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{{short description|Historical trails and roads}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
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[[Image:Mojave-Road-0135.jpg|thumb|300px|Vehicles traveling the Mojave Road stop for a break at Marl Springs]]
{{Infobox historic site
| name = Mojave Road
| image = Mojave-Road-0135.jpg
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| caption = Vehicles traveling the Mojave Road stop for a break at Marl Springs
| location= [[Colorado River]] to [[Wilmington, Los Angeles]], the end marker.
| coordinates = {{coord|35|-115|format=dms|region:US-CA_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| locmapin = California
| area =
| built = [[Prehistory]]
| architect= Mohave Indians
| architecture= Dirt Trail/Road – [[U.S. Route 66|Route 66]]
| designation1 = California
| designation1_number= 963
| designation1_date = 19 March 1985
| designation2 = NRHP
| designation2_date = 27 September 2021
| designation2_number = 100007003
| governing_body =
}}
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The '''Mojave Road''', also known as '''Old Government Road''' (formerly the '''Mohave Trail'''), is a historic route and present day [[dirt road]] across what is now the [[Mojave National Preserve]] in the [[Mojave Desert]] in the [[United States]]. This rough road stretched {{convert|147|mi|km}} from [[Beale's Crossing]] (the river crossing site on the west bank of the [[Colorado River]], opposite old [[Fort Mohave]], roughly {{convert|10|mi}} southwest of [[Bullhead City, Arizona]]), to [[Fork of the Road]] location along the north bank of the [[Mojave River]] where the old Mojave Road split off from the route of the [[Old Spanish Trail (trade route)|Old Spanish Trail]]/[[Mormon Road]].


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A [[four-wheel drive]] vehicle is required for all but a few short stretches of this road, which is unmaintained. The old road from Fork of the Road eastward along the Mojave River is interrupted after {{convert|10.9|acres}} by private property, below the site of the old [[Camp Cady]] (on the north bank of the Mojave River, roughly {{convert|12|mi}} northeast of [[Newberry Springs, California|Newberry Springs]]). The road is resumed at an access point from the north in [[Manix Wash]]. Under optimal conditions, its full length of {{convert|133|mi}} from Beale's Crossing to Manix Wash can be travelled in 2 to 3 days.<ref name=Casebier2010>{{cite book |first=DG |last=Casebier |title=Mojave Road Guide: an Adventure Through Time |chapter=General Guidelines |pages=39–38 |publisher=Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association |location=Essex, California |edition=4th |year=2010|isbn=978-0-914224-37-2}}</ref>
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The '''Mojave Road''', also known as '''Old Government Road''' (formerly the '''[[Mohave Trail]]'''), is a historic route and present day [[dirt road]] across what is now the [[Mojave National Preserve]] in the [[Mojave Desert]] in the [[United States]]. This rough road stretched {{convert|147|mi|km}} from [[Beale's Crossing]] (the river crossing site on the west bank of the [[Colorado River]], opposite old [[Fort Mohave]], roughly {{convert|10|mi}} southwest of [[Bullhead City, Arizona]]), to [[Fork of the Road]] location along the north bank of the [[Mojave River]] where the old Mojave Road split off from the route of the [[Old Spanish Trail (trade route)|Old Spanish Trail]]/[[Mormon Road]].

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A [[four-wheel drive]] vehicle is required for all but a few short stretches of this road, which is unmaintained. The old road from Fork of the Road eastward along the Mojave River is interrupted after {{convert|10.9|acres}} by private property, below the site of the old [[Camp Cady]] (on the north bank of the [[Mojave River]], roughly {{convert|12|mi}} northeast of [[Newberry Springs, California]]). The road is resumed at an access point from the north in [[Manix Wash]]. Under optimal conditions, its full length of {{convert|133|mi}} from Beale's Crossing to Manix Wash can be travelled in 2 to 3 days.<ref name=Casebier2010>{{cite book |first=DG |last=Casebier |title=Mojave Road Guide: an Adventure Through Time |chapter=General Guidelines |pages=39-38 |publisher=Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association |location=Essex, California |edition=4th |year=2010|isbn=978-0-914224-37-2}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
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===Mohave Trail===
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A traditional thoroughfare of desert-dwelling [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]], the Mohave Trail ran between watering holes across the Mojave Desert between the Colorado River and Mojave River then following it to the [[Cajon Pass]], the gap between the [[San Bernardino Mountains]] and [[San Gabriel Mountains]], into [[Southern California]] ending at [[Drum Barracks]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wilcox|first=L|title=The Mojave Road|work=DesertUSA|url=http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/nov/stories/mojavetrail.html|access-date=2013-09-06}}</ref> It ran westward between [[Spring (hydrology)|springs]] across the Mojave Desert, from [[Piute Spring (San Bernardino County, California)|Piute Spring]] to [[Indian Well (Lanfair Buttes)|Indian Well]], to Rock Springs, then to [[Marl Spring]] and [[Zzyzx, California#Soda Springs|Soda Spring]] on the west side of [[Soda Lake (San Bernardino County)|Soda Lake]]. From there the trail led to the mouth of the [[Mojave River]] southwest of Soda Lake. It then followed the river up stream, finding [[oases]] of water and vegetation where the river came to the surface at various places along its course. The watering holes recur at intervals of about {{convert|60|mi}} to {{convert|70|mi}}.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Robinson|first=WW|title=The Story of San Bernardino County|publisher=Title Insurance and Trust Company|year=1962|location=San Bernardino|pages=78}}</ref>


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The Spanish [[Franciscan]] [[missionary]] [[Francisco Garcés]] traveled the trail with [[Mohave people|Mohave]] guides, after leaving the [[De Anza Expedition|expedition]] of [[Juan Bautista de Anza]] in 1776. José María de Zalvidea, the zealous Franciscan administrator of [[Mission San Gabriel]] also crossed the trail in 1806, reportedly converting five indigenous Mohaves near present-day [[Hesperia, California|Hesperia]]. The Mohave Trail later became the route of raiders, preying on the herds of the [[Spanish missions in California|California missions]] and [[Ranchos of California|ranchos]]. Spanish (and later, Mexican) soldiers pursued the raiders along the route.<ref>Harlan Hague, The Search for a Southern Overland Route to California, California Historical Quarterly, Summer 1976, (pp. 70-73)</ref>
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===Mohave Trail===
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A traditional thoroughfare of desert-dwelling [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]], the [[Mohave Trail]] much later served Spanish missionaries, explorers, and foreign colonizers and settlers from the 18th to 19th centuries who called it the Mojave Trail, and ran between watering holes across the Mojave Desert between the Colorado River and Mojave River then following it to the [[Cajon Pass]], the gap between the [[San Bernardino Mountains]] and [[San Gabriel Mountains]], into [[Southern California]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wilcox |first=L |title=The Mojave Road |work=DesertUSA |url=http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/nov/stories/mojavetrail.html |accessdate=2013-09-06}}</ref> The watering holes recur at intervals of about {{convert|60|mi}} to {{convert|70|mi}}.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Robinson|first=WW|title=The Story of San Bernardino County|publisher=Title Insurance and Trust Company|year=1962|location=San Bernardino|pages=78|isbn=}}</ref>


In 1826, [[Jedediah Smith]] led an expedition of the first US citizens to travel the Mojave Trail.
⚫
[[Francisco Garcés]], the Spanish [[Franciscan]] [[missionary]], traveled the trail with [[Mohave people|Mohave]] guides, after leaving the [[De Anza Expedition|expedition]] of [[Juan Bautista de Anza]] in 1776. José María de Zalvidea, the zealous Franciscan administrator of [[Mission San Gabriel]] also crossed the trail in 1806, reportedly converting five indigenous Mohaves near present-day [[Hesperia, California|Hesperia]]. In 1826, [[Jedediah Smith]] became the first North American to travel the Mojave Trail.


===Old Spanish Trail===
===Old Spanish Trail===
From 1829–30, Mexican traders from [[New Mexico]] established the routes that came to be called the [[Old Spanish Trail (trade route)|Old Spanish Trail]] trade route to California. The first of these, [[Old Spanish Trail (trade route)#Armijo Route|Armijo's route]], intercepted the Mohave's trail at the mouth of the Mojave River near [[Soda Lake (San Bernardino County)|Soda Lake]].
From 1829 to 1830, Mexican traders from [[New Mexico]] established the routes that came to be called the [[Old Spanish Trail (trade route)|Old Spanish Trail]] trade route to California. The first of these, [[Old Spanish Trail (trade route)#Armijo Route|Armijo's route]], intercepted the Mohave's trail at the mouth of the Mojave River near [[Soda Lake (San Bernardino County)|Soda Lake]].


Subsequently in 1830, the Mohave's trail became part of what became the [[Old Spanish Trail (trade route)#Main Route|Main Route or Central Route]] of the Old Spanish Trail, linking up with it from the north {{convert|12|mi}} west of the Colorado River in [[Piute Valley]] and following it westward to the link up with Armijo's route at the Mojave River mouth, and later with a shortcut from [[Salt Spring Hills|Salt Spring]] through [[Bitter Spring (San Bernardino County)|Bitter Spring]] and [[Spanish Canyon]] at a point just east of [[Yermo, California|Yermo]]. This place was later called "[[Fork of the Road]]" where the [[Old Spanish Trail (trade route)|Old Spanish Trail]] or from 1849, the ''Southern Route'' of the [[California Trail]] or the [[Mormon Road]] to [[Salt Lake City]], divided from what came to be the Mojave Road to the Colorado River.
Subsequently, in 1830, the Mohave's trail became part of what became the [[Old Spanish Trail (trade route)#Main Route|Main Route or Central Route]] of the Old Spanish Trail, linking up with it from the north {{convert|12|mi}} west of the Colorado River in [[Piute Valley]] and following it westward to the link up with Armijo's route at the Mojave River mouth, and later with a shortcut from [[Salt Spring Hills|Salt Spring]] through [[Bitter Spring (San Bernardino County)|Bitter Spring]] and [[Spanish Canyon]] at a point just east of [[Yermo, California|Yermo]]. This place was later called "[[Fork of the Road]]" where the [[Old Spanish Trail (trade route)|Old Spanish Trail]] or from 1849, the ''Southern Route'' of the [[California Trail]] or the [[Mormon Road]] to [[Salt Lake City]], divided from what came to be the Mojave Road to the Colorado River. From 1849, the Mormon Road became heavily traveled winter road to California by [[California Gold Rush#Forty-niners|Forty-niners]] seeking to avoid the fate of the [[Donner Party]], and subsequent travelers, post riders and commercial wagon freighters.<ref>Edward Leo Lyman, Overland Journey from Utah to California: Wagon Travel from the City of Saints to the City of Angels, University of Nevada Press, 2008.</ref>


Now consolidated the Old Spanish Trail then followed the Mohave's trail along the [[Mojave River]] but instead of crossing over the mountains into [[San Bernardino Valley]] they followed a new route Armijo called "Cañon de San Bernardino" from the upper Mojave River west through [[Cajon Pass]] and down [[Crowder Canyon]] and [[Cajon Canyon]], known to the [[vaqueros]] of the [[San Bernardino de Sena Estancia]] who had come to their aid with food.<ref>[https://www.jstor.org/stable/3816035 LeRoy R. Hafen and Antonio Armijo, Armijo's Journal, Huntington Library Quarterly, Vol. 11, No. 1 (Nov., 1947), pp. 87-101, Published by: University of California Press, DOI:10.2307/3816035]</ref>
Now consolidated the Old Spanish Trail then followed the Mohave's trail along the [[Mojave River]] but instead of crossing over the mountains into [[San Bernardino Valley]] they followed a new route Armijo called "Cañon de San Bernardino" from the upper Mojave River west through [[Cajon Pass]] and down [[Crowder Canyon]] and [[Cajon Canyon]], known to the [[vaqueros]] of the [[San Bernardino de Sena Estancia]] who had come to their aid with food.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Armijo's Journal|first1=LeRoy R.|last1=Hafen|first2=Antonio|last2=Armijo|date=18 June 2019|journal=Huntington Library Quarterly|volume=11|issue=1|pages=87–101|doi=10.2307/3816035|jstor=3816035}}</ref>


===Mojave Road===
===Mojave Road===
[[File:Mojave Road Plaque.jpg|thumb|Mojave Road Plaque]]
The land was taken from Mexico by the US in 1848 following the [[Mexican–American War]]. In early 1858 the Mohave Trail became the Mojave Road, a wagon road connected to the newly pioneered [[Beale's Wagon Road]] across northern [[New Mexico Territory]] from [[Fort Defiance, Arizona|Fort Defiance]] to [[Beale's Crossing]] on the Colorado River where it linked up with the Mojave Road. Wagon trains of settlers coming west on the [[Santa Fe Trail]] soon followed Beale's Wagon Road and the Mojave Road into Southern California. Beale's road was shorter than the route via the more southern [[Southern Emigrant Trail]] and it was cooler in summer, snow-free in winter, had better forage, and was better watered. Soon hostilities began between the Mohave's and the settlers, triggering the [[Mohave War]].
The land was ceded from Mexico to the US in 1848 following the [[Mexican–American War]]. In early 1858 the Mohave Trail became the Mojave Road, a wagon road connected to the newly pioneered [[Beale's Wagon Road]] across northern [[New Mexico Territory]] from [[Fort Defiance, Arizona|Fort Defiance]] to [[Beale's Crossing]] on the Colorado River where it linked up with the Mojave Road. This ran from the Colorado crossing to where it left the Mojave River, west of the vicinity of modern [[Barstow, California|Barstow]]. Wagon trains of settlers coming west on the [[Santa Fe Trail]] soon followed Beale's Wagon Road and the Mojave Road into Southern California. Beale's road was shorter than the route via the more southern [[Southern Emigrant Trail]] and it was cooler in summer, snow-free in winter, had better forage, and was better watered. Soon hostilities began between the Mohaves and the settlers, triggering the [[Mohave War]].


From the time of the Mohave War the Mohave Road came under the purview of the U.S. government. Army posts were established at [[Fort Mojave]], at Beale's Crossing in 1859, and, after the [[Bitter Spring Expedition]] at [[Camp Cady]], {{convert|10.9|mi}} east of [[Fork of the Road]] at its junction with the [[Mormon Road]], in 1860. Smaller outposts were established later in the 1860s east of Camp Cady along the trail and regular patrols instituted. The army protected the settlers and travelers from the attacks of the resident [[Southern Paiute|Paiute]], [[Mojave people|Mojave]], and [[Chemehuevi]] Native Americans until 1871. This also opened the way for large mining development in the Mojave Desert region of [[San Bernardino County, California|San Bernardino County]] and agricultural development in the [[Victor Valley]] area.
From the time of the Mohave War the Mohave Road came under the purview of the U.S. government. Army posts were established at [[Fort Mojave]], at Beale's Crossing in 1859, and, after the [[Bitter Spring Expedition]] at [[Camp Cady]], {{convert|10.9|mi}} east of [[Fork of the Road]] at its junction with the [[Mormon Road]], in 1860. Smaller outposts were established later in the 1860s east of Camp Cady along the trail and regular patrols instituted. The army protected the settlers and travelers from the attacks of the resident [[Southern Paiute|Paiute]], [[Mojave people|Mojave]], and [[Chemehuevi]] Native Americans until 1871. This also opened the way for large mining development in the Mojave Desert region of [[San Bernardino County, California|San Bernardino County]] and agricultural development in the [[Victor Valley]] area.

During the [[Colorado River Gold Rush]] from 1862 it became one of the major roads to the gold and silver mining regions on the upper river and linked by the Hardyville - Prescott Road in 1864 to the mining regions in northern and central Arizona.


==The route today==
==The route today==
The eastern end of the Mojave Road begins at the edge of the [[Colorado River]], near the site of Beale's Crossing, north of [[Needles, California|Needles]] and the western terminus lies beyond the [[Rasor Off-Highway Vehicle Area]] and the Afton Canyon Natural Area near the Manix Wash.<ref>{{cite web |title=Afton Canyon Natural Area |url=http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow/afton.html |publisher=U.S. Dept of Interior, Bureau of Land Management |accessdate=2010-06-20 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208052051/http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow/afton.html |archivedate=8 December 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
The eastern end of the Mojave Road begins at the edge of the [[Colorado River]], near the site of Beale's Crossing, north of [[Needles, California|Needles]] and the western terminus lies beyond the [[Rasor Off-Highway Vehicle Area]] and the Afton Canyon Natural Area near the Manix Wash.<ref>{{cite web |title=Afton Canyon Natural Area |url=http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow/afton.html |publisher=U.S. Dept of Interior, Bureau of Land Management |access-date=2010-06-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208052051/http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow/afton.html |archive-date=8 December 2015 }}</ref>


===Landmarks===
===Landmarks===
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The following list of markers follows east to west travel.
The following list of markers follows east to west travel.
*'''The [[Colorado River]]''' – Where the trail begins, near [[Beale's Crossing]] on the west side of the river across the river from what became the site of [[Fort Mohave]]. (mile 0) {{Coord|35.046280|-114.627890|name=The Colorado River}}
*'''The [[Colorado River]]''' – Where the trail begins, near [[Beale's Crossing]] on the west side of the river across the river from what became the site of [[Fort Mohave]]. (mile 0) {{Coord|35.046280|-114.627890|name=The Colorado River}}
* '''[[Beaver Lake (Nevada)|Beaver Lake]]''' - A [[lake]], sometimes a [[Slough (hydrology)|slough]] of the Colorado River during spring floods. The original road passed the lake on the north {{convert|2.5|mi}} - {{convert|3|mi}} from the river crossing, in the 19th century. The [[Mohave War]] [[Mohave War#First Mohave Expedition|Battle of Beaver Lake]] was fought there just north of the lake. In the 20th century, cutoff from the spring floods of the river by the construction of dams above it, Beaver Lake dried up, becoming playa, desert or farmland. The modern trail cuts across the middle of this former water feature. {{Coord|35.070010|-114.639990|name=Beaver Lake}}
* '''[[Beaver Lake (Nevada)|Beaver Lake]]''' – A [[lake]], sometimes a [[Slough (hydrology)|slough]] of the Colorado River during spring floods. The original road passed the lake on the north {{convert|2.5|mi}} – {{convert|3|mi}} from the river crossing, in the 19th century. The [[Mohave War]] [[Mohave War#First Mohave Expedition|Battle of Beaver Lake]] was fought there just north of the lake. In the 20th century, cutoff from the spring floods of the river by the construction of dams above it, Beaver Lake dried up, becoming playa, desert or farmland. The modern trail cuts across the middle of this former water feature. {{Coord|35.070010|-114.639990|name=Beaver Lake}}
*'''[[Piute Creek]]''' – With '''[[Piute Spring (San Bernardino County, California)|Piute Spring]]''', a natural [[Spring (hydrology)|spring]], as its source, a desert [[oasis]] with trees and plants growing all year round, in the [[Piute Range]]. (mile 23) {{Coord|35.115020|-114.985260|name=Piute Creek}}
*'''[[Piute Creek]]''' – With '''[[Piute Spring (San Bernardino County, California)|Piute Spring]]''', a natural [[Spring (hydrology)|spring]], as its source, a desert [[oasis]] with trees and plants growing all year round, in the [[Piute Range]]. (mile 23) {{Coord|35.115020|-114.985260|name=Piute Creek}}
*'''[[Fort Piute]]''' – Next to the mouth of Piute Creek where the oasis ends, this fort was built in 1867 by the US infantry, one of several to guard the Government Road between Fort Mohave and San Bernardino. (mile 23) {{Coord|35.115020|-114.985260|name=Fort Piute}}
*'''[[Fort Piute]]''' – Next to the mouth of Piute Creek where the oasis ends, this fort was built in 1867 by the US infantry, one of several to guard the Government Road between Fort Mohave and San Bernardino. (mile 23) {{Coord|35.115020|-114.985260|name=Fort Piute}}
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*'''[[Willow Wash (Seventeenmile Point, California)|Willow Wash]]''' – A wash with heavy sands south and west of the [[Cima Dome & Volcanic Field National Natural Landmark#Cima Volcanic Field and Range|Cima Volcanic Range and Volcanic_Fields]], parallels Kelbaker Rd. to where it breaks up into distributary washes beyond Seventeen Mile Point. (mile 77) {{Coord|35.162850|-115.842090|name=Willow Wash}}
*'''[[Willow Wash (Seventeenmile Point, California)|Willow Wash]]''' – A wash with heavy sands south and west of the [[Cima Dome & Volcanic Field National Natural Landmark#Cima Volcanic Field and Range|Cima Volcanic Range and Volcanic_Fields]], parallels Kelbaker Rd. to where it breaks up into distributary washes beyond Seventeen Mile Point. (mile 77) {{Coord|35.162850|-115.842090|name=Willow Wash}}
*'''[[Kelbaker Road]]''' – The section of the paved road between Baker and Kelso Junction.{{Coord|35.2226|-115.8789|name=Kelbaker Road}}
*'''[[Kelbaker Road]]''' – The section of the paved road between Baker and Kelso Junction.{{Coord|35.2226|-115.8789|name=Kelbaker Road}}
* '''[[Seventeen Mile Point]]''' - Mountain marking the halfway point between Soda Spring and Marl Spring. Site of Seventeen Mile Point mining camp. {{Coord|35.22165|-115.89296|name=Seventeen Mile Point}}
* '''[[Seventeen Mile Point]]''' – Mountain marking the halfway point between Soda Spring and Marl Spring. Site of Seventeen Mile Point mining camp. {{Coord|35.22165|-115.89296|name=Seventeen Mile Point}}
*'''[[Soda Lake (San Bernardino County)|Soda Lake]]''' – A large dry lake; proceed with caution. You may have to drive around in the winter. (mile 97) {{Coord|35.152410|-116.052710|name=Soda Lake}}
*'''[[Soda Lake (San Bernardino County)|Soda Lake]]''' – A large dry lake; proceed with caution. You may have to drive around in the winter. (mile 97) {{Coord|35.152410|-116.052710|name=Soda Lake}}
*'''[[Zzyzx, California#Soda Springs|Soda Springs]] in ([[Zzyzx, California|Zzyzx]])''' – Small private building on the edge of Soda Lake. {{Coord|35.142790|-116.104740|name=Soda Springs (Zzyzx)}}
*'''[[Zzyzx, California#Soda Springs|Soda Springs]] in ([[Zzyzx, California|Zzyzx]])''' – Small private building on the edge of Soda Lake. {{Coord|35.142790|-116.104740|name=Soda Springs (Zzyzx)}}
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* '''[[Camp Cady]]''' – a former [[U.S. Army]] Camp along the old Mojave Road, on the [[Mojave River]] (mile 136.1) {{Coord|34.946111|-116.589444|name=Camp Cady}}
* '''[[Camp Cady]]''' – a former [[U.S. Army]] Camp along the old Mojave Road, on the [[Mojave River]] (mile 136.1) {{Coord|34.946111|-116.589444|name=Camp Cady}}
* '''[[Fork of the Road]]''' – Location along the north bank of the Mojave River were the old Mojave Road split off from the route of the [[Old Spanish Trail (trade route)|Old Spanish Trail]]/[[Mormon Road]] east of [[Yermo, California|Yermo]]. (mile 147) {{Coord|34.901389|-116.759722|name=Fork of the Road}}
* '''[[Fork of the Road]]''' – Location along the north bank of the Mojave River were the old Mojave Road split off from the route of the [[Old Spanish Trail (trade route)|Old Spanish Trail]]/[[Mormon Road]] east of [[Yermo, California|Yermo]]. (mile 147) {{Coord|34.901389|-116.759722|name=Fork of the Road}}
* '''[[Drum Barracks]]''' the end of the trail in the west in [[Wilmington, Los Angeles]]. {{Coord|33.78466|-118.258163|name=Drum Barracks}}

==Historic designations==
[[Mojave Road Los Angeles]] became a [[California Historic Landmark]] (No.963) on 19 March 1985,<ref>[https://www.californiahistoricallandmarks.com/landmarks/chl-963 californiahistoricallandmarks.com 963, Mojave Road Los Angeles]</ref> and was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 2021.<ref>{{NRHPweekly}}</ref>
California Historic Marker reads:
*''NO. 963 THE MOJAVE ROAD – Long ago, Mohave Indians used a network of pathways to cross the Mojave Desert. In 1826, American trapper Jedediah Smith used their paths and became the first non-Indian to reach the California coast overland from mid-America. The paths were worked into a military wagon road in 1859. This "Mojave Road" remained a major link between Los Angeles and points east until a railway crossed the desert in 1885.''

Camp Cady also is a California Historical Landmark Marker #963-1 on the site reads:<ref>[https://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=50718 Marker Database 963-1 Camp Cady]</ref>
*''NO. 963-1 Camp Cady was located on the Mojave Road which connected Los Angeles to Albuquerque. Non-Indian travel on this and the nearby Salt Lake Road was beset by Paiutes, Mohaves, and Chemehuevis defending their homeland. To protect both roads, Camp Cady was established by U.S. Dragoons in 1860. The main building was a stout mud redoubt. Improved camp structures were built 1/2-mile west in 1868. After peace was achieved, the military withdrew in 1871. This protection provided by Camp Cady enabled travelers, merchandise, and mail using both roads to boost California's economy and growth.''


==See also==
==See also==
*[[California Historical Landmarks in San Bernardino County, California]]
*[[California Historical Landmarks in Los Angeles County]]
* [[:Category:Mountain ranges of the Mojave Desert|Category: Mountain ranges of the Mojave Desert]]
* [[:Category:Mountain ranges of the Mojave Desert|Category: Mountain ranges of the Mojave Desert]]
* [[:Category:Protected areas of the Mojave Desert|Category: Protected areas of the Mojave Desert]]
* [[:Category:Protected areas of the Mojave Desert|Category: Protected areas of the Mojave Desert]]
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==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.nps.gov/moja/planyourvisit/mojave-road.htm Mojave National Preserve, Mojave Road]
* [http://www.nps.gov/moja/planyourvisit/mojave-road.htm Mojave National Preserve, Mojave Road]
* [http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow/barstow_recreation.html BLM: Mojave Recreation website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100528123115/http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow/barstow_recreation.html BLM: Mojave Recreation website]
* [http://www.dirtopia.com/wiki/Mojave_Road Mojave Road] at dirtopia.com
* [http://www.dirtopia.com/wiki/Mojave_Road Mojave Road] at dirtopia.com
* [http://www.mojave-road.com/mojave-road-maps.htm Maps of the Mojave Road], Topo Maps of the GPS Track of the Mojave Road off-road trail, (map panels connect sequentially from east to west) from mojave-road.com.
* [http://www.mojave-road.com/mojave-road-maps.htm Maps of the Mojave Road], Topo Maps of the GPS Track of the Mojave Road off-road trail, (map panels connect sequentially from east to west) from mojave-road.com.
* [http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~263120~5524028:Topographical-Sketch---Diversion-of?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:%22Colorado%2BRiver%22;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=134&trs=141 Topographical Sketch showing the Outward and Inward Route of a Party, while examining as to the practicability of a Diversion of the Colorado River for Purposes of Irrigation, Lithograph by Eric Bergland, 1875. From, Wheeler, G.M., Topographical Atlas Projected To Illustrate United States Geographical Surveys West Of The 100th Meridian Of Longitude Prosecuted In Accordance With Acts Of Congress Under The Authority Of The Honorable The Secretary Of War, And The Direction Of Brig. Genl. A.A. Humphreys, Chief Of Engineers, U.S. Army. Embracing Results Of the Different Expeditions Under The Command Of 1st Lieut. Geo. M. Wheeler, Corps Of Engineers. Julius Bien, lith., G. Thompson, Washington, 1876] from davidrumsey.com accessed December 3, 2014.] Shows the Colorado River above [[Ehrenburg, Arizona]] to Stones Ferry at the mouth of the [[Virgin River]]; in [[Southern California]], parts of Nevada, and Arizona. Includes the roads and railroads of the time, including the detailed routes of the [[Bradshaw Trail]] and the '''Mojave Road''' and the [[Old Spanish Trail (trade route)|Old Spanish Trail]]/[[Mormon Road|Old Mormon Road]] to Salt Lake City, from Los Angeles to Forks of the Road. From a Wheeler Annual Report. Gift to the David Rumsey collection by Mark Sappington.
* [http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~263120~5524028:Topographical-Sketch---Diversion-of?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:%22Colorado%2BRiver%22;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=134&trs=141 Topographical Sketch showing the Outward and Inward Route of a Party, while examining as to the practicability of a Diversion of the Colorado River for Purposes of Irrigation, Lithograph by Eric Bergland, 1875. From, Wheeler, G.M., Topographical Atlas Projected To Illustrate United States Geographical Surveys West Of The 100th Meridian Of Longitude Prosecuted In Accordance With Acts Of Congress Under The Authority Of The Honorable The Secretary Of War, And The Direction Of Brig. Genl. A.A. Humphreys, Chief Of Engineers, U.S. Army. Embracing Results Of the Different Expeditions Under The Command Of 1st Lieut. Geo. M. Wheeler, Corps Of Engineers. Julius Bien, lith., G. Thompson, Washington, 1876] from davidrumsey.com accessed 3 December 2014. Shows the Colorado River above [[Ehrenburg, Arizona]] to Stones Ferry at the mouth of the [[Virgin River]]; in [[Southern California]], parts of Nevada, and Arizona. Includes the roads and railroads of the time, including the detailed routes of the [[Bradshaw Trail]] and the '''Mojave Road''' and the [[Old Spanish Trail (trade route)|Old Spanish Trail]]/[[Mormon Road|Old Mormon Road]] to Salt Lake City, from Los Angeles to Forks of the Road. From a Wheeler Annual Report. Gift to the David Rumsey collection by Mark Sappington.
*[https://mdhca.org/books-3/mojave-road-1863s-detail The Mojave Road in 1863. The Pioneering Photographs of Rudolph s'Heurese. By Jeff Lapides, 2018, published by the Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association.]
*[https://mdhca.org/books-3/mojave-road-1863s-detail The Mojave Road in 1863. The Pioneering Photographs of Rudolph s'Heurese. By Jeff Lapides, 2018, published by the Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association.]


{California history}}
{{California history}}

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[[Category:Mohave Trail]]
[[Category:Mohave Trail]]
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[[Category:Trails and roads in the American Old West]]
[[Category:Trails and roads in the American Old West]]
[[Category:History of Southern California]]
[[Category:History of Southern California]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in San Bernardino County, California]]
[[Category:Native American history of California]]

Latest revision as of 03:01, 31 May 2024

Mojave Road
Vehicles traveling the Mojave Road stop for a break at Marl Springs
LocationColorado River to Wilmington, Los Angeles, the end marker.
Coordinates35°N 115°W / 35°N 115°W / 35; -115
BuiltPrehistory
ArchitectMohave Indians
Architectural style(s)Dirt Trail/Road – Route 66
Designated19 March 1985
Reference no.963
Designated27 September 2021
Reference no.100007003
Mojave Road is located in California
Mojave Road
Location of Mojave Road in California

The Mojave Road, also known as Old Government Road (formerly the Mohave Trail), is a historic route and present day dirt road across what is now the Mojave National Preserve in the Mojave Desert in the United States. This rough road stretched 147 miles (237 km) from Beale's Crossing (the river crossing site on the west bank of the Colorado River, opposite old Fort Mohave, roughly 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Bullhead City, Arizona), to Fork of the Road location along the north bank of the Mojave River where the old Mojave Road split off from the route of the Old Spanish Trail/Mormon Road.

A four-wheel drive vehicle is required for all but a few short stretches of this road, which is unmaintained. The old road from Fork of the Road eastward along the Mojave River is interrupted after 10.9 acres (4.4 ha) by private property, below the site of the old Camp Cady (on the north bank of the Mojave River, roughly 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Newberry Springs). The road is resumed at an access point from the north in Manix Wash. Under optimal conditions, its full length of 133 miles (214 km) from Beale's Crossing to Manix Wash can be travelled in 2 to 3 days.[1]

History

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Mohave Trail

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A traditional thoroughfare of desert-dwelling Native Americans, the Mohave Trail ran between watering holes across the Mojave Desert between the Colorado River and Mojave River then following it to the Cajon Pass, the gap between the San Bernardino Mountains and San Gabriel Mountains, into Southern California ending at Drum Barracks.[2] It ran westward between springs across the Mojave Desert, from Piute Spring to Indian Well, to Rock Springs, then to Marl Spring and Soda Spring on the west side of Soda Lake. From there the trail led to the mouth of the Mojave River southwest of Soda Lake. It then followed the river up stream, finding oases of water and vegetation where the river came to the surface at various places along its course. The watering holes recur at intervals of about 60 miles (97 km) to 70 miles (110 km).[3]

The Spanish Franciscan missionary Francisco Garcés traveled the trail with Mohave guides, after leaving the expedition of Juan Bautista de Anza in 1776. José María de Zalvidea, the zealous Franciscan administrator of Mission San Gabriel also crossed the trail in 1806, reportedly converting five indigenous Mohaves near present-day Hesperia. The Mohave Trail later became the route of raiders, preying on the herds of the California missions and ranchos. Spanish (and later, Mexican) soldiers pursued the raiders along the route.[4]

In 1826, Jedediah Smith led an expedition of the first US citizens to travel the Mojave Trail.

Old Spanish Trail

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From 1829 to 1830, Mexican traders from New Mexico established the routes that came to be called the Old Spanish Trail trade route to California. The first of these, Armijo's route, intercepted the Mohave's trail at the mouth of the Mojave River near Soda Lake.

Subsequently, in 1830, the Mohave's trail became part of what became the Main Route or Central Route of the Old Spanish Trail, linking up with it from the north 12 miles (19 km) west of the Colorado River in Piute Valley and following it westward to the link up with Armijo's route at the Mojave River mouth, and later with a shortcut from Salt Spring through Bitter Spring and Spanish Canyon at a point just east of Yermo. This place was later called "Fork of the Road" where the Old Spanish Trail or from 1849, the Southern Route of the California Trail or the Mormon Road to Salt Lake City, divided from what came to be the Mojave Road to the Colorado River. From 1849, the Mormon Road became heavily traveled winter road to California by Forty-niners seeking to avoid the fate of the Donner Party, and subsequent travelers, post riders and commercial wagon freighters.[5]

Now consolidated the Old Spanish Trail then followed the Mohave's trail along the Mojave River but instead of crossing over the mountains into San Bernardino Valley they followed a new route Armijo called "Cañon de San Bernardino" from the upper Mojave River west through Cajon Pass and down Crowder Canyon and Cajon Canyon, known to the vaqueros of the San Bernardino de Sena Estancia who had come to their aid with food.[6]

Mojave Road

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Mojave Road Plaque

The land was ceded from Mexico to the US in 1848 following the Mexican–American War. In early 1858 the Mohave Trail became the Mojave Road, a wagon road connected to the newly pioneered Beale's Wagon Road across northern New Mexico Territory from Fort Defiance to Beale's Crossing on the Colorado River where it linked up with the Mojave Road. This ran from the Colorado crossing to where it left the Mojave River, west of the vicinity of modern Barstow. Wagon trains of settlers coming west on the Santa Fe Trail soon followed Beale's Wagon Road and the Mojave Road into Southern California. Beale's road was shorter than the route via the more southern Southern Emigrant Trail and it was cooler in summer, snow-free in winter, had better forage, and was better watered. Soon hostilities began between the Mohaves and the settlers, triggering the Mohave War.

From the time of the Mohave War the Mohave Road came under the purview of the U.S. government. Army posts were established at Fort Mojave, at Beale's Crossing in 1859, and, after the Bitter Spring Expedition at Camp Cady, 10.9 miles (17.5 km) east of Fork of the Road at its junction with the Mormon Road, in 1860. Smaller outposts were established later in the 1860s east of Camp Cady along the trail and regular patrols instituted. The army protected the settlers and travelers from the attacks of the resident Paiute, Mojave, and Chemehuevi Native Americans until 1871. This also opened the way for large mining development in the Mojave Desert region of San Bernardino County and agricultural development in the Victor Valley area.

During the Colorado River Gold Rush from 1862 it became one of the major roads to the gold and silver mining regions on the upper river and linked by the Hardyville - Prescott Road in 1864 to the mining regions in northern and central Arizona.

The route today

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The eastern end of the Mojave Road begins at the edge of the Colorado River, near the site of Beale's Crossing, north of Needles and the western terminus lies beyond the Rasor Off-Highway Vehicle Area and the Afton Canyon Natural Area near the Manix Wash.[7]

Landmarks

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Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

The following list of markers follows east to west travel.

Historic designations

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Mojave Road Los Angeles became a California Historic Landmark (No.963) on 19 March 1985,[8] and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.[9] California Historic Marker reads:

  • NO. 963 THE MOJAVE ROAD – Long ago, Mohave Indians used a network of pathways to cross the Mojave Desert. In 1826, American trapper Jedediah Smith used their paths and became the first non-Indian to reach the California coast overland from mid-America. The paths were worked into a military wagon road in 1859. This "Mojave Road" remained a major link between Los Angeles and points east until a railway crossed the desert in 1885.

Camp Cady also is a California Historical Landmark Marker #963-1 on the site reads:[10]

  • NO. 963-1 Camp Cady was located on the Mojave Road which connected Los Angeles to Albuquerque. Non-Indian travel on this and the nearby Salt Lake Road was beset by Paiutes, Mohaves, and Chemehuevis defending their homeland. To protect both roads, Camp Cady was established by U.S. Dragoons in 1860. The main building was a stout mud redoubt. Improved camp structures were built 1/2-mile west in 1868. After peace was achieved, the military withdrew in 1871. This protection provided by Camp Cady enabled travelers, merchandise, and mail using both roads to boost California's economy and growth.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Casebier, DG (2010). "General Guidelines". Mojave Road Guide: an Adventure Through Time (4th ed.). Essex, California: Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association. pp. 39–38. ISBN 978-0-914224-37-2.
  2. ^ Wilcox, L. "The Mojave Road". DesertUSA. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  3. ^ Robinson, WW (1962). The Story of San Bernardino County. San Bernardino: Title Insurance and Trust Company. p. 78.
  4. ^ Harlan Hague, The Search for a Southern Overland Route to California, California Historical Quarterly, Summer 1976, (pp. 70-73)
  5. ^ Edward Leo Lyman, Overland Journey from Utah to California: Wagon Travel from the City of Saints to the City of Angels, University of Nevada Press, 2008.
  6. ^ Hafen, LeRoy R.; Armijo, Antonio (18 June 2019). "Armijo's Journal". Huntington Library Quarterly. 11 (1): 87–101. doi:10.2307/3816035. JSTOR 3816035.
  7. ^ "Afton Canyon Natural Area". U.S. Dept of Interior, Bureau of Land Management. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  8. ^ californiahistoricallandmarks.com 963, Mojave Road Los Angeles
  9. ^ "Weekly listing". National Park Service.
  10. ^ Marker Database 963-1 Camp Cady
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