Box Canyon - Hornblende Canyon, CA - Wagon Roads and Trails on Waymarking.com

The plaque says, "The old way variously known as Sonora, Colorado River or Southern Emigrant Trail and later as Butterfield Overland Mail Route traversed Box Canyon just east of here. January 19, 1847, the Mormon Battalion, under command of Lt-Col. Philip St G Cooke, using hand tools hewed a passage through the rocky walls of the narrow gorge for their wagons and opened the first road into Southern California."

Taken from Wikipedia, "Southern Emigrant Trail, also known as the Gila Trail, the Kearny Trail, Southern Trail and the Butterfield Stage Trail, was a major land route for immigration into California from the eastern United States that followed the Santa Fe Trail to New Mexico during the California Gold Rush. Unlike the more northern routes, pioneer wagons could travel year round, mountain passes not being blocked by snows, however it had the disadvantage of summer heat and lack of water in the desert regions through which it passed in New Mexico Territory and the Colorado Desert of California. Subsequently, it was a route of travel and commerce between the eastern United States and California. Many herds of cattle and sheep were driven along this route and it was followed by the San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line in 1857-1858 and then the Butterfield Overland Mail from 1858 - 1861."

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Road of Trail Name: Sonora, Colorado River or Southern Emigrant Trail State: California County: USA Historical Significance: California State Historical Landmark How you discovered it: State marker Website Explination: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Emigrant_Trail Why?: Exploration Directions: Southeast of Julian Years in use: Not listed Book on Wagon Road or Trial: Not listed

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