Be sure to visit www.santafetrail.org/geocaching to learn about the PASSPORT ACTIVITY to accompany this Geo Tour. This cache is part of the larger Santa Fe Trail GeoTour: santafetrail.org/geocaching
Containers on the Santa Fe National Historic Trail Geo Tour are military ammunition canisters, or Brochure-Holder boxes, with an identifying Santa Fe Trail Association yellow sticker on the top of the box, under the handle and the dark green geocaching.com ID is on the side of the boxes with the information that provides coordinates, who set the cache and who to contact for information. Each cache contains a logbook to sign, a variety of items that provide information about the Santa Fe Trail as well as swag items. If you are participating in the Passport activity, the code word is located on the inside of the box, on the top of the lid and is clearly identified as Code Word. Permission to set caches has been obtained. We ask that all cachers please respect all property at the sites where our caches are set.
Ft. Union is a Certified Site of the Santa Fe National Historic Trail and was an important commercial center as well as a strategic military post (1851-91). A principal supply post in the SW. soldiers from the fort provided escort and protection for travelers at west end of Santa Fe Trail. Military supplies arriving at the Quartermaster Depot were stored and then transported to other SW posts by local contractors and military teamsters.
Remains of a star-shaped fort (1861-62) and adobe third fort (1863-91) form the bulk of the national monument. Ruins of the first fort (1851-63) are open once a year. Call for information. Open all year. For current operating hours, visit: www.nps.gov/foun/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm Self-guided (individual) or ranger-guided (group) tours. There is a museum with quality exhibits and bookstore in visitor center.
There are many other Santa Fe Trail sites in this area to visit. The Watrous store (Doolittle Ranch house) is just north of the Mora River on US Highway 161 at Watrous. Samuel Watrous opened a trading store and made his home in this structure in 1849. This store catered to Santa Fe Trail travelers until the very end of the trail era. The town was originally known as La Junta and was renamed Watrous when the railroad reached the town. Watrous is a National Historic Landmark. The Barclay's Fort site is on the south bank of the Mora River, west of 1-25 at Watrous. Alexander Barclay opened his trading fort here in 1849; it also served as a stage station for a time and today is a National Historic Landmark. The Sapello stage station is just southwest of Watrous on the west bank of the Sapello River. Originally used by the Barlow & Sanderson Stage Company, this building has been somewhat remodeled to serve as a private residence. Wagon ruts are still visible nearby. Just north of the stage station is the probable junction of the Mountain and Cimarron routes and is a registered National Historic Landmark. The Sapello River crossing is on the present road south of the Sapello stage station. The Fort Union corral stands just south of the Sapello stage station at Watrous. This well-preserved stone corral was reportedly used by Fort Union troops as a livestock corral. This, too, is a National Historic Landmark. Mora is about 30 miles north of Las Vegas on New Mexico Highway 518. Mora is a predominantly Hispanic town that was indirectly connected to the Santa Fe Trail by a trail segment that linked Watrous west to Mora and then south to Las Vegas. Ceran St. Vrain, a former partner of the Bent brothers, built a mill at Mora. The mill, St. Vrain's former house, and his gravesite may still be seen. The mill was a major attraction for many traders who otherwise would have bypassed the town since the main trail was about 6 miles from Mora and went directly to Las Vegas. The hauling of milled flour from Mora to Fort Union accounted for a large part of the local trail traffic.