Wagons traveling the Santa Fe Trail left Las Vegas's Plaza and headed toward Santa Fe via South Pacific Street. This street contains some of the oldest structures in town, some as old as 1846. Imagine traveling down this road, passing one-room-wide adobe houses with portales (porches). If desired, you could buy milk, cheese and produce from the residents as you embark on the last leg of the Santa Fe Trail.
The cache is located in a park on South Pacific Street. From the cache location looking in front of you across South Pacific, you will see the Rheua Pearce Houses, built circa 1846. These houses were the former residence of Rheua Pearce, an educator and founder of the Las Vegas historic preservation movement. The adobe rooms feature territorial window frames. The adobe exterior walls are about 2 1/2 feet thick. The pitched roof was probably added around 1900, replacing the original flat roof.
To your right is the Lorenzo Valdez House, built circa 1870. Originally built as a territorial style house, it represents the "Victorianization" of New Mexico residences upon the arrival of the railroad. The adobe structure features a classical porch with Corinthian columns, to emulate Victorian architecture.
To your left, across Valley Street, ia a building dating circa 1870. Its classic Territorial facade is dominated by a central doorway. The ornate Victorian door is flanked by sidelights and transom windows, and details similar to the Greek Revival inspired Officers Quarters built at nearby Fort Union in the 1860s. As you travel north on South Pacific toward the Old Town Plaza you will see several other buildings from this era.
Source: www.visitlasvegasnm.com, pamphlet "Historic Trail Guide."