Old Spanish Trail Virtual Cache
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(virtual)
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An easy roadside monument or a slightly more out-of-the-way historic site. VIRTUAL CACHE: You must email the answer to the question asked in the description to claim this cache.
From Native American trade routes emerged a braided net of routes from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Los Angeles, California which has become known collectively as the Old Spanish Trail. A Congressional Act signed in December 2002 made this one of our National Historic Trails.
Between 1598 and 1829, Native American, Spanish, Mexican and American expeditions and traders used these routes for travel and trade, primarily with the Ute. In round-trip commercial use primarily between 1829 and 1848, the Old Spanish Trail was used to transport goods by mule train to California and return with horses and more mules. With the end of the Mexican War in 1848 came the establishment of a newer, more direct wagon route through the southwest to the California goldfields and the "longest, crookedest, most arduous pack mule trail in the history of America" (Hafen and Hafen) fell into commercial disuse. Later emigrants used many of the branches, leaving wagon ruts where only mules had trod before.
The roadside scuplture by local artist Mettje Swift commemorates the Trail and its use by emigrants to the San Luis Valley. Visible remains of the trail can be viewed at N37 37.043' W106 15.759' A more standard BLM/National Park Service interpretive sign is planned.
To claim this find, please e-mail with the answer: What animal is carved in stone on the front of the monument pulling a wagon?
For more information:
http://www.homesteadmuseum.org/family/mapost.htm 1846 map and bibliography
http://www.oldspanishtrail.org/ The national organization
http://www.museumtrail.org/OldSpanishTrail.asp Page of the CO chapter
http://www.slv.org/history/osta/ San Luis Valley history
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