Well, Jane's at it again - this time she and Ann Gray are presenting at the Old Spanish Trail Associaton convention next week. They will, of course, be talking about Michael White and the adobe. I'll be picking up tips on how to load a pack mule and dressing like a vaquero. And then there's the barbecue.
Jane's actually done a lot of studying up on the Spanish Trail, and it's got some fascinating history. We caught up with some of it out in Tecopa at what's known as the Harry Wade Exit. (Off the 127)
Ol' Harry and his family got caught up in that Death Valley 1849 debacle (it wasn't actually called "Death Valley" prior to all those folks dyin' in it) and they decided to split. Went south, hooked up with the Spanish Trail at the southern end, and everybody lived. His descendants were so happy about that, they put up a marker. For off-roaders and desert campers, the Harry Wade Road is a nice place to get away from it all in the cooler months.
Here's what the marker says:
Harry Wade Exit Route
Some 100 Wagons found themselves in Salt Lake City too late to cross the Sierra Nevada. They banded together under the name of Sand Walking Co. and started for the gold fields in California over the Old Spanish Trail. After being in Death Valley with the ill-fated 1849 caravan, Harry Wade found this exit route for his ox-drawn wagon, thereby saving his life and those of his wife and children. At this point, the Wade Party came upon the known Spanish Trail to Cajon Pass.
Historical Landmark No. 622
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