Page 5 - winter 2015 magazine
P. 5
By Sharon Schaaf
In 1994 the Old Spanish Trail Association began Carson was a
work to get the trail approved as a National Historic mild and mod-
Trail. Approval finally came in 2002. According to est man, not at all like the pulp fiction writers made
the Nevada Landmarks website there are four loca- him out to be. Francisco Estevan Vigil had a reputa-
tions in Clark County with Historical Markers on the tion on the trail for being honest, disciplined and
Old Spanish Trail: The Virgin Valley Heritage Muse- respected by his men.
um in Mesquite, the Blue Diamond Mercantile in the Another one bites the dust.
Photo by Pat Williams
center of Blue Diamond, in front of the volunteer fire The person who traveled the Old Spanish Trail
more often than anyone else was a woman, Josefa
station on SR 160 on Mountain Springs Summit and
Moya Young. Her first trip on the trail was in 1844
a marker that went missing from Fantasy Park near when her family emigrated from New Mexico to
Las Vegas Boulevard North and Washington street.
settle in San Bernardino, California. She and her
Sue Kolar
Sue Kolar
In his book “Characters of the Old Spanish Trail,” husband Joaquin used the trail numerous times to
Douglas Knudson tells the stories of 26 people who visit friends and family in southern Colorado and
used the trail during its “period of significance” from northern New Mexico until Joaquin’s death in 1903.
1829 to 1848, impacting the social and economic cli-
mate of the American Southwest. Often forgotten is the work done by the mule-
teers, skilled men who led trains of 150 to 200
Antonio Armijo was only 25 when he established mules, each animal carrying loads of 200 to 400
the route in 1829. But it was George Yount and pounds. Their job also included finding water and
William Wolfskill who changed the route in 1830 to food for the animals, navigating the trail, hunting
find more water and pasturage, avoid the Navajos and fishing in addition to food preparation for the
Sue Kolar
and cross fewer canyons. John C. Frémont named it humans twice each day.
the Old Spanish Trail when he first traveled the route John Rowland, William Workman and Don Wil-
in 1844.
son led groups of people emigrating from New
Scoundrels used the route. Ewing Yount deserted Mexico to California. William Gambel traveled the
his family in order to seek adventure on the trail; Old Spanish Trail in 1841 and l849 documenting
Jean Baptiste Chalifoux and Thomas Lismith were new species of birds and plants.
horse thieves. But luckily there were more good guys
than bad. California businessman Lorenzo Trujillo Author Douglas Knudson visited the Red Rock
Canyon Visitor Center in October 2014, talking to
worked to unify the Hispanic, Indian and Anglo cul-
visitors about the men and women profiled in his
tures. Trail guide, messenger and military leader, Kit
book. (Continued on page 15)
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