San Jose Creek is an intermittent , tributary stream of the San Gabriel River in Los Angeles County, California . The mouth of San Jose Creek is at an elevation of 194 feet (59 meters) at its confluence with the San Gabriel River, 3.5 miles (5.6 km) southwest of Bassett, California . Its source is at 960 feet near the Los Angeles County Fairplex , at 34°04′50″N 117°45′38″W / 34.08056°N 117.76056°W / 34.08056; -117.76056 , where it has its confluence with Thompson Wash , actually a continuation of the creek into the San Gabriel Mountains . From Thompson Wash, San Jose Creek flows nearly 20 miles (32 km) westwards from Pomona into the San Gabriel River through the Pomona Valley and San Gabriel Valley . Because of its strategic location between the San Jose Hills and Puente Hills , the Union Pacific Railroad laid tracks along its route connecting Los Angeles with San Bernardino and Salt Lake City.
66-646: From 1829, San Jose Creek was a stopping place on the Old Spanish Trail first used by Antonio Armijo . In 1837, much of its upper reaches were enclosed within the Rancho San Jose . 34°01′07″N 118°03′18″W / 34.01861°N 118.05500°W / 34.01861; -118.05500 This Los Angeles County, California –related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Old Spanish Trail (trade route) The Old Spanish Trail ( Spanish : Viejo Sendero Español )
132-678: A cut off developed on the Old Spanish Trail that cut the distance traveled along the upper Mojave River, by cutting across what is now Victor Valley , from the Cajon Pass to a crossing just below the Lower Narrows of the river. On April 20, 1844, following the advice of his guide, John C. Frémont intercepted this route to the river, riding east southeast from Lake Elizabeth , north of the San Gabriel Mountains . Another cutoff to
198-521: A high percentage of valley residents drive their own cars, there are several available options for mass transit. The largest bus agency in the Greater San Bernardino area is Omnitrans , which covers virtually the entire valley. The Omni lines also meet lines for Foothill Transit and Riverside Transit Agency buses, providing connectivity to Riverside County and Los Angeles County. The area is also served by Metrolink 's San Bernardino Line and
264-470: A mule, which were considered hardier. California had almost no wool-processing industry and few weavers, so woven products were a welcome commodity. The trading party usually left New Mexico in early November to take advantage of winter rains to cross the deserts on the trail and would arrive in California in early February. The return party would usually leave California for New Mexico in early April to get over
330-582: A patchwork of grasslands , riparian woodlands , and mixed hardwood forests , which border the valley in the mountains on the north and east. The Santa Ana winds blow into the valley from the Cajon Pass , which exits the valley's north end between the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains. At times, the seasonal Santa Ana winds are felt particularly strongly in the San Bernardino area as warm and dry air
396-672: A report to the governor, and this was published by the Mexican government in June 1830. After this date, traders generally used the trail for a single, annual round trip. Word spread about Armijo's successful trade expedition, and some commerce began between Santa Fe and Los Angeles. However, in 1830, due to resumed hostilities with the Navajo , the Armijo route west to the Colorado River Crossing of
462-462: A route he called "Cañon de San Bernardino" from the upper Mojave River west through Cajon Pass and down Crowder and Cajon canyons to the mouth of Cajon Pass, where the trail reached the coastal plain of San Bernardino Valley . This route was undoubtedly known to the vaqueros of San Bernardino Estancia. Once through the pass, they turned west along the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains for two days to San Jose Creek ; they followed it, crossing
528-776: A section of the trail in Arches National Park was placed on the National Register of Historic Places . In 2001, the section of the Trail that runs across Nevada from the Arizona border to California was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Old Spanish Trail/Mormon Road Historic District. Mojave National Preserve and Mojave Trails National Monument preserve sections of
594-701: A short cut route southwest to the mouth of the Mojave River. From Las Vegas Wash on the Colorado River, Armijo's expedition passed southwestward to Eldorado Dry Lake in Eldorado Valley and the spring at Goodsprings Valley , then through Wilson Pass , across Mesquite Valley and California Valley , through what became known as Emigrant Pass to Resting Springs , then along the Amargosa River from near Tecopa to Salt Spring . From Salt Spring they crossed
660-621: A two-day-long waterless stretch up Salt Creek to Laguna del Milagro ("Lake of the Miracle") (probably Silver Lake ), then to Ojito del Malpais ("little spring of the badlands") on Soda Lake . They had another waterless day beyond Soda Lake, where they reached the Mojave River , only intermittently dependable for potable water, and the Mohave Trail leading up river. By then short of food, Armijo sent some of his scouts ahead to get more food in
726-469: Is Mediterranean with cool-to-cold, wet, and in some cases snowy winters, and dry, hot summers. Usually the areas north of Interstate 210 and east of Interstate 215 see colder weather in the winter with occasional snowfall. Sage scrub and the Yucca plant are the predominant natural vegetation along washes and uplands; it intergrades with chaparral at elevations of 600 to 700 meters. Other vegetation consists of
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#1733085943755792-508: Is a combination of a network of trails first established by indigenous people and later used by Spanish explorers, trappers, and traders with the Ute and other indigenous tribes. The eastern parts of what became called the Old Spanish Trail, including southwest Colorado and southeast Utah , were explored by Juan Maria de Rivera in 1765. Franciscan missionaries Francisco Atanasio Domínguez and Silvestre Vélez de Escalante unsuccessfully attempted
858-520: Is a historical trade route that connected the northern New Mexico settlements of (or near) Santa Fe, New Mexico with those of Los Angeles , California and southern California. Approximately 700 mi (1,100 km) long, the trail ran through areas of high mountains, arid deserts, and deep canyons. It is considered one of the most arduous of all trade routes ever established in the United States. Explored, in part, by Spanish explorers as early as
924-657: Is bordered on the north by the eastern San Gabriel Mountains and the San Bernardino Mountains ; on the east by the San Jacinto Mountains ; on the south by the Temescal Mountains and Santa Ana Mountains ; and on the west by the Pomona Valley . Elevation varies from 590 feet (180 m) on valley floors near Chino to 1,380 feet (420 m) near San Bernardino and Redlands . The valley floor
990-431: Is channeled through nearby Cajon Pass during the autumn months. This phenomenon markedly increases the wildfire danger in the foothill, canyon, and mountain communities, which the cycle of cold, wet winters and dry summers helps create. The Route 66 Rendezvous in downtown San Bernardino attracts about half a million people annually from all over the world to watch California's largest classical car show. Although not in
1056-630: Is home to over 80% of the more than 4 million people in the Inland Empire region. The San Bernardino Valley was originally inhabited by Californian Native Americans , including the Serrano , Cahuilla , and Tongva tribes. The Mohave Trail , a trade route from the Mohave villages on the Colorado River that crossed the Mojave Desert from spring to spring and then followed the Mojave River upstream, entered
1122-537: The Colton Crossing , where they then turn east. Union Pacific also has a second set of tracks that were the Southern Pacific tracks until they took over SP. These tracks enter the valley from the west through Ontario, passing alongside I-10 until Loma Linda, where they turn and exit the valley to the southeast. The BNSF track enters the valley from the south by Colton/Grand Terrace as well, but continues north at
1188-814: The Four Corners area, and passed north of the Carrizo Mountains to Church Rock , east of present-day Kayenta . The trail ran to Marsh Pass and north through Tsegi Canyon into canyon country. At the Colorado River (then called the Rio Grande), the travelers forded at the Crossing of the Fathers above present-day Glen Canyon Dam . Continuing west to Pipe Spring and on to Virgin River above present-day St. George, Utah ,
1254-647: The Inland Empire–Orange County Line . These lines lead to the Los Angeles and San Diego metropolitan areas. The two main railroads in the valley are Union Pacific (UP) and BNSF . Both have extensive yards in the valley and it is an important area for national movement of goods. UP tracks enter the valley from the south alongside the BNSF tracks in Colton/Grand Terrace. They then continue north until
1320-556: The Mexican–American War of 1846–1848. After 1848 numerous Mormon immigrants began settling in Utah , Nevada , and California all along the trail, affecting both trade interests and tolerance for the slavery of American Natives. Place names used in this article refer to present-day states and communities. Few (if any) settlements existed along the trail, except in the coastal plains of Alta California, before 1850, although many of
1386-767: The Mohave villages (below modern Laughlin ) and followed the route between the springs along the Mojave Trail to Soda Lake and the Mojave River. Later caravans could alternatively follow the Armijo Route diverting southwestward from the Colorado at Las Vegas Wash, to Resting Springs and to the Mojave River where it joined the Wolfskill/Yount Route, following that river upward to and over the San Bernardino Mountains through Cajon Pass, Crowder Canyon and lower Cajon Canyon and across
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#17330859437551452-591: The San Bernardino National Forest . Despite a significant number of the cities and towns being "bedroom communities" with residents commuting to nearby Los Angeles or Orange counties for work, the San Bernardino Valley is an important transportation center to the state and country. Located approximately 70 miles east of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, a high percentage of goods destined for
1518-530: The San Gabriel River at the Rancho La Puente , and reaching Mission San Gabriel Arcángel on January 30, 1830. Armijo used the same route to return to his original town, traveling from March 1 to April 25, 1830. He submitted a brief journal of his journey (itemizing the days with names of places where camps were made but not quantifying distances) to the government of New Mexico, and it was published by
1584-489: The San Juan Mountains , Mancos , and Dove Creek , entering Utah near present-day Monticello . The trail proceeded north through difficult terrain to Spanish Valley near today's Moab, Utah , where a ferry crossed the deep and wide Colorado River and then turned northwest to a ferry crossing on the similarly sized and dangerous Green River near present-day Green River, Utah . The route then passed through (or around)
1650-656: The San Rafael Swell , the northernmost reach of the Trail. Entering the Great Basin in Utah via Salina Creek Canyon , the trail turned southwest following the Sevier , Santa Clara , Virgin Rivers to the north bank of the Colorado River. There they could follow the Colorado River to Las Vegas Wash, then south through the Eldorado Valley and Piute Valley to join the Mojave Trail, west of
1716-583: The San Timoteo badlands , and southeast by the Crafton Hills . The San Andreas Fault and San Jacinto Fault zones enter the valley along the San Bernardino Mountains and San Jacinto Mountains, respectively. The two fault lines converge to less than 10 km apart in the city of San Bernardino, and less than 3 km in the northwestern part of the basin near the Cajon Pass . The climate
1782-632: The Uncompahgre Valley . The trail then followed the Gunnison River to today's Grand Junction , where the Colorado River was forded, and then on west to join the Main Northern Route just east of the Green River. The North Branch later became an interest of explorers seeking viable routes for a transcontinental railroad along the 38th parallel. In 1853 alone, three separate expeditions explored
1848-524: The estancia was later reestablished as San Bernardino de Sena Estancia in 1830. It is now a California Historical Landmark and museum in Redlands. From 1829, the Old Spanish Trail from New Mexico to Alta California was established and entered the valley through Crowder Canyon and the lower canyon of Cajon Pass . In 1841, Governor Juan B. Alvarado of Alta California issued a Mexican land grant for Rancho San Bernardino , which included most of
1914-459: The Armijo route of the Old Spanish Trail had developed before 1844, where the trail forked northeastward from the Mojave River and Mohave Trail, east of what is now Yermo, California , running up Spanish Canyon over Alvord Mountain , to Bitter Spring , then through Red Pass to join the Armijo route near Salt Spring in the Silurian Valley . Frémont also used this route in 1844. The fork of
1980-590: The Colton Crossing. It then enters the intermodal and car transfer yards, where it turns east for about one mile. It then turns north again, running alongside I-215 until it meets I-15 in Devore and exits the valley via the Cajon Pass. Union Pacific also has a line that exits the valley through the pass. The Colton Crossing, located in Colton , is the point where the tracks of the two companies cross. The San Bernardino Valley
2046-1075: The Fathers was not practical. A new route north of the river had to be found, which used the trails of the fur traders and trappers of New Mexico through the lands of the Ute. This route ran northwest to the Colorado and Green rivers, then crossed over to the Sevier River , which it followed until crossing westward over mountains to the vicinity of Parowan, Utah . It passed southward to the Santa Clara River, linking up with Armijo's route to California. This commerce usually consisted of one mule pack train from Santa Fe with 20 to 200 members, with roughly twice as many mules, bringing New Mexican goods hand-woven by Indians, such as serapes and blankets, to California. California had many horses and mules, many growing wild, with no local market, which were readily traded for hand-woven Indian products. Usually two blankets were traded for one horse; more blankets were usually required for
San Jose Creek - Misplaced Pages Continue
2112-659: The Mexican government in June 1830. The Main Route (also referred to as the Central Route or the Northern Route) of the Old Spanish Trail avoided territory of the Navajo , (who had returned to a state of hostilities after Armijo's trip), and the more difficult canyon country traversed by the Armijo Route around the Colorado River. First traveled in 1830 by a party led by William Wolfskill and George Yount , this route ran northwest from Santa Fe through southwestern Colorado , past
2178-615: The Mojave just beyond the mountains, devastated by the hot dry Santa Ana wind that comes down through the passes at 100 miles an hour and works on the nerves." The San Bernardino Valley encompasses one of two drainage basins of the Santa Ana River , the Inland Santa Ana Basin . Underneath the surface area of this drainage basin, which takes excess rainwater out of the valley, are several large ground water sub-basins, underlain by
2244-609: The North Branch over Cochetopa Pass. These groups were led, in order, by Lieutenant Edward Fitzgerald Beale , Captain John Williams Gunnison , and John C. Frémont. Use of the Old Spanish Trail between 1829 and 1848 resulted in numerous variations as travelers adopted or blazed easier paths. But regardless of the route taken, the Old Spanish Trail crossed several mountain ranges, passed through dry sections with limited grass and sometimes limited water, crossed two deserts, and
2310-593: The Old Spanish Trail, with the exception of some of the paths through the Mojave Desert . The Mohave Trail was first traveled by Garcés from the Mohave villages on the Colorado River westward across the Mojave Desert, between desert springs, until he turned northwestward to the Old Tejon Pass into the San Joaquin Valley , looking for a route to Monterey. Garcés returned to the Colorado River by following
2376-501: The San Bernardino Valley, to José del Carmen Lugo , José Maria Lugo , Vincente Lugo , and their cousin Jose Diego Sepulveda . Included were all of the original estencia buildings: the chapel, a tile kiln , a lime kiln , and a grist mill . By offering land, José Maria Lugo convinced a group of settlers from Abiquiu, New Mexico to settle on his rancho at Politania and defend against Indian raiders and outlaws preying on
2442-564: The coastal valleys to Mission San Gabriel and Los Angeles. The North Branch of the Old Spanish Trail was established by traders and trappers using Indian and Spanish colonial routes. It ran from Santa Fe north to Taos and on north into the San Luis Valley of Colorado. Caravans then headed west to today's Saguache , crossing over the Continental Divide at Cochetopa Pass , and then through present day Gunnison and Montrose to
2508-402: The convergence of several mountain ranges that feed into the Santa Ana River basin. This basin ultimately channels water to the Pacific Ocean via Riverside and Orange County . The valley connects several open space natural areas, mountains, and valley vistas. The San Bernardino Valley is surrounded by nature preserves , national forests , and recreational areas. Many people travel through
2574-448: The deep narrow gorge of Boulder Canyon , to the riverside oases of Callville Wash and Las Vegas Wash . Armijo waited there for his scouts to return, especially Rivera who had visited the Mohave villages downriver before. Rivera returned, having recognized the Mohave Trail that led westward to Southern California. Perhaps because the Mohave had been antagonistic to parties of mountain men in recent years, or to save time, Armijo attempted
2640-432: The dry 50 miles to the Muddy River before rejoining the Main Route on the Virgin River at Halfway Wash after crossing what later became known as Mormon Mesa . This route saved the large distances caused by the diversion of the Armijo and Main routes to follow the Colorado River, and would later become the route of the Mormon Road , the wagon road through southern Nevada between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles. In 1988,
2706-413: The expedition followed the Virgin to the mouth of the Santa Clara River , which they followed up to the vicinity of the Shivwits Reservation . They crossed southward over the Beaver Dam Mountains , at Utah Hill Summit to the Virgin River again, which they followed for three days down to the Colorado River. They traveled west parallel to the river, over difficult terrain in the Black Mountains , to avoid
San Jose Creek - Misplaced Pages Continue
2772-419: The geologic features along the Trail retain their Spanish designations. The Armijo Route of the Old Spanish Trail was established by an expedition led by Antonio Armijo in 1829–1830. Leaving Abiquiu on November 7, 1829 Armijo's expedition traveled a route northwest and west of Santa Fe, following the Chama River and the Puerco River . He crossed to the San Juan River basin. From the San Juan, they entered
2838-414: The herds of the Ranchos in Southern California. These emigrants first colonized Politana on the Rancho San Bernardino in 1842. Don Lorenzo Trujillo brought the first colony of settlers from New Mexico to settle on land provided by the Lugos about one half mile south of the Indian village of La Politana. Later they moved to found a new village known as "La Placita de los Trujillos", later called La Placita on
2904-400: The impermeable granitic rock of the Perris Block , which capture water in aquifers underground. Designated ground water sub-basins include: Chino, Rialto-Colton, Riverside-Arlington, San Bernardino (Bunker Hill), Yucaipa and San Timoteo. The San Bernardino or Bunker Hill basin is bounded on the northeast by the San Bernardino Mountains , northwest by the San Gabriel Mountains , southwest by
2970-496: The late 16th century, the trail was extensively used by traders with pack trains from about 1830 until the mid-1850s. The area was part of Mexico from Mexican independence in 1821 to the Mexican Cession to the United States in 1848. The name of the trail comes from the publication of John C. Frémont ’s Report of his 1844 journey (which crossed into Mexico) for the U.S. Topographical Corps , guided by Kit Carson , from California to New Mexico. The name acknowledges that parts of
3036-406: The rest of the country as well as items on their way out to the world pass through the valley, most of it on trains or trucks. Both Union Pacific and BNSF have tracks that run through the valley. In addition, BNSF has an intermodal transfer facility in San Bernardino. The valley is also crossed by two major interstates and their auxiliaries. Additionally, the communities in the mountains north of
3102-432: The settlement at San Bernardino de Sena Estancia . They followed the river for six days (110 miles to its head from the mouth), having to kill a mule or horse each day to eat. Probably at Summit Valley at the top of the river east of Cajon Pass , they met vaqueros of the San Bernardino de Sena Estancia who had extra food. Armijo did not cross over the mountains by the Mohave Trail route over Monument Peak , but followed
3168-589: The south side of the Santa Ana River . American settlers in the region included soldiers from the Mormon Battalion in 1847, after the California Campaign of the Mexican–American War was won by the U.S. In 1851, the Lugo family sold Rancho San Bernardino to a group of almost 500 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) led by Captain David Seely (later first Stake President ), Captain Jefferson Hunt , and Captain Andrew Lytle, and also included Apostles Amasa M. Lyman and Charles C. Rich . The San Bernardino Valley owes its existence to
3234-406: The states that it crossed. Portions of US 160 in Colorado and US 191 in Utah are similarly designated. San Bernardino Valley 34°4′N 117°17′W / 34.067°N 117.283°W / 34.067; -117.283 The San Bernardino Valley ( Spanish : Valle de San Bernardino ) is a valley in Southern California located at the south base of the Transverse Ranges . It
3300-422: The trail before the water holes dried up and the melting snow raised the rivers too high. The return party often drove several hundred to a few thousand horses and mules. Low-scale emigration from New Mexico to California used parts of the trail in the late 1830s when the trapping trade began to die. New Mexicans migrated to settle in Alta California by this route: some first settled in Politana then established
3366-421: The trail had been known and used by the Spanish since the 16th century. Frémont's report identified a trail that had already been used for about 15 years. The trail is important to New Mexico history because it established an arduous but usable trade route with California. In 2002 this trail was designated by Congress as part of the National Trails System as Old Spanish National Historic Trail . The trail
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#17330859437553432-512: The trail often resulted from such slave raids by unscrupulous traders and raiding Indians. John C. Frémont , "The Great Pathfinder", took the route, guided by Kit Carson , in 1844 and named it in his report published in 1845. The New Mexico-California trade continued until the mid-1850s, when a shift to the use of freight wagons and the development of wagon trails made the old pack trail route obsolete. By 1846 both New Mexico and California had been annexed as U.S. territories following its victory in
3498-407: The trail traveling through the Mojave Desert in California. The Old Spanish Trail became the fifteenth national historic trail after Congress adopted Senate Bill 1946 and President George W. Bush signed the legislation in December 2002. Although few traces of the early traders' trail remain, the Trail is now commemorated in many local street and road names, and numerous historical markers in
3564-489: The trails there on the Mojave River, later became known as Fork of the Road . One last modification to this route was that followed by John C. Frémont eastward in 1844. His expedition left the Armijo Route at Resting Spring and turned northeastward after crossing the Nopah Range through Emigrant Pass, through California Valley and across Pahrump Valley to Stump Spring and into the mountains to Mountain Springs , to Cottonwood Spring , to Las Vegas Springs . He then crossed
3630-505: The trip to California , which was just being settled, leaving Santa Fe in 1776 and making it to the Great Basin near Utah Lake before returning via the Arizona Strip . Other expeditions, under another Franciscan missionary, Francisco Garcés , and Captain Juan Bautista de Anza , explored and traded in the southern part of the region. They found shorter and less arduous routes through the mountains and deserts that connected Sonora to New Mexico and California, but these did not become part of
3696-620: The twin settlements of Agua Mansa and La Placita on the Santa Ana River the first towns in what became San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The family of Antonio Armijo moved to Alta California, where his father acquired the Rancho Tolenas . A number of Americans, most naturalized Mexican citizens in New Mexico, and formerly in the California trade over the Old Spanish Trail or in the fur trade, settled in Alta California. Several became influential residents in later years, such as Louis Rubidoux , John A. Rowland , William Workman , Benjamin Davis Wilson , and William Wolfskill . The trail
3762-409: The valley are served by several state highways. Mass transit trains and buses both serve the valley. Also, goods and people movement by air is available via two commercial international airports as well as several general aviation air fields. The Greater San Bernardino Area, along with the rest of the Inland Empire, is ranked by Forbes magazine as one of the American's unhealthiest commutes. Although
3828-410: The valley for a variety of outdoor mountain sports, including skiing, hiking, biking, and ballooning—in the mountain resorts of Crestline , Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear City . Once part of U.S. Route 66 , the San Bernardino Valley is now crossed by two Interstates. Interstate 15 enters the valley from the south, and exits on the north over Cajon Pass to the Mojave Desert . Interstate 10 enters
3894-407: The valley from Pomona in the west, and exits on the east over San Gorgonio Pass to the Colorado Desert and Coachella Valley . Joan Didion , in her essay "Some Dreamers of the Golden Dream," describes the San Bernardino Valley as "...in certain ways an alien place: not the coastal California of the subtropical twilights and the soft westerlies of the Pacific but a harsher California, haunted by
3960-400: The valley from the slopes of Monument Peak in the San Bernardino Mountains . The Spanish missionaries established the Politana rancheria in the valley in 1810, an estancia , or ranch outpost, of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel . It was built to graze cattle , and for Indian Reductions of the Serrano people and Cahuilla people into Mission Indians . After being destroyed in a revolt,
4026-434: The valley, the San Bernardino Mountains attract a significant amount of tourism to the valley as people drive up to the local resorts, especially in the winter months. A famous ski resort in the area is Big Bear . Other famous mountain communities with large amounts of tourism include Lake Arrowhead , Big Bear Lake , and Crestline . National forests surrounding the high valley include the Cleveland National Forest and
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#17330859437554092-508: The whole length of the Mohave Trail from the San Bernardino Valley , over the San Bernardino Mountains at Monument Peak , down the Mojave River and eastward to the Colorado River. This same trail was used by the first Americans to reach California by land, via the expedition led by Jedediah Smith in November 1826. The Mojave desert section of the Mohave Trail is now a 4WD trail called the Mojave Road . A route linking New Mexico to California , combining information from many explorers,
4158-416: The women and children of the Paiute , who were sold as domestic servants to Mexican ranchers and other settlers in both California and New Mexico. Mexican traders and Indian raiding parties both participated in this slave trade. The consequences of this human trafficking had a long-standing effect for those who lived along the trail, even after the trail was no longer in use. Intermittent Indian warfare along
4224-424: Was also used for illicit purposes. Some raiders attacked the California ranchos for horses and captives to sell in the extensive Indian slave trade. Mexicans, ex-trappers and Indian tribes, primarily the Utes , all participated in the horse raiding. With allies, Walkara was known to steal hundreds to thousands of horses in a single raid. Native Americans along the route were at risk of being taken captive, especially
4290-533: Was often littered with the bones of horses that had died of thirst. The western portions of the Old Spanish Trail could only be used semi-reliably in winter when rains or snows deposited water in the desert. In summer, there was often no water and the oppressive heat could kill. A single round trip per year was about all that was feasible. After 1848, the western parts of the trail were used for winter access between Utah and California when other trails were closed by snow. Sometime before 1844, perhaps as early as 1830,
4356-412: Was opened in 1829-30 when Santa Fe merchant Antonio Armijo led a trade party of 60 men and a caravan of mules to Alta California. Armijo’s group blazed a trade route using a network of indigenous routes, incorporating parts of Jedediah Smith’s routes of 1826 and 1827, and Rafael Rivera’s route of 1828 to the San Gabriel Mission through the Mojave along the Mojave River . Armijo documented his route in
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