Article

From October 2004 Roundup Magazine

The Old Spanish Trail Association Tells the Tale of Their Trail

by Bill Markley

            The Old Spanish Trail—what does the name conjure up in your mind’s eye? Maybe it is a desert landscape under the soft light of a full moon; a cool breeze carrying the song of a distant coyote as a lonely cowboy sits by a fire strumming his guitar.

            Sorry, that is not a realistic picture. The Old Spanish Trail is the scene of blasted, rugged terrain and scorching heat that can suck the life out of anyone not paying attention. In its heyday, the trail was the economic lifeline between Santa Fe and Los Angeles. The trail was witness to heroic trials and efforts that brought out the best in people. It also witnessed the worst—deceit, destruction, and death.

            Old Spanish Trail board members, Colonel Harold Steiner, Professor Joanne Hinchliff, Dr. Elizabeth Warren, Professor Steven Heath, and Dr. Reba Wells Grandrud presented a panel discussion at the Western Writers of America conference in Mesquite, Nevada. They talked about the trail’s history, the terrain it passes through, efforts to mark and protect it, and what they love most about the trail. The board members explained that the trail is actually a series of major routes and lesser side trails stretching from Santa Fe to Los Angeles over mountain passes, across rivers, and through desert wastelands where the trail links waterhole to waterhole. The panelists showed slides of the trail as it passes through stark, harsh terrain broken occasionally by soft, gentle meadows.

            American Indians used a series of trails to trade goods from the Great Basin to the West Coast. Spanish settlers in Santa Fe were determined to find a route to California. The only way to travel between Santa Fe and Los Angeles was via Mexico City—a trip taking thousands of miles and many months to complete. Spanish missionaries, Dominguez, Escalante, and Garces attempted, but failed to connect the loose network of trails into a major route. Mountain man, Jedediah Smith, connected the padres’ routes in 1826, showing it was possible to travel from Santa Fe to California.

            In 1829, Antonio Armijo with sixty men and one hundred mules loaded with wool blankets made their way from Santa Fe to California. There they traded the blankets for goods and horses. Armijo was the first to make the round trip; soon traders were transporting wool and herding horses over the trail.

            Bandits began traveling the trail from Santa Fe to steal horses from California ranches. Slave traffic was another major blemish on the trail’s name. Slavers raided Indian tribes, carrying off the children.

            John Charles Fremont traveled the trail in 1844, on the return leg of his California expedition. In the heart of the Mojave Desert, along the Las Vegas to Muddy River stretch, he recorded so many animals had died that he could follow the trail by their skeletons. Fremont called it the Spanish Trail and the name became a part of the romantic Old West.

            Mormons took the first wagon across the trail in 1848. A steady stream of immigrant and freight wagons soon followed. The trail ran through Mountain Meadows where a tale of deceit and death took place. In 1857, Mormons and Indians attacked a wagon train massacring everyone over the age of six.

The Western Writers of America hike to the Mountain Meadows Massacre memorial marker along the Old Spanish Trail in Utah, June 2004.

            Today, the Old Spanish Trail Association is marking the trail and leading preservation efforts to remind Americans of the trail’s rich history.

            Colonel Steiner became a trail enthusiast 29 years ago while hiking along its trace. “Imagine the people heading out across the desert; see the hardships of the desert, and their response to the hardships, traveling from waterhole to waterhole. That was fortitude. It was an accomplishment of mankind. That’s what I love about the trail.”

            “I love the trail because I believe it is the most scenic of all the pioneer trails,” Dr. Grandrud said. “It also brings a connection to our Spanish past.”

             “It’s the story of the people that I love,” Dr. Warren said, “The caravans that passed through, family groups, the women, children, even little dogs.”

            Professor Hinchliff agreed, “It’s the people.”

            “What I love about the trail is not only the people, but also the artifacts they left behind,” Professor Heath said. He told about finding the name “William Knight” and date “1842” carved in a rock near the trail. He researched William Knight and found that he was a Santa Fe whiskey seller.

            Colonel Steiner summed up the discussion by challenging the Western Writers of America. “There’s a lot of material for authors to discover along the Old Spanish Trail.”

For more information click here for The Old Spanish Trail Association.

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