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7th Annual National Conference Special Edition June 10 - 11, 2000

OSTA’s Seventh Annual Conferencefell under the spell of the EnchantedCircle of Northern New Mexico inTaos, and was indeed a success. TheOld Spanish Trail Association joinedwith the Taos County HistoricalSociety and the Taos Historic Muse-ums to present an outstandingpanoply of events June 10 and 11,2000.

Taos attendance set a new record.The speakers were historians andscholars. Short summaries of theirtalks are included in this issue. Twoawards for outstanding contributionsto the OSTA were presented June 10.Books, OSTA hats and shirts, ther-mal coffee mugs all sold swiftly atthe OSTA “Mulepack” store. Satur-day evening the reception was heldat the Martinez Hacienda. Sundaymorning, June 11, the tours began.As Kit Carson would say, “It’s timeto catch up!” Start reading...

Conference2000 Report

Award Presented to Old Spanish Trail Preservationistand a Founder of the OST Association

Music box inscription reads, “Ruth Marie Colville, Yourinsight and perserverance set a course for Trail Fanatics

who follow.” Pat Richmond presents the award.

Continued on Page 7

In the late 1960s and into the early1970s, Ruth Marie Colville, DelNorte, Colorado, ranch wife, mother,piano teacher, church organist,worked on several historic projectsin her spare time. She was docu-menting names of San Luis Valleycitizens who served in major wars,compiling a comprehensivetime-line from geologic eras to thepresent for the newly fledged SanLuis Valley Historian, translating the

1694 Vargas journal, and exploringforgotten trails and roads that passedthrough the San Luis Valley.

Sometimes a friend joined RuthMarie in setting eye along the traceand foot to the track, but more oftenshe parked her VW bug and pro-ceeded alone by shank’s mare intounfamiliar terrain. Her careful andthorough research culminated in no-tations kept on index cards record-

OSTA’s 2001 Meeting in Redlands,California, June 9-10.

By Patricia Joy Richmond

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Program SynopsesDr. Marc Simmons, Santa Fe, NM,“Kit Carson and the Romance ofthe Old Spanish Trail”

Marc Simmons mounted a spiriteddefense of Kit Carson’s romanticcharacter in the face of criticism byrevisionist western historians.Simmons provided evidence thatpaints a true picture of Carson’scharacter, his long association withthe Old Spanish Trail and the ro-mance of the trail itself. The OldSpanish Trail was portrayed asromantic by virtue of its spectacularbeauty and the peculiar challengesthat it provided for travelers whowere accustomed to adventures anddangers that attend travel in remotecountry.

Carson’s association with the OldSpanish Trail started with his defec-tion from the Workman saddlery inFranklin, Missouri. Carson reachedTaos in 1827 and two years later heembarked on a trapping trip withEwing Young that provided him withthe experience and the tradecraft thatare key to survival in the wilderness.His adventures continued in 1833when he went on a trading expedi-tion that started from Abiquiu andwent to Utah via a segment of theOld Spanish Trail. Simmons notedthat the trail was not called theSpanish Trail at that time eventhough Carson used the name in his1856 memoirs.

In 1843 Carson accompanied JohnC. Frémont as a guide on Frémont’sepic tour through Oregon to Califor-nia that returned to Utah over the“Spanish Trail.” Frémont’s use of the

term in his 1845 report survives tothis day. The “Old” appellation wasadded somewhat later and enhancesthe romance of the name.

The 1843 – 1844 Frémont expedi-tion included one of the episodesthat added materially to Carson’sreputation. This was the Fuentes/

Hernandez incident at Bitter Springthat resulted in Carson’s and AlexGodey’s successful pursuit of theIndian band that decimated theFuentes-Hernandez party. Frémont’sreport on this incident gave Carson ana-tional reputation as a frontiers-man.

In 1847 Carson served as a courierwho carried dispatches betweenCalifornia and Washington, D.C. Onhis return to California from Wash-ington, Carson followed the OldSpanish Trail North Branch fromTaos to the main trail in Utah andthen westward. He once again dealtsuccessfully with a large band of

Indians at the Muddy River inNevada. He was able to extricatehimself and his party from thesurrounding band through sheerforce of personality and courage.

The next year Carson again servedas a courier on the Old Spanish Trail.This was the famous trip that isdescribed so well by Lt. GeorgeBrewerton. Carson and we arefortunate that Brewerton was both agood observer and writer who left uswith the only detailed description oftravel and travail on the trail. Thiswas Carson’s last trip over the lengthof the trail. Carson served withdistinction in the Civil War and diedMay 23, 1868.

Carson became well known for hisexploits, in part because of thepublicity he received from his friendand admirer, John C. Frémont andthe Brewerton work publishedserially in Harper’s New MonthlyMagazine. He also benefited from aknack for being in the right place atthe right time. The most importantfactors, however, were his personalcourage, his exceptional compe-tence, and his strong character.

The complete text of Dr. Simmon’skeynote address will be printed,with his permission, in the Fall,2000 issue of Spanish Traces.

Colonel Harold Steiner, Las Vegas,NV, “From Taos to Los Angeles:Corridors of History.”

In Nevada and eastern California are150 segments of the Old SpanishTrail (OST) that are still visible.These visible segments are vulner-able—not from nature but from man.

Marc Simmons, keynote speakerat the 2000 Annual Conference

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Harold A. SteinerOSTA’s new President

We must try to preserve these seg-ments.

Our biggest challenge is to convincethe people who have the power andresources to preserve the OST.Presently, there has not been muchofficial interest in the OST. Namerecognition and the important role ofthe OST in the exploration, com-merce and settlement of the Westprovides good reason to advocateHistoric Trail designation for theOST. It is worth noting that theMormon Road and the CaliforniaRoad have received attention fromthe Mormons and have gained somerecognition—yet, they are onlysegments of the OST. This is not tosay that the contribution of theMormons to the preservation of theOST is not appreciated. Mormondiaries have the best descriptions ofthe OST. We owe the Mormons a lot.The OST must pursue its uniqueidentity.

Terrain and climate play big roles indetermining the track of a trail—thenorthern and eastern segments of theOST were generally governed by theterrain of the Colorado Plateau andthere the OST route is pretty straightforward. However, terrain andclimate have combined to contributea diversity of routes across the Mo-jave Desert as shown on the NationalPark Service (NPS) Trails map. Di-versity was caused by the availabilityof water and feed in the desert.

Local chapters try to get visiblesegments of the trail preserved, butthey are not always successful.However, nationwide attitudestowards trails are changing. Variousgroups with mutual interests should

work together to preserve the OSTand seek to educate officials andagencies of its historic value. Forinstance, efforts in Las Vegas topreserve a half mile remnant failedwhen developers were unwilling tochange their plans because of theconcomitant expense. A compromisewas reached and the developer willset aside a small plot for a monu-ment and plaque indicating “theOST passed this way.” This is smallcomfort, but is better than nothing.

However, to satisfy the growinginterest in local history, ClarkCounty, NV (containing Las Vegas)encouraged the formation of theSouthern Nevada Regional TrailsPartnership for all types of trails i.e.hiking, biking, equestrian, OHV, …and the OST. The Partnership meetsmonthly and has recognized theimportance of the OST, which willbe put on an official Regional Trailsmap. More importantly, resourceswere made available to the Partner-ship to survey and map the locationof the OST in Southern Nevada. Amap showing the OST from LasVegas to Cottonwood Spring hasalready been created. This mapshows a straight line connectivitybetween the two water sources: inthe desert you want to get to waterthe quickest way.

How do you know you have foundthe true trail? The “corridor” con-cept for the trail may help govern-ment agencies and others to seemore readily the areas that need tobe preserved. Rather than concen-trate on only one possible path forthe OST we should accept thatdeviations occurred when weather,safety, terrain, water and feed so

dictated. We should accept that thetraces of mule caravans and wagonsoverlap: the mule caravans blazedthe way and, limited by the availabil-ity of water and the local terrain,Mormon wagons followed theoriginal trace of the OST. In manylocales, a “trail corridor” is as closeto the original OST we can everhope to find.

Should we map the OST and publi-cize its location, or, should the OSTbe a secret known to only a selectfew? If the OST is to be properlyrecognized, we can’t keep it a secret.If, consequently, the trail is occa-sionally abused, then that’s the pricewe have to pay. The OST will beremembered when we display itscourse and history on maps andinterpretative sites.

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Robert ShlaerDaguerrotypist

Robert Shlaer, Santa Fe, NM,“Sights Once Seen:Daguerreotyping Frémont’s LastExpedition through the Rockies.”

The Old Spanish Trail was given itsname by John Charles Frémont eventhough the trail was already welltraveled prior to Frémont’s contactwith it.

Frémont’s last expedition was hisFifth. His First Expedition in 1842mapped the Oregon Trail as far asSouth Pass and aided emigration.His Second Expedition (in 1843 andincluded Kit Carson) completedsurveying the Oregon Trail to thePacific and then headed south tomake a winter crossing of the Sier-ras. Frémont’s Third Expedition in1845 was again guided by KitCarson and went through the CentralRockies (Arkansas, Rio Grande andColorado rivers), northern Utah tosearch for possible passes throughthe Sierras into California. Whenwar broke out with Mexico, Frémontwas well positioned to participate inthe Bear Flag revolt (an uprising ofAmericans in northern California)and with the California Battalionwent to Los Angeles. Afterward,refusing to obey the orders of Gen-eral Kearny, Frémont was courtmartialed and convicted. Frémontthen resigned from the Army.

It should be noted that in 1841Frémont married Jesse Benton - thedaughter of Missouri Senator Tho-mas Hart Benton. It is Benton’sinfluence and his deep conviction inAmerica’s Manifest Destiny thatpropelled Frémont into his expedi-tions. Also, Benton favored buildinga transcontinental railroad to open

the West from St. Louis along the38th parallel. Thus, Frémont’s FourthExpedition was fielded to find aroute for building a railroad alongthe 38th parallel. Heavy snows in theSan Juans forced the expedition tobe abandoned and conclude in Taos.

In 1853-54, Frémont’s Fifth, andfinal, Expedition tried once again tomake a mid-winter crossing alongthe 38th parallel. It, too, failed.However, on this final expeditionFrémont recruited SolomonCarvalho to photograph the route.Frémont hoped that Congress wouldbe impressed with the photographsto favor the 38th parallel railroadroute. Carvalho was a daguerreotypephotographer who took hundreds ofdaguerreotypes during the expedi-tion.

Frémont returned to New York withCarvalho’s pictures. There, MathewBrady, the great Civil War photogra-pher, made photographs ofCarvalho’s work. Brady’s photos

were then made into printing platesto illustrate the report that Frémontintended to make of his final expedi-tion. Frémont never wrote his reportand the works of Carvalho andBrady along with the printing plateswere put into storage. Unfortunately,a fire destroyed the photos by bothmen. Carvalho probably lost hischance at fame and we have norecord of Frémont’s final expedition.However, some, perhaps all, of themetal printing plates survivedbecause illustrations that appeared inFrémont’s “Memoirs Of My life” in1887 were likely based onCarvalho’s photos: twenty ofCarvalho’s photos were landscapes .

It is Carvalho’s landscapes thatShlaer decided to capture in his owndaguerreotypes and thus memorial-ize Carvalho and Frémont for theFifth, final, Expedition.

Shlaer explained that thedaquerreotype was the first success-ful photographic process. In 1837 itwas Louis Daguerre who perfectedthe process. Daguerreotype picturescannot be directly reproduced.Every picture is unique. Pictures arehoused under glass in a case becausethey are so delicate. The daguerreo-type image is laterally reversed as ina mirror (cameras sometimes had amirror or right-angle prism to correctthis problem). Chemicals used inthe process are highly toxic.

It is unfortunate that the daguerreo-types taken on Frémont’s FifthExpedition were lost in a warehousefire before they could be published.Shlaer was been able to find paint-ings, drawings and engravings madefrom them and has since pursued his

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quest to replicate the same scenesphotographed during the expedition.Shlaer described his efforts to findthe same scenes and the help hereceived from Park Rangers, localpeople and his own sleuthing. Shlaerhas a van outfitted to process hisdaguerreotypes.

Shlaer’s adventure of replicating theprocess of photographing Frémont’sFifth Expedition is told in his won-derful book, “Sights Once Seen,Daguerreotyping Frémont’s LastExpedition Through the Rockies.”

John Sharpe, Clifton, England,“William Workman, 1799-1876:An Englishman’s Place in theHistory of the of the AmericanWest”

The old house where pioneer Will-iam Workman began his remarkableadventures in 1822 still stands about200 yards up the road from JohnSharpe’s home in Clifton, England, avillage of about 400 today and inWilliam Workman’s time. JohnSharpe suggested that his accent wasprobably the same way that Work-man spoke…nothing much haschanged in Clifton. John has spentfive years researching the story ofWorkman and has made four trips tothe U.S. John has driven the OSTfrom Santa Fe to Los Angeles to fur-ther appreciate the Workman saga.

How was it that William Workmanleft a small, quiet village to go theUS and then adapted so successfullyto the turbulent conditions of theearly West? Actually, it wasWilliam’s elder brother, David , who

first came to America to seek hisfortune. In 1818, David was 21 andin Franklin, Missouri. He was asaddler—4,000 miles away fromClifton, England. In 1822, Davidreturned to Clifton after encounter-ing difficulties in making a living inFranklin. He returned to claimadditional money owed to him froman inheritance and persuaded hisbrother, William, to come to the U.Swith him. In 1824, the Workmanbrothers hired 14-year old KitCarson as an apprentice in theirsaddlery. In 1825, William takes theSanta Fe Trail to New Mexico. In1826, Kit Carson “escapes” from hisapprenticeship to go West andlaunch his legendary career.

William Workman settled in Taosand worked at trapping and makingmoonshine - “Taos lightning.” Hebecame a Mexican citizen and hadtwo children with a local girl. InTaos, William went into businesswith John Rowland. They ran a milland general store along with dab-bling in the fur trade and sellingmoonshine. At the end of the 1830s,Mexico became suspicious of theAmericans in Taos and believed theywere conspiring with Texas toexpand the northern boundary ofTexas as far as the Rio Grande.Because they were facing increasinghostility, William Workman andJohn Rowland assembled a party ofAmerican settlers and headed 1,200miles west to California over the OldSpanish Trail. In California, Work-man and Rowland secured a 20,000acre land grant at La Puente near LosAngeles.

By 1845, California was in turmoilas rival Mexican forces fought to

govern California. Workman backedthe victor, Pio Pico. Governor Picorewarded Workman with additionalland: the La Puente land grant wasincreased to 50,000 acres. Workmanacquired other tracts of land includ-ing the island of Alcatraz in SanFrancisco Bay. In 1846, the Warwith Mexico started and Americanforces reached California. Workmantried to sell Alcatraz to Frémont, butthe deal did not go through eventhough the U.S. built a fort onAlcatraz. The Mexican War ended in1848.

When the Gold Rush commenced in1849, William Workman becamerich selling beef to miners. Hereturned to England via Vera Cruz ,Mexico and New York in 1850; andafter visiting family in Clifton,William goes to London’s 1851Great Exhibition.

Back in California, William is joinedby his brother, David and his family

John SharpeClifton, England

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from Missouri, a 2,000 mile trek toCalifornia. In 1855, David is killedaccidentally while driving livestockto the gold fields. William prospersat La Puente. He opened a bank inLos Angeles with his son in law,F.P.F. Temple. The collapse of theAmerican economy spread to Cali-fornia in 1873; and in 1876,Workman’s bank collapsed. He losteverything. Facing ruin, on May 17,Workman killed himself.

The legacy of William Workman ispreserved in the present day LaPuente area of Los Angeles wherethe Workman name is on streets,parks, medical facilities and schools.Workman is buried along with hisbrother, David, and his old friend,Pio Pico, in the mausoleum near hisold home at the Workman andTemple Family Homestead Museum.

Dr. Dorothy Parker, Santa Fe,NM, “Four Legs Out and FourLegs Back on the Trails to Califor-nia”

The sheep trade in New Mexicobegan with the Church’s missionsystem in the early 17th century.Between 1620 - 1670 New Mexicoflocks increased significantly andwere being driven down the CaminoReal to markets in Mexico. ThePueblo Revolt in 1680 forced theSpanish to evacuate and abandonNew Mexico until de Vargas and theSpanish returned in 1692 -1693.Although trade started again downthe Camino Real in the mid 1730’s,sheep exports could not be sustaineduntil 1750 when New Mexico flocksbecame reestablished under govern-ment export regulation. To stimulate

a textile industry, New Mexicoofficials imported skilled craftsmento instruct local weavers. The resultwas improved quality, larger produc-tion and more competitive products.

Between 1810 - 1821, when Mexicowon its independence from Spain,the sheep trade continued in anunstable situation. New Mexico was

distant from the revolution and therewas great uncertainty in trading inMexico during the revolution. NewMexico’s sheep population increaseddramatically when trade slowedduring the Mexican Revolution.After Mexico won independence,traders started to move large num-bers of sheep to Chihuahua andDurango. Mexico eventually re-quired all traders to obtain permitsthat listed the value, contents anddestination of their caravans. Theinformation in these permits showsus that through 1835 - 1840 permitswere issued for 204,200 sheep.

In 1829, Antonio Armijo led the firsttrade caravan from Santa Fe to LosAngeles over the Old Spanish Trail.Armijo traded New Mexico sheepproducts for California horses andmules. California mules were prizedthe most and brought traders hugeprofits when they were returned toNew Mexico.

Commercial trade caravans contin-ued over the OST through at least1848. After the Mexican War, 1846 -1848, the US Army developedwagon roads to California and thetraditional OST was bypassed. Thelast caravan over the OST was in1848.

After U. S. troops occupied NewMexico, commerce with Mexicostopped. It was the California GoldRush that revived the sheep trade.However, sheep drives were nolonger exclusive to Hispanic mer-chants. Anglos, too, hoped to profitby driving sheep to California.

Here are but a few of the sheepdrives to California mentioned byDr. Parker:

In August, 1849 among a group of 49ers,“Old Roberts” bought 500 sheep for $250 inNew Mexico. The sheep sold in Californiafor $15-16 each!

In 1850, William Angney bought 6,000sheep and drove them from Abiquiu over theOld Spanish Trail to Los Angeles.

In 1852, Uncle Dick Wooton and JesseTurley drove 9,000 sheep through the SanLuis Valley, over Cochetopa Pass, along theGunnison River to its junction with theColorado, then west through Nevada andover Donner Pass to Sacramento. Wootonrecorded that he completed his 1,000 milejourney in 107 days and lost only 100sheep! Wooton and Turley had paid $9,275

Dorothy ParkerHistorian

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for 9,000 sheep. They sold the sheep inSacramento for $8.75 each!

In 1853, Kit Carson, Lucien Maxwell andJohn Hatcher drove three separate flocks toCalifornia and sold them in Sacramento for$5.50 each. Prices were now falling.

Carson, returning to New Mexico, encoun-tered 100,000 sheep being driven to LosAngeles in three flocks: 35,000 sheep drivenfrom Chihuahua, 15,000 sheep from NewMexico driven by Nicolas Pino and a flockof 50,000 driven by Aubry and several NewMexicans including Judge Otero with hisboat in the desert.

In 1855, San Francisco was in a depression.When J. Francisco Chaves drove 18,000sheep to San Francisco, he had to hold on tothem because prices were so low. Lowsheep prices did not offer Anglos bigenough profits to buy sheep in New Mexicoand take the risks of a drive. However, NewMexico sheep owners were willing to carryon. Following a few drives between 1856-58, 100,000 head were gathered and drivenin two flocks to Southern California. Theyarrived in the Spring, 1859 with the ownersasking $4 a head.

The last drive took place in 1860. FranciscoPerea and Jesus Luna sold 50,000 sheep in

Colville - Continued from Page 1

OSTA’s Mulepack opens for business. An attentive audience enjoys the plenary session.

San Francisco.

The coming of the railroads and thefencing of open range made sheepdrives impractical: the era of sheepdrives was over.

This Special Edition was pre-pared by Richard and MarieGreene, Charles and JudyQuerfeld with photographs byJohn Coffman.

ing official and local names for eachroute, precise location, physical andhistoric descriptions, and methods ofaccess.

Two major north-south trails circum-vented the San Luis Valley’s marshybottoms by clinging to hills andterraces basing the encompassingmountain ranges. One of RuthMarie’s index cards reads: “The westfork, also known to earliest Spanishtravelers, including Anza, was partof the North Branch of the OldSpanish Trail to California. A splen-did route with two problems for menand beasts--water between OjoCaliente and Rio de San Antonio andfording the Rio Grande, once in NewMexico and again in San Luis

Valley.” Of the trail at the foot of theSangre de Cristo Mountains shenoted: “ It was also called the NorthBranch of the Old Spanish Trail toCalifornia. As a caravan route itconnected Taos, Santa Fe, and LosAngeles.”

In the fall of 1972, Ruth Mariepresented to the San Luis ValleyCouncil of Governments a definitiveHistoric Site Inventory for the sixSan Luis Valley counties. Thesection, “Landmark Trails andWagon Roads,” includes narrativedescriptions for both forks of theNorth Branch of the Old SpanishTrail. She wrote: “The trail qualifiesas a remarkable national landmarkfor its primordial beauty and its

significance. Its history iswell-documented and the road tracesremain as living evidence.” Thanksto Ruth Marie’s dedication to his-toric preservation, in 1973 the SanLuis Valley Council of Governmentsprepared a well-executed mapdepicting the “North Branch of theOld Spanish Trail to California viaCochetopa Pass.”

Ruth Marie recently responded toher day in Taos: “...that amazing daywith the 300+ people all symbolizedin the beautiful little cajita presentedto me! I have held it, opened it, andbeen touched by it many times sincebeing home...It is part of my life. Mymind and heart are touched by whatthe Trails “fanatics” thought to do.”

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Recepción The final highlight Saturday was the reception at the Hacienda de los Martinez.

and over the years grew to encompass 21 rooms. Let the tour begin. The hacienda dates back to 1804...

This Carreta de la Muerte is anexample of the many treasurespreserved within the hacienda.

Food compliments of the TaosHistorical Society. Sangria by

Kay Lewis!

Members clearly enjoyearly evening on the placita.

Peter Mackaness, our tour guide, samples the refreshments... and enjoys the live folk music.

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the church took place. San Gabriel,at the convergence of the ChamaRiver with the Rio Grande, marksthe dividing point of the East andWest Forks of the North Branch ofOST from the main OST.

We then visited the recreated MisionConvento, based on that first church.The re-creation is on the EspanolaPlaza, several miles south of theactual location.

We then drove to Santa Fe to thePalace of the Governors State His-tory Museum, where we were met byCharles Bennett, Assistant Directorof the Palace Museum, and RobertShlaer, one of our conference speak-ers. Shlaer hosted the group atthe exhibit of his daguerreotypes andphotos of the Frémont Fifth Expedi-tion. Bennett conducted a generaltour of the Spanish Colonial portionof the Palace, and did a specialpresentation on the Segesser HidePaintings depicting an 18th centurybattle between New Mexican Span-ish troops and French intruders andIndian auxiliaries on the Great Plainsto the east of New Mexico. We had agreat day!

Reported by Willard Lewis

Walking Tour of Historical Homesin Taos with Portrayals of Their

Historic Residents

Roberta Courtney Meyers took us ona back-lane walking tour of homesoccupied by historically importantresidents of Taos. We bypassed thecemetery in the interest of time andwent to now-private homes whereGeorgia O’Keeffe, Rebecca Strandand D. H. and Frieda Lawrence hadstayed as guests of Mabel DodgeLuhan. These homes were split fromthe greater Luhan property after laterownership by Dennis Hopper. Wetoured the main house built by theLuhans and at the appropriate times,Ms. Meyers assumed the personas ofMiss O’Keeffe, Frieda Lawrence andMrs. Luhan. After a walk downMorada Lane, we had a tour of thehome and studio of E. I. Couse, whoowned adjoining property withJoseph Sharp on Kit Carson St. Itwas a most interesting morning andMs. Meyers did a very nice presenta-tion which all enjoyed.

Reported by Kay Lewis

Sunday Tours

Tour to San Gabriel and Santa FeGuided by Willard Lewis

Nine of us departed Taos Sundaymorning. After a stop to overlookthe Rio Grande Gorge, south ofTaos, we drove to San Gabriel at SanJuan Pueblo. San Gabriel was thefirst capital of New Mexico, estab-lished by Onate in 1598. Byspecial invitation, we visited anearby home where excavations of apueblo, Onate’s headquarters, and

Tour to Horse LakeGuided by Charles Querfeld

We left Taos at about 8:25 a.m. withthe intention of visiting sites on theEast and West Forks of the OSTNorth Branch and a variety of loca-tions on the Southern or MainBranch. Twenty-two people went onthe tour.

The tour visited, in passing, the East

Fork of the OST North Branch bydriving north from Taos on US 64which closely follows the old trailfor a few miles north of Taos. Thefirst stop was at the bridge over theformidable Rio Grande Gorge wherewe were all able to understand oneof the reasons why the North Branchhas two forks. The second stop wasat the U.S. Forest Service RangerStation in Tres Piedras, about aquarter mile from the spring that lieson the West Fork, North Branch. Wecould not visit the spring since theForest was closed because of theextreme fire danger.

The tour followed US 64 west andstopped on the crest of the Brazosridge that overlooks the BrazosCliffs and the Chama Valley. Wethen dropped rapidly past TierraAmarilla to Los Ojos and took aback road to a gravel mine in theChama River where the OST HorseLake route and the Dominguez-Escalante route cross the river. Herewe had an unexpected treat in theform of Ross Casados, a nearbyresident with a long-standing interestin local history. Mr. Casados pointedout the river crossing with theremark that bluffs along the riverpreclude any other crossing in thestretch between Los Ojos and LaPuente. He lives on the bluff abovethe gravel mine on the site of old Ft.Lowell.

After passing through La Puente, thegroup traveled to the Visitor Centerat Heron Lake State Park. From theVisitor Center the path of the trailcan be visualized along the northshore of the lake. We then stoppedalong the lake’s south shore forlunch.

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After lunch we continued west to theeast shore of El Vado Lake fromwhich we had a good view of theentrance of La Puerta Grande, acanyon that penetrates the mesaswest of the two lakes. The Cramptonand Madsen version of the OSTroute passes through this portal onits way to the Carracas crossing ofthe San Juan River. While passingthrough the portal we stopped at acove of Stinking Lake to marvel atthe presence of water. We then

headed west and north through theJicarilla Reservation on the west sideof the mesas past Stone Lake to aroad that carried us east to HorseLake.

At Horse Lake we stopped on itssouth shore in the natural gate thatseparates two mesas. The OSTreached Horse Lake by followingHorse Lake Creek from the (now)northwest corner of Heron Lake.From Horse Lake the OST turned

The OST Chama River Crossing. The trailpassed just in front of the barn at the upper left.

The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge

west and northwest tothe head of CarracasCanyon. We read thepassage from theDominguez-Escalantejournal that so welldescribes the gate.

After leaving HorseLake the group re-turned to Taos at about6:15 p.m. via Dulce,Chama, Tierra Amarillaand Tres Piedras.

La Puerta Grande seen across El Vado Lake

Tour survivors at Horse Lake

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OLD SPANISH TRAIL ASSOCIATIONANNUAL GENERAL MEMBERSHIP

BUSINESS MEETINGTAOS CONVENTION CENTER

TAOS, NEW MEXICOJUNE 10, 2000

President Charles Querfeld called themeeting to order at 4:55 PM. Charlesthanked everyone for their help during histwo year tenure as President.

MINUTES: Marie GreeneMOTION: To dispense with the readingof the minutes of the last general mem-bership business meeting. Made by JudyQuerfeld, seconded by John Coffman andpassed unanimously.

TREASURER’S REPORT: RichardGreeneThe detailed report is attached. This yearwe increased the publication of SpanishTraces to three editions, so $7 of the $12membership fee goes to the production andmailing of Traces. Membership has grownby approximately 10% per year. We havebeen working hard to provide funds to coverthe liabilities, the life memberships andCrampton Award fund, of OSTA.

NPS STUDY REPORT: Jack NelsonThe Colorado OSTA members have beenworking closely with the State Legislatureto have the OST designated a NationalHistoric Trail. The National Trails Registryof Colorado has reaffirmed their position insupport of this effort. We need to concen-trate on working at the National level now.We should get a report from the NationalPark Service this year. The NPS estimatesthat the preliminary report will be releasedin late July or August. There may be an earlyrelease on the NPS web site. OSTA mem-bers with an e-mail address listed in themembership list will receive an e-mailnotification of the NPS posting. It is unclearwhen the 90 day comment period willcommence.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS ANDDIRECTORS: Marie GreeneThe slate of Officers and Directors aspresented to the membership in the officialballot were elected by a majority vote.

Ballot results are available. Present Officersand Directors are as listed below. Termsexpire at the end of the Business Meetingthat follows the Annual Conference plenarysession.

President Harold Austin Steiner 2000 - 2001Vice PresidentWillard E. Lewis 2000 - 2001Past President Charles W. Querfeld 2000 - 2001Secretary Lorraine Carpenter 2000 - 2002Treasurer Kenn Carpenter 2000 - 2002

Director, NM Richard A. L. Greene 2000 - 2003Director, CO Patricia Joy Richmond 2000 - 2003Director, UTRonald K. Jewkes 1999 - 2002Director, CA John W. Robinson 1999 - 2002Director, AZ Reba Wells Grandrud 1999 - 2001Director, NV Elizabeth von Till Warren 1999 - 2001

MOTION: To adjourn meeting. Madeby Jack Nelson, seconded by RichardGreene, and passed unanimously.

New President Hal Steiner reconvened themeeting at 5:25 PM. Charles Querfeldpresented Hal with the gavel. Hal statedthat he will maintain the momentum theorganization presently has. The pastOfficers and Board have turned OSTAaround and made it a thriving organizationonce again. With Spanish Traces being themost important part of OSTA we need morehelp in its publication. Any volunteers willbe welcome. The new Board will meet forthe first time in early September.

President Hal Steiner adjourned the meetingat 5:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,(S)Marie GreeneSecretary, OSTA

TREASURER’S REPORTJUNE 1, 1999 - MAY 31, 2000

(INCLUDES 2000 NAT. CONF.)

ASSETS MARKER FUND $ 4,750 GENERAL FUND CHECKBOOK $ 1,340 PRIME RESERVE $ 2,790

TOTAL $ 8,880

LIABILITIESNAT. CONF. UNPAID EXP. $ 500

NET ASSETS $ 8,380 TOTAL LIABILITIES $ 3,800

LIABILITIES

28 LIFE MEMBERSHIPS $ 2,800CRAMPTON DONATION $ 1,000

2001 NAT CONF $ 2,500

TOTAL $14,080

ESTIMATED EXPENSES

MARKER $ 1,000MISC $ 50RETAIL $ 200ELECTION $ 100BOARD MEETINGS $ 100TRACES $ 2,1002001 NAT CONF $ 2,300POSTAGE $ 200M’SHIP RENEWALS $ 80

TOTAL $ 6,130

ESTIMATED BALANCE - MAY 31, 2001

MARKER FUND $ 3,750

GENERAL FUND $ 4,200

FINANCIAL REPORT

REVENUES - 2000 EXPENSES - 2000

BALANCE 5/31/99 $ 2,549MARKER FUND $ 5,000 MARKER $ 250MISC $ 117 MISC $ 43DONATIONS $ 87 RETAIL $ 315MEMB.FEES $ 2,623 ELECT $ 108RETAIL SALES $ 180 BD. MTNGS $ 572000 NAT CONF $ 2,040 TRACES-

PRINTING $1,654TRACES-MAILING $ 373NAT CONF-REPT $ 147POSTAGE $ 210M’SHIP-RENEWALS$ 632000 NAT-CONF $ 800AWARDS $ 196

TOTALS $12,596 $ 4,216

PROPOSED BUDGETJUNE 1, 2000 - MAY 31, 2001

ASSETS & ESTIMATED REVENUES

GENERAL FUND 5/31/00 $ 3,630MARKER FUND 5/31/00 $ 4,750MEMBERSHIP $ 3,000RETAIL SALES $ 200

12 Special Edition

Richard Greene, OSTA Treasurerand Membership Chair, and his wife,Marie Greene who is the Secretaryof OSTA at the national level re-ceived the C. Gregory CramptonAward at the 7th OSTA AnnualConference at the Taos ConventionCenter on June 10. The award wasgiven to the Greene team for theiroutstanding contributions in mem-bership growth and for their hardwork and dedication to the OldSpanish Trail Association.

The Crampton Award is named forC. Gregory Crampton, a well-knownUtah historian and co-author, with

The Greenes, Recipients of the second C. Gregory Crampton Award

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDAngel Fire, NM

Permit No. 7

Old Spanish Trail AssociationP.O. Box 483Angel Fire, NM 87710

Richard and MarieGreene receive

Crampton Award

Steve Madsen, of the book, In Search of the Spanish Trail.Funding for the award was made

possible by a grant provided bythe late Maria Crampton in memoryof her husband, Professor Crampton.

See you in Redlands, CA for the2001 OSTA Conference, June 9-10