriends and historians will provideus with the trace of Armijo’s partyfrom Abiquiu to Four Corners, sinceArmijo may not have descended theMancos as the Hafens have suggested.A journey from Page to follow thesouthern route of the Old SpanishTrail east towards the San Juan Riverand west to Pipe Springs helps us tobetter understand the incrediblejourney Armijo and his men undertooknearly 175 years ago.

References

Crampton, C. Gregory; “OutlineHistory of the Glen Canyon Region,”Glen Canyon Series, Number 9,University of Utah AnthropologyPapers, September 1959.

Crampton, C. Gregory, Ghosts ofGlen Canyon – History BeneathLake Powell, Publishers Place, St.George, Utah 1988.

Creer, Leland H.; “Activities ofJacob Hamblin in the Region of theColorado,” Glen Canyon Series,Number 3, University of UtahAnthropology Papers, May 1958.

Gregory, Herbert E.; “The NavajoCountry – A Geographic andHydrologic Reconnaissance of Partsof Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah,”Water Supply Paper 380, UnitedStates Geological Survey,Washington D.C., 1916.

Hafen, Leroy, and Hafen, Ann; OldSpanish Trail – Santa Fe to LosAngeles, University of NebraskaPress, 1993 reprint of 1954 edition.

Lewis, Willard; “The Road toNational Historic Trail Designation:A Narrative,” Spanish Traces,Volume 9, Number 1, Winter 2003.

Warren, Elizabeth von Till;“Armijo’s Trace Revisited: A newInterpretation of the Impact ofAntonio Armijo Route of 1829–1830on the Development of the OldSpanish Trail,” Master’s Thesis,University of Nevada, Las Vegas,May 1974.

photo by KnL Carpenter

Wall panel at the Marriott in Page

The Two Church Rocksby KnL Carpenter

Church Rock, at the right, is30 miles north of Montecello,Utah, on the east side ofUS-191. As the northern routeof the OST came down andexited East Canyon, the Trailpassed about 2 miles east ofthe Rock. The La Sal Moun-tains are in the distant left.

Church Rock, at the left, is 7miles east of Kayenta,Arizona, on the north side ofUS-160. The Armijo (south-ern) route probably passedjust north of the Rock as itfollowed Laguna Creek.

20 Fall 2004

OSTA had a large booth at theSouthern Nevada CulturalHistory Fair held May 15 inobservance of NationalPreservation Week. The fair,held at the Gardens at the LasVegas Springs Preserve, featuredpresentations, displays, talks,and booths that commemoratethe cultural origins of the region.

Carol Corbett coordinated thebooth, which featured our newbanner displayed above thebooth. The banner was donatedby member Bob Funk of Sign Xpressin Las Vegas; many thanks to youBob! Liz Warren and CindyJorgensen prepared tabletopinformational exhibits. Many people

Southern Nevada Cultural History Fairby Carol Corbett, OSTA Nevada Director

picked up brochures and thirteenpeople signed up to be on thechapter mailing list.

OSTA members Liz Warren,Hal Steiner, Cindy Jorgensen,Ramona Lesley, MiriamRomero, and Carol Corbettstaffed the booth. Liz also gavea presentation in the Gardens

classroom focusing on people on theOST. The audience was spellboundas she told tales of the travelers andwove their travels on the trailtogether.

The OSTA booth and the new banner

Liz Warren tells OSTA stories

Howard R. Driggs CollectionAcquired by the Gerald R. Sherratt Library

of Southern Utah UniversitySteve Heath has announced that abonanza of 71 boxes of originalpapers and photographs on earlytrails, including the OST, has beendonated by the Driggs family toSUU. Cataloging of the material willbegin soon for the Special Collec-tions Library.

Driggs, 1873–1963, was head of thedepartment of English and Literatureat BNS in Cedar City in the 1890s,where it is believed he first metWilliam R. Palmer. Always a trailperson, in the 1920s he became thesecond president of Oregon TrailMemorial Association and devel-oped an association with William

Henry Jackson, artist and photogra-pher of the pioneer west. In the1940s the organization became theAmerican Pioneer Trails Associa-tion, with the idea to branch out andmark all the great western trails.

In 1946 while in Cedar City, he andPalmer organized the Spanish TrailAssociation; Palmer’s papers are inthe SUU Special Collections, as arenow the Drigg’s papers also.

In the meantime, part of the collec-tion includes a limited number ofDriggs book Westward America,with illustrations by William H.Jackson. All are in uncirculated and

mint condition. Published in 1940,the book was an important event inthe American pioneer trails move-ment. The library is offering thesebooks for sale in both a “deluxeedition” and a “collectors edition.”All proceeds will be used to preservethe Howard R. Driggs Collection.

For more information or to reserve acopy of the book, write or phone:

Gerald R. Sherratt LibrarySouthern Utah University351 West University Blvd.Cedar City, Utah 84720435-586-7947

Suggested reading for a more substantivehistory of the Driggs and Palmer association:Seegmiller, Janet B. “William R. Palmer andthe Spanish Trail Association,” SpanishTraces, V10#2, Spring 2004.

21Fall 2004

Page, Arizona – Site of the 2004Annual Conference in June.

One month following the conferencethere were two Park celebrationsheld by the city of Page, and OSTAhad a booth at both events. For thefirst time locally, Page residents andtraveling tourists had the opportunityto become familiar with the OldSpanish Trail Association.

Old Spanish Trail brochures,materials, newsletters and the newtable top exhibit were put ondisplay for the John Wesley PowellDays event hosted by the JohnWesley Powell Museum in June, andfor the City of Page 4th of Julycelebrations.

Paul Ostapuk, newly elected ArizonaDirector, handed out informationand answered questions to hundreds

of park visitors who were interestedin the news of the new nationalhistoric trail designation and the OldSpanish Trail Association. The Armijoroute of the Old Spanish Trail, firstused in 1829, passes just a few milesnorth of Page.

Page has a rich history of trailcrossings. The Domínguez-Escalanteexpedition of 1776 camped along

Wahweap Creek in 1776 near thepresent day location of the WahweapMarina and Lake Powell Resort. Theparty eventually navigated a crossingof the Colorado River farther to theeast at a site known simply as the‘Ute Crossing.’ This historic crossingsite then became known as the‘Crossing of the Fathers’. Thecaravan of Antonio Armijo, whoestablished the first Old Spanish Trailcommercial trade route in 1829, used

Arizona Chapter NewsWell, we aren’t an official OSTA chapter yet, but we areworking hard on it; we now have all the ingredients!

this crossing en route to Los Angeles.

The Crossing of Fathers remained animportant river crossing for manydecades thereafter, although Indianuprisings, rough terrain and waterand feed issues forced the OldSpanish Trail route northward acrosscentral Utah. The crossing was usedby Mormon missionaries on theirtravels to and from the Hopi villages,but travel eventually decreased atthis site when the Lee’s ferryboatcrossing at the mouth of the PariaRiver south of Page becameoperational in 1873.

Today the exact site of the Crossingof the Fathers is covered by thewaters of Lake Powell in Padre Bay,but boaters and modern dayexplorers can still travel by footalong parts of the Armijo routeleading away from the originalcrossing site.

submitted by Paul OstapukNevada Director, OSTAPage, Arizona

One of the booths at Page, OSTA banner on the left.

22 Fall 2004

OSTA Participates inWestern Writers of America Conference

by Hal Steiner

The Western Writers of America, Inc.held their 2004 Convention on 15–19June at the Casablanca Hotel inMesquite, Nevada. The organizationwas founded in 1953 to promote theliterature of the American West andbestow awards for distinguishedwriting in the western field. Thefounders were largely authors whowrote traditional western fiction, butthe organization swiftly expanded toinclude historians and other nonfictionauthors and writers interested inregional history. Members writeeverything from mainstream fictionto local history. The WWA activelyhelps its members promote theirbooks and articles, and aggressivelypromotes the literature of theAmerican west.

The purpose of their annual conventionis to bring, members, guests, editors,and agents together to renew friend-ships, do business, attend panels, goon field trips, and conduct the organi-zation’s business. The site of the 2004convention in southern Nevada wasnear a major segment of the historicOld Spanish Trail, and OSTA wasinvited to provide guides for tours andto form a panel to discuss the historyand current status Old Spanish Trail.The OSTA Board of Directors approvedthis invitation and Harold “Hal” Steinerwas asked to work with the WWAand to set up a program for supportthe WWA.

On Wednesday, 16 June the first fieldtrip was to the Valley of Fire and theLost City Museum. Hal Steiner was

a guide and, since the area of interestwas over or near the corridor of theOld Spanish Trail, he was able toorally and visually illustrate how thenatural and cultural environment ofthe Virgin River Valley contributedto the history of the Old Spanish Trail.

On Thursday, 17 June the secondfield trip was north of Mesquite andHal Steiner and Reba Grandrud wereguides. The tour featured JedediahSmith’s abortive attempt to finalizethe Old Spanish Trail via the VirginRiver Gorge. From St George wetraveled to the historic site of theMountain Meadows Massacre. TheOld Spanish Trail was an integralpart of the discussions on this site.From Mt. Meadows we followed thecorridor of the Old Spanish Trail downthe Santa Clara River to the ShivwitsIndian Reservation, then up CastleCliff Wash to Castle Cliff then downthe Utah Hill trace of the Trail to theBeaver Dam and Littlefield, Arizonaarea. From there the tour terminatedat the hotel in Mesquite. It was anexcellent tour and much valuablecultural and historic information wasdisseminated and discussed.

On Friday, 18 June the OSTA Panelbriefed the WWA members on the“Whom, What, Why, When, and Whereof the Old Spanish Trail.” The OSTApanel members (all volunteers) wereDr. Reba Wells Grandrud, ProfessorSteve Heath, Professor Joanne Hinchliff,and Dr. Liz Warren. Hal Steiner wasmoderator. The panel discussion wasdeemed very interesting as well as

informative; especially to WWAmembers who were not aware of thesignificant impact and input the OldSpanish Trail has had on the history ofthe West. The Panel’s final challengeto the WWA members was, “There’slots of material for authors to discoveralong the Old Spanish Trail.” Subsequentactivities indicate some writers haveaccepted this challenge.

The overall assessment of OSTA’ssupport was positive. The WWAmembers left Mesquite fully appreciativeof the OSTA’s presence, both as tourguides and panel members. Theyalso left with a deeper understandingof the history of the Old SpanishTrail and the need to help preserve itand protect it as an integral part ofthe National Historic Trail system.

Treasurer’s ReportJuly 1, 2003 to May 25, 2004

Assets 05/25/04Checking Act 6,429T.R.Price Act 8,337

Total 14,766

Liabilities – 05/25/04UK Chapter Cash Act 54UK John Sharpe Cash Act 47Outstanding Checks 1,430

Total 1,530Net Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13,236

Allocation of AssetsRetail Sales Act 434Marker Fund Protected Act 4,789Spanish Traces Protected Act 1,500Durango 2003 Conf Act, closed 0Cedar City General Ledger 6,613

Total 13,236

Cash Flow SummaryRevenues (Conf registration fees

not posted yet) 5,727Expenses 6,420

Cash Flow Loss -693

23Fall 2004

National Park Service and OSTASign Cooperative Agreement

A major step forward in the partner-ship between the Agencies and OSTAhas culminated in the official signingof a cooperative agreement. Approvalsignatures were Tammy Gallegos,Agreement Officer, IntermountainSouthwest Support Office; Jere L.Krakow, superintendent, NationalTrails System Office - Santa Fe; andReba Wells Grandrud, President,Old Spanish Trail Association. Termof the Agreement is for five years.

The eight-page document of ArticlesI through XIII, begins with definingthe participants. NPS is the “Service,”OSTA is the “Association,” and BLMis the “Bureau.” Since the Secretaryof the Interior delegated administrativeresponsibility for the Trail jointly toNPS and BLM, and their goal is anefficient and seamless administrationof the Trail by working together as ajoint entity, they jointly are called the“Administration.”

Article II is a statement of work byall concerned, and the following isparaphrased. OSTA agrees to:• Provide the Service with a pro-posed budget request for fundingassistance for our fiscal year (June 1to May 31) by Jan 1 each year.• Assist in planning and identifyingmanagement objectives and priori-ties, and implementation of objec-tives, including a ComprehensiveManagement Plan for the Trail.• Assist in gathering Trail-relateddata, including site, segment, andTrail identification and documenta-tion; historical information; land-owner identification.... And, specifi-

cally, assist in the identification anddocumentation of “high-potential”sites and segments that can be addedto a Geographic Information Systemdatabase maintained by the Admin-istration.• Assist in developing contacts withlocal organizations, agencies, tribalgovernments, in coordination withthe Administration, to support thepurposes of the National TrailsSystem Act, and to obtain coopera-tion and assistance from otheragencies, organizations, or individu-als in ways consistent with OSTA’s501(c)(3) status.• Assist to facilitate local meetingsand workshops held by the Adminis-tration.• Assist in disseminating materialsregarding stewardship, appropriatepublic use, etc. to help advance theTrail.• Assist in raising funds to be usedtoward NPS or BLM cost-share orseed money projects for preserva-tion, research, interpretation, orrecreational development.• Assist to organize, sponsor, pro-mote, and manage appropriate Trailevents, like cross-country treks ortours consistent with public useopportunities provided throughcertification or other agreements.• Help to support Trail research,help set research priorities, helpprovide a central research clearing-house function, help provide for ordirect data or curatorial storage, andhelp provide educational programsand Administration-provided train-ing for OSTA volunteers.• Assist in managing and promoting

the Trail as an integrated whole,commensurate with the Trail’snational historic trail status.• Assist in marking of Trail routesand certified sites with official Traillogos, when developed and approved.• Assist in developing visitor useopportunities and support facilities,including educational and interpre-tive opportunities for the public ontrail wide and national levels. Alsohelp to ensure that educational andinterpretive efforts are accurate andsensitively done and that the neces-sary consultation has occurred.• Assist by communicating frequentlyto the Administration about OSTAactivities at the national and chapterlevels, and involve the Administra-tion in a substantive way whendesigning or implementing Trail-related programs and activities.

And the Service, through the Admin-istration, agrees to:• Be substantially involved incarrying out the elements of theagreement.• Refer public inquiries about Trailprograms or activities to OSTA asappropriate.• Assist OSTA by providing it withappropriate informational materials.• Assist OSTA by providing trainingfor member volunteers in activitieslike preservation, interpretation, andresearch or recreation trail construc-tion.• Assist OSTA by providingVolunteers-In-The-Parks status foreligible members, and by providingnecessary supervision, equipment,tools, and technical assistance. >>>

24 Fall 2004

• Assist OSTA by providing financialassistance as specified in Article V.• Assist OSTA by providing limitedfinancial assistance (cost share orseed money funds) for appropriateprojects and programs.• Assist OSTA by allowing use ofthe official Trail marker, whendeveloped, for appropriate purposes,as requested in writing.• Assist OSTA in its administrativefunctions in order to strengthen andextend OSTA’s ability to further thepurposes of the National TrailsSystem Act as it relates to the Trail.• Assist OSTA by facilitating jointstrategic, research, preservation, andinterpretive planning in order tocarry out joint Trail programs, andassist in setting priorities for jointefforts and assuming responsibilityto take the lead on implementation,as appropriate.• Provide technical assistance, astime and funds permit, for a widevariety of Trail projects.

Article V covers in detail the finan-cial assistance that may be provideddirect to OSTA. The amount forOSTA’s current fiscal year is $5000,and OSTA has submitted the budgetdetails for this amount. Additionalfinancial assistance will be based onour submitting a detailed projectproposal and budget, mutual agree-ment of the parties in writing, andsubject to the availability of fundsappropriated by Congress andadministratively allocated by theService for purposes of the modifi-cation.

Article VI covers OSTA’s use of theOld Spanish National Historic Trailtriangular marker symbol once it isdeveloped and approved. Our use of

the symbol will require writtenpermission of the Administration.The Administration will provideOSTA with appropriate graphics asneeded. [It has been mutually agreedthat the wording up the left anddown the right will say “Old SpanishTrail.” We expect to have continueduse of the mule for our lapel pinsand otherwise.]

Other Articles and General Provi-sions cover how to terminate theagreement, requirements for a drug-free work place, restrictions onlobbying, restrictions on paying toinfluence certain federal transac-tions, and requirements on civilrights.

Additionally there are numerousSpecial Provisions given in consider-able detail; a selected few follow:• The Service’s employees shall notparticipate in any OSTA decisionconcerning the relationship of OSTAto the Service or Administration, orrepresent OSTA in any matterbetween OSTA and the Service orAdministration, including but notlimited to executing or negotiatingcontracts, signing checks, or hiringOSTA’s employees. [We presumethis must also apply to Bureauemployees.]• OSTA will, during the performanceof the agreement, agree to abide bythe terms of Executive Order 11246on non-discrimination against anyperson because of race, color, religion,sex, or national origin....• In all cases where rights or privi-leges are granted herein in general orindefinite terms, the extent of theuse of such rights or privileges byOSTA shall be determined by furtherwritten agreement.

• OSTA shall save, hold harmless,defend, and indemnify the UnitedStates of America, its agents andemployees, for losses, damages, orjudgement and expenses on accountof fire or other peril, bodily injury,death or property damage of anynature whatsoever, and by whomso-ever made, arising out of the activi-ties of OSTA, its employees, subcon-tractors, or agents under this agree-ment.• Re promotions, OSTA shall notpublicize, or otherwise circulate,promotional material (such asadvertisements, sales brochures,press releases, speeches, still andmotion pictures, articles, manu-scripts or other publications) whichstates or implies Governmental,Departmental, Bureau or Govern-ment employee endorsement of aproduct, service, or position whichOSTA may state or imply that theGovernment approves of OSTA’swork product to be superior to otherproducts or services.

Questionnaire forOSTA Members

Presumable you have already noticedthe loose white paper insert includedwith this article. It is not stapled intothe issue; simply slide it out, and read.We hope you will read carefully,check the boxes that meet yourinterest, write additional info on theback, and mail it back to us in astamped envelope. Your participa-tion in the months to come will beimportant to the Trail. Mail to:

OSTAP.O. Box 7Marysville, WA 98270

25Fall 2004

The Bureau of Land Managementheld their first National Scenic andHistoric Trails (NSHT) WorkshopMarch 22–26, 2004. The event wasin Riverside California at the historicMission Inn, and the purpose of theworkshop was to introduce BLMpersonnel to the trails of the SW andthe difficulties of preserving andprotecting while promoting publicuse of the trails. Focus was oncommunication; resource planning;use, conservation and protection; andpartnerships. Attendance was about150, and included BLM and NPSrepresentatives from the WashingtonDC Office of the Interior.

From OSTA’s viewpoint, a key purposewas BLM’s wanting develop theirpartnerships with the trail supportgroups. OSTA was one of severalsupport groups invited to send aparticipant, and OSTA was givenapproval for three, Liz Warren andKenn and Lorraine Carpenter.

OSTA members guided two fieldtrips, one to Agua Manza led by AnnDeagan, and one to Cajon Pass guidedby John Hockaday. Both trips werewell planned in advance by severalOSTA members, and were designedto provide discussion for workshoptopics. Also involved in the planningwere Cliff Walker, Leo Lyman,Joanne Himchliff, Liz Warren, andKenn and Lorraine Carpenter.

The Cajon Pass field trip was somewhatcomplicated to plan, and discussionfor the tour route spanned four months.Hockaday, who has extensivelyresearched the OST in the CajonPass area, proposed a trip route withnumerous points of interest andprepared a working draft of the route. Inearly March we did a dry run withJoan Oxendine (BLM Desert DistrictArcheologist) and Christopher Roholt(BLM Desert District Wilderness &Historic Trails Coordinator). ByMarch 24 we were ready.

Stop 1: The trip started from theMission Inn at 8:00 A.M. in three 10-passengers vans. We met John inDevore, at Glen Helen RegionalPark, which sits at the mouth of theCajon Pass. After introductions anda brief orientation, John shared apoem he wrote covering the history ofthe Cajon Pass. He explained thelocal Native American trade networkused for thousands of years. Theoriginal trail connecting the highdesert with the inland valleys camedown a ridge northeast of Devore.The first white man to use this trailwas Father Garces in 1775–76. Thenext recorded use was by JedediahSmith in 1826. The first documentedtrade caravan was led through byAntonio Armijo in 1829.

John displayed an old GovernmentLand Office map to orientate us. Thegroup then began to wrestle with theconcept of the OST. It evolved froman Indian trading path, to a Mexicantrading trail, to an American settlerroad, to a modern highway. Mormonscamped here in 1851, prior to settlingSan Bernardino. They initiated thefirst survey of Southern California

OSTA Participates inPremier BLM Trails Workshop

by Bradley Mastin, BLM – photos by KnL Carpenter

A representative from each trail told about their group andanswered questions from the floor. The panel is upper rightin the photo, and Liz Warren is just left of the column.

OSTA had a poster display promoting recreationopportunities while “discovering” the Trail.

26 Fall 2004

from here. Their colonies expandeduntil called back for the Utah Warsin 1857. I chimed in this was all newto me. Yet, I was born in L.A. andgrew up 30 miles away. Liz Warren(OSTA) focused us on the issue ofcommunication. She pointed out thelack of general public knowledgeabout the OST.

Liz Warren then suggested that weneed to develop and promote heritagetourism. Each trail has a unique storythat can be woven into existingtourism opportunities. Steve Smith(BLM, Ridgecrest) asked how wepresent this information to the public.How do we incorporate this informationinto plans? How do we get to peoplein too much of a hurry? Use web sites,upload information directly intotraveler’s vehicles, tie the curriculumacross the whole trail. But the schoolcurriculum is full, can’t add onto that.Consider new ways, new funding.Make the OST game, like the OregonTrail Game. Build a trail-specificcurriculum, then determine how todemonstrate and distribute. AfterJohn answered about 200 questionswe moved on.

Stop 2: Devore Heights, a couple ofmiles up on the east side of CajonPass, provided a great view of thelower Cajon Pass and the path of theOST. John pointed out the path alongthe west canyon side. Early travelerstook this path to avoid boulders anddebris lining the canyon bottom.They crossed the river several timesseeking the path of least resistance.Modern developments dominate thesetting. These include the I-15 & 215interchange, railroad tracks, powerlines, pipelines, roads, well pumpingstations, and rural developments.

After a brief stop we continued northup Historic Route 66. This highwaywas abandoned as the major passroute decades ago. The newer wide-bodied 8-lane (soon 10) Interstate 15is higher up the hillside.

Stop 3: Blue Ridge–Lone Pine CanyonBridge. Construction of Route 66destroyed several segments of the OST.It is no coincidence these historicroutes were built upon each other.Here the canyon narrows through ahard rocky section. This setting wasnoisy. Every few minutes a traincame by. The 6,000 horsepowerbehemoths are quite a contrast to theearlier 1 mulepower cargo carriers.John pointed out a hobo campestablished in the early 1900s. Freshwater is provided from a springflowing into Cajon Creek. An historictrain bridge crosses the creek. Johnshowed us where the old wagon roadleft the canyon bottom and traverseda ridge up the canyon. This is wherethe Brown’s Toll House operated inthe 1860s.

Monument Site. John led us to anearby trail monument with socialissues to discuss. This was a popularmeet-up site for homosexuals, and isalso frequented by gang members.This led to discussion on the topic ofuse, conservation and protection. Wequestioned the why and how ofdeveloping and managing such trailsites; i.e. do we want to bring visitors tosites like this, how do we warn visitors,how do we enforce the laws. Unableto solve all problems in one day, weturned back to John and history. Toour surprise the river had been moved.In 1931, steam shovels were used todig a new river channel. The road isnow where the river used to flow at

the base of the hill. The ruins of anold truck scale lay between the roadand the river.

At the monument we had a discussionabout communication and resourceplanning. We talked about the locationand message of the monument. Thetext was written in small capital lettersand hard to read. The monument wasinstalled by a private group, E. ClampusVitus. The text addresses severalhistoric trails in the Cajon Pass.However, group members founddiscrepancies with this “truth”. Itappears there was no message peerreview. We agreed on the need towrite with footnotes and use peerreview. This approach needs to beadopted for monuments, brochuresand interpretive displays. Writtenwork should be published in ahistorical journal; the OverlandJournal provides peer review. It waspointed out that all historic trailshave an issue with authenticity.

Stop 4: Lunch at Cajon Junction, theintersection of State Highway 138 &I-15. We spread out along a dead-endfrontage road. There is a ChevronStation and a McDonald’s here; nomention of the OST. The road endsat Crowder Canyon, behind a seriesof truck scales operated by the CHP.The National Scenic Pacific Cresttrail goes east up Crowder Canyon,and west under I-15. This is also thehistoric path of the OST. There are 2riparian interpretive signs here, anda trailhead sign with directions toMcDonald’s. Communication ideasincluded McDonald’s using the OSTtheme and OST CDs for vehicleplayers. There is a monument here,to the Santa Fe/Salt Lake Trail. It wasbuilt when a newer road >>>>

27Fall 2004

replaced the old wagon road fartherwest. The group thought the namewas wrong; should be OST or LosAngeles Wagon Road. Should alsobe an OST interpretive sign. Thesetting here is extremely noisy, thisis the most traveled pass in California.It was amazing that all this trafficand commerce began with a littleold mule train here in 1829.

Stop 5: Most of the group hiked westunder I-15 to a historic camp (Jayneehiked east and Deb fell in river); thevehicles drove around. John hadarranged for a ranch tour by SanBernardino County Museum volunteers.This was first water for wagons 18miles south from the Mojave Riverat Oro Grande. A Serrano village wasdocumented here in the early 1800s.OST travelers referred to this placeas Willow Grove and Spring. Morerecently known as Inman Ranch, it isowned by the county museum. Thesite is now closed because of liabilityand a lack of funding. Immigrants

from the old wagon road helpedbuild a monument here in 1912. TheMormon’s re-assembled their wagonshere after carrying them down CrowderCanyon. A second monument severalhundred feet to the south marks theMormon Pioneer trail. We discussedthe topics of resource planning andpartnerships, and identified a need towork with locals; they are theknowledge base.

Stop 6: Coyote Canyon/CrowderCanyon/Upper Narrows. We tookHighway 138 north and left thecongestion. This site is in the broadupper reaches of the pass, the approx-imate junction of the various trailsegments. The wagon road and JohnBrown’s Road went northwest to OroGrande. The mule trail went northeast tocloser water on the Mojave River.This was a more quiet and tranquilsetting. The group fragmented as wesought a pause from the day’s events.We walked along the upper bank ofCrowder Canyon. John pointed out

traces of wagon road on undisturbedislands in the arroyo below.

Stop 7: Horsethief Canyon andSummit. Spectacular overviewshowing where the trail came from,and where it was going. John pointedout a ridge leading east to the infamouscanyon used as a hiding place forstolen livestock. The upper reachesof the Mojave River were visible inthe distance. North was a huge cutmade for the railroad. To the west wecould see the old Brown Road windingup the pass; beyond and higher upwas I-15. To the south were the SanGabriel Mountains, with L.A. on theother side. The broader view hereencouraged discussions about resourceplanning. Here the impacts fromcompeting land uses (OHVs, utilities,roads, fire...) were visible. Thesolutions were well known; hardwork, partnerships and good plans.

To complete the trip John shared aspecial find with us. He walked usout to the very edge of the summit

Many of the group followed the OST route under the I-15 freeway. Therewas running water of Crowder Creek, some mud, and conveniently aconcrete walkway along the edge.

And then the Trail continued to therailroad underpass, and of course wehad a long freight train passingoverhead for several minutes. >>>

28 Fall 2004

and beyond. Here he showed us what hebelieves is a trace of the original1829 mule trail. We followed himdown an overgrown trail along anexposed ridgetop. The trail followeda switchback and continued downtoward our previous stop at the topof Crowder Canyon. The group camealive with the buzz of trail talk. Couldthis be the original trail? How didthey get up here? How can we sharethis with the public? How can wepreserve this? How do we know thiswas the mule trail? More issues,more discussion.

This segment looks like it could bethe original mule trail. Right size,right place. But original maps ofCajon Pass are distorted, some evenbased on illegitimate surveys. Thereare no photos; cameras did not exist.Journal entries are descriptive, butnot always detailed. This was a greatexample of a historic trail issue. Ourpurpose was to learn how to managenational historic trails. We identifiedissues and proposed solutions. Wehad plenty to discuss on the way back.This was a wonderful trip. Thanks toJohn Hockaday, and the OSTA forhelp in making this tour possible.

Typical of numerous stops, thegroup had seemingly endless topicsfor discussion. The partnershippingbetween OSTA and BLM wasalways evident.

Way back when, how far I don’t know,the San Andreas Fault put on quite a show.

Everything just ripped and tore;mountains grew thousands of feet or more.

Then it did it again with a terrible blastand ripped out the Gap that we call Cajon Pass.

People showed up, from where I don’t know,and started using the Pass to get to and fro.

Things stayed the same for thousands of years.Then the Spanish invaded with religion

To help with their grandioshus planand renamed places all over the land.

After Mexico took over things started to change.The old Indian footpath soon got its new name.

The Americans were using it along with the rest,the New Mexicans and others thought this trail the best.

This Old Indian Trade routeconnected the southwest with the coast.

The New Mexican mule caravans and horse thieveswere the last to use it the most.

Then Path Finder John C. Frémontnamed it the Old Spanish Trail.

When the Americans took overwith Manifest Destiny their aim,

Gold was discovered –God only knows who to blame.

The news spread like wildfireclear to the east coast, New York and to Maine.

People went crazy and went west right away,seeking their fortunes in CALIFORNIAY.

Mormon Jefferson Hunt led the first wagon train,and the gold seekers kept coming day after day

With plenty of hardship, you bet,but the Old Spanish Trail showed them the way.

ODE TO CAJON PASSby John Hockaday

John HockadayField trip leader andpoet extrordinaire

continued >>>

29Fall 2004

Then the Old Trail started changing, carrying a new load.It soon became the New Wagon Road.

Things moved along at a terrible rate,then California became our new state.

When the Mormons showed upon their brand new quest,

They thought the nameSalt Lake Trail was the best.

Then ex-mountain man Brown built his toll roadup that same trail through the passwith making money his aim.

And the road that he builtsoon took on his name.

Old John Brown maintained his toll roadfor near 20 years, without fail,

And not long after thatFred Peris laid the first rail.

The railroad sped things up some,carrying passengers and freight.

But the teams and the wagonskept the old road alive.

But the turn of the centurybrought something to dread –

The automobile showedits fierce ugly head.

Then the teams and their driverswere in a new race

Building the roads for the trucks and the autosthat would soon take their place.

The old road was pavedand ran coast to coast,

And called the old trailshighway by most.

By the mid-20speople were getting their kicks

On that same old highwaynow called 66.

For the next 20 yearsthings stayed nearly the same,

But right after the warthings took a big change.

Traffic had quadrupledmuch to the planners’ chagrin,

But they were up to the task and took careful aimand by ’52 the old road was a divided 4-lane.

But this wasn’t enough,things were still moving too fast.

In 15 short years it became obsolete.The success of the 4-lane just wouldn’t last.

Soon the planners were backwith plenty to say;

What they thought we neededwas a modern freeway.

They went right to work,day after day,

And when it opened, my, my, what a change.It was four times as big as the divided 4-lane.

Old Cajon Pass had its new freeway named Route 66,but that didn’t last, the planners were back.

The old way of numbering highwayshad become obsolete

And the No. 66 just couldn’t compete.

The Old Spanish Trail and Route 66became the new I-15.

Now its getting crowded;I wonder what’s next?

Here’s one thing to rememberand never forget –

That sleeping Old Faultain’t done moving yet!

30 Fall 2004

D’ye ken Willie Workman with his coat so gray?He lived at Clifton once upon a day.He went to America far, far away,Now he lies in a grave in California.

Chorus:‘Twas the sound of his voice woke me from my bed,And the call of his mules, which he oft-times led.For Willie’s “war-cry” would awaken the dead,And the Piute from their lair in the morning.

With his brother David he set sail,They reached America after many a gale,And went to Missouri at the end of the trail.Now he lies in a grave in California.

In the saddlers shop Willie did his bit,Along with the apprentice, a lad called Kit.But to head for New Mexico took some grit,Now he lies in a grave in California.

Kit followed down the trail and they settled in Taos.Harsh winters meant it was a very cold house.But Willie was a hard man and not a mouse,Now he lies in a grave in California.

In eighteen forty-one things started to get hot,So, with Rowland and others he left at the trot,Down the “Spanish Trail” to avoid getting shot.Now he lies in a grave in California.

When they got to California they were in luck –Lots of land for one thousand buck.Yes, a bag of gold that’s all it took.Now he lies in a grave in California.

Soon Willie headed back to Clifton, but not to stay;His journey took him many a long day,So that with his kinsfolk he could pray.Now he lies in a grave in California.

He returned to California and things were swell,His cattle grew fat and his crops did well,Lots of produce for him to sell.Now he lies in a grave in California.

It seemed natural then to open a bank,But after a while the balance just sank.So Willie took a gun and then all went blank,And now he lies in a grave in Calfiornia.

Oh I’m back on the Old Spanish Trail A span of mules are my charge. As I bond with the byways of old I commune as the spirits foretold.

Oh I’m back on the Old Spanish Trail Seeking the river of gold. Through mountains and gorges I’ll sail Before I return to the fold.

How I yearn for the Old Spanish Trail I long for the dash and the bold. And riches for me are the tales told of life on that Old Spanish Road.

Song of the Trailby David Fallowfield, Workman Chapter in the UK

Old Spanish Trailby Simon Halburian, Saguache Chapter

31Fall 2004

The wagons rolled again this yearfor a continuation of last year’s trip.

Willard Forman as wagon master,Cindy McCollum, and a coupledozen fellow travelers struck out themorning of June 20 on theWest Fork of the NorthBranch of the Old SpanishTrail. Locals still considerthe West Fork part of theOST, even if some plannersdoubt it meets the use andtime criteria by which theOST received designation.

They left the Valdez ranchnear Antonito on Sundaymorning, and Sunday nightcamped at the Garciacountry estate near Capulin, CO.Monday night they slept in a sprinkle atthe base of Rock Creek Canyon, andTuesday traveled 21 miles to DelNorte, where a celebration withcowboy music was scheduled in theTown Park. They also celebrated therain, which had been in short supplyfor two months.

Wednesday morning the six wagonsand dozen horsemen headed north tocamp at the tiny community of Garita.Then, their last day, Thursday, tookthem to a ranch south of Saguache.

Participants came from Colorado,Ohio, Iowa, Arkansas (beautifulwhite mules pulling a lovely wagon),Texas, Oklahoma, Switzerland, andBrazil. I sense that the financialprofit will be less than Willard needsto break even, but hopefully thepublicity and good will generatedwill give OSTA a boost.

Wagon Train on the OSTsubmitted by Doug Knudson

The La Vereda del Norte Chapter dida good job in organizing the Tuesdaynight auction and concert. The eventwas widely promoted with the helpof Rick Devin, the star attraction. Itwas a great evening of entertainmentand fun. The auction and concertnetted $2,200+ for the chaptertreasury.

I intend to participate in nextyear’s ride from Saguache toGunnison and beyond, andsure hope some of you willjoin us. That segment will goover Cochetopa Pass, thehighest altitude on allbranches of the OST at justover 10,000 feet. Info andreservations at 303-670-9758or 877-856-2815 and at(www.summittrails.com).

Some might say the wagonwas a “transportation mode of a latertime” and “horses and flag are toofancy.” Those folks may be right, butthis year’s activity made a lot ofpeople more aware of the OST in the21st century, and so it will next year.

photo by Dennis Shepherd, who hiked with the wagons

Index to Spanish Traces Available

An 8-page Index to all 28 issues of Spanish Traces and Conference Reportsis available from the Editors as a PDF file to your e-mail address, free. Hardcopy is available s-mail postpaid for $2 in USA. Includes following 5 lists:

• Spanish Traces and Conference Reports• Articles by Title• Authors of Articles• Books Reviewed by Title• Authors of Books Reviewed

32 Fall 2004

Chapter NotesRancho Chapter.In July we held our board meeting inRedlands and did considerableplanning. In October, Cliff Walkerand Brad Mastin will lead a map-ping trip. In December, JohnRobinson and Joanne Hinchliff willsponsor the chapter attending theSan Pasqual Battle reenactment.Two other interesting trip are sched-uled, although not on the Trail. Oneis the tortuous Ridge Route nearTejon Pass led by Joanne Hinchliff,and the other is the Mojave Roadled by Neal Johns. Contact Joannefor more details and sign up; see thechapter contacts side bar for herinfo.

La Vereda del Norte Chapter.We are working diligently trying toget grant money for several projects,and we are preparing OST materialsfor schools and for Boys and GirlsClubs. The wagon train event wentvery well, as did the auction andconcert (see page 31 for details).

Nevada Chapter.(ex Las Vegas Chapter)The bylaws have been amended andwere approved at the June 5 chaptermembership meeting held at thePage conference. The new name isNevada Chapter. In Las Vegas theycontinue to work with the BLM onTrail marking.

Arizona Chapter.Not formally organized yet, but theyare working on it. Paul Ostapuk isthe contact; see chapter contactsside bar.

Salida del Sol Chapter.Lots of activity going on! Theplanning for the interpretive displayat Abiquiu is neary finished and itlooks like a fall dedication is pos-sible. On July 10 a field trip took usto Cebolla and the Chama Rivercrossing where the Trail headed forEl Vado. Chapter meetings are heldon Saturdays at 1:30 pm at the WildOats meeting room. Topics scheduledare: Oct 9, Dorothy Parker discuss-ing the Bodes of Abiquiu; Nov 13 atthe Palace of the Governor’s AngelicoLibrary (not at the Wild Oats) with atour of the Fray Angelico ChavezLibrary and map room.

In addition, the chapter is hostingthe Nov 5–7 OSTA board meeting,which will be held at the NPS officebuilding in Santa Fe. Tours for thegroup are being planned of a mu-seum, Palace of the Governors, andAbiquiu. A special invitation isgiven to local chapter members toattend. Contact Pat Kuhlhoff ( seeside bar for her info).

See the following page for thechapter’s July 10 field trip.

Chapter Contacts

Salida del Sol ChapterPat Kuhlhoff – Pres.Santa Fe, NM505-466-4877PGLK@earthlink.net

La Vereda del Norte ChapterMax Lara – Pres.La Jara, CO719-274-5469c/o creede@my.amigo.net

North Branch ChapterRobert Moston – Pres.Grand Junction, CO970-242-9443jmoston@aol.com

Arizona Future ChapterPaul OstapukPO Box 3532Page, AZ 86040928-645-6577postapuk@canyoncountry.net

Nevada ChapterLiz Warren – Pres.Goodsprings, NV702-874-1410mizlizzard@aol.com

Rancho Chapter (South CA)Joanne Hinchliff – Pres.San Jacinto, CA909-925-7068toci@pe.net

William Workman Chapter – UKWilliam Ramsay – Pres.UlverstonCumbria, Englandc/o david.fallowfield@btinternet.com

Update on OSNHT LogoAt the right is the logo that OSTAhas proposed for several years, and ithas taken a while to tie down themechanics of getting this (or similar)logo approved by NPS and BLM.Finally we have direction, as givenin the Pre-Plan for the OSNHT andin the Cooperative Agreement justsigned with the NPS.

As a first step, it was recently agreedthat the words “Old Spanish Trail”

OSNHT LogoProposed by OSTA

would be used, asopposed to just “Span-ish Trail.” The secondstep is to have public comment onthe logo during the ComprehensiveManagement Plan communitymeetings. Once approved OSTA willstill need to have written approval touse the logo for requested purposes.This is covered in the CooperativeAgreement just signed with NPS.

33Fall 2004

On July 10, eleven members andguests met at Bode’s strore inAbiquiu, and member ClaudioChacone took the group on a 5-stoptour of the OST from Abiquiu to itscrossing of the Rio Chama nearpresent-day El Vada Lake. Claudiois a direct descendent of relativeswho traveled, traded, and died onthe Trail. Abiquiu was the lastSpanish settlement on the westwardroute from Santa Fe before reachingLos Angeles.

On the adjacent map, start at thelower right for stop #1 of the tour atAbiquiu. Stops #2, #3, #4, and #5are found up and left. The heavydiagonal line is the approximateOST route from the head of NavajoCanyon across to what is now ElVado Lake. The pictures below weretaken at the several stops.

Salida del SolField Trip

by Michael Najdowski

Stop #2 was 5 miles north ofAbiquiu on US-84. There is pull-off parking on the north side.Walking across to the view pointgives a view of the Chama Valleylooking back toward Abiquiu. Stop #3 is where Claudio pointed out

the likely route where the Trail leavesthe Rio Chama and crosses US-84.

Stop #4 was a highlight of the trip for manyof us. This is Claudio’s family property inthe small town of Cebolla, and the ruins ofthe jacal-constructed house in which Claudiogrew up. We had lunch here.

Stop #5 showing range land on the 20 miletraverse from Navajo Canyon to El Vado Lake.

34 Fall 2004

Field Trip East of PagePaul Ostapuk, leader

Our first stop was, of course, theGlen Canyon Dam overlook justoutside of Page. From the overlookwe had two views, one upstream tothe dam (see photo page 17) and theother downstream where we couldsee the original unflooded canyon.Upstream from the dam was wherethe Donímguez-Escalante expeditionof 1776 and the Armijo route of1829 had to find their way across.While at our stop we saw three riverrafts heading down the river (belowthe dam) for probably an excitingday in perfect weather.

photo by Paul Ostapuk

Then back to Page, from where weheaded souheast on SR-98, passingthe Navajo powerplant, and parallel-ing Navajo Canyon. Crossing theKaibito Plateau to US-160, we headedeast. At milepost 373 we turnednorth on SR-564 for 9 miles wherewe visited Navajo National Monu-ment headquarters. A short hikedown to a viewpoint gave us a viewof the Betatakin ruins in the sidecanyon that leads a mile down toTsegi Canyon. The Kayenta Anasazifarmed the canyon bottoms and builttheir villages in the sandstone cliffsaround 1250 AD. The Armijo route liesdown in Tsegi canyon and here headsnorthwest to Bubbling Spring. It is

phot

o by

KnL

Car

pent

erphoto by Paul Ostapuk

The Betatakin Ruins atNavajo National Monument

doubtful that Armijo ever saw theseruins, or the ones up Keet Seel Canyonon the other side of Tsegi and 6 miles upthe canyon.

Continuing on US-160, we passedthe town of Kayenta and soon cameto Church Rock. The Armijo routepassed by on its north side up nearLaguna Creek, which is about 24miles from the junction with TsegiCanyon (Segi Canyon, and also usedto be called Laguna Canyon as acontinuation of Laguna Creeknorthwest from Marsh Pass).

photo by KnL CarpenterAt Church Rock, 7 miles east ofKayenta on US-160, much discussionabout geology and the Trail location.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . and West of PageSteve Heath, leader

From Page we headed west acrossthe Colorado River bridge, and got aclose-up view of the dam as wepassed by. Our first stop was at theLake Powell Overlook where wecould see the Crossing of the Fathersin the distance.

On Steve’s handout was a list of thehistorical use and visits of the fordand crossing:• Paiutes and Navajos were pioneersof this ancient crossing site on theColorado River.• 1776– Domínguez and Escalenteuse the crossing.• 1829– Armijo uses the crossingenroute from Abiquiu to Los Angeles.• 1858– Jacob Hamlin re-discoversthe crossing.• 1870s–Powell and Wheeler at thecrossing.• 1901– Carpenter Boundary Surveyuses the crossing.• 1915– Herbert E. Gregory surveysKaiparowits.• 1920s– USGS Survey for Dam Sites.• 1937– Frazier and party re-discoverthe crossing.• 1950s– Glen Canyon SalvageProject survey’s site.

Other stops on the tour wereWahweap Creek near Big Water;Grand Staircase-Escalante NationalMonument visitors center at BigWater; Paria River and the Cock-scomb; north end of Kaibab Moun-tain; Kanab Creek; and Pipe SpringsNational Monument, where the fieldtrip ended.

35Fall 2004

Crossing of the Fathersphotos by W. L. Rusho

Photo on the left shows the crossing site before the Glen Canyon Damwas built. The USGS topographic map, 30 x 60 minute series, SmokeyMountain, Utah–Arizona, is a good reference. The map shows contourlines under-water which can be used to orient the photo. The photo atthe right shows Lake Powell at a high level, and the Crossing is buriedunder several hundred feet of water.

Much of the conference field tripswere on Navajo lands. Above is theGreat Seal of the Navajo Nation.

John Wesley Powell Museum in Page where the Fridayevening reception was held. Our sincere thanks to theMuseum for the open house, and to Steve and DonnaHeath for the refreshments.

phot

o by

KnL

Car

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er

36 Fall 2004

P.O. Box 7Marysville, WA 98270

OSTA 12th ANNUAL CONFERENCEJune 17–19, 2005, Las Vegas, NevadaLocated on the OSNHT.

PNTS ConferenceJune 19– 22, 2005, Las Vegas, NevadaHosted by OSTA

1941, at age 5 June 2004 at Page, Arizona

Workman and Rowland Descendants

phot

o us

ed w

ith p

erm

issi

on

phot

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Ron

Arc

hiba

ld

The Rowland-Workman party of 1841 numbered 134from Taos and Santa Fe, including some families. Theirfinal departure was from Abiquiu where they hadrendezvoused, and they took the northern route via theDolores River, took trade goods, and herded sheep forfood.

Pictured are cousins Jossette Temple and Sheryl Rowland (L & R).Both are members of OSTA.

Josette - great great granddaughter of William Workman.Sheryl - great great granddaughter of John A. Rowland I.

Recommended reading: Rowland, Donald E. John Rowland and WilliamWorkman, Southern California Pioneers of 1841; Spokane and Los Angeles:Arthur H. Clark Company and Historical Society of Southern California, 1999.