NOV 2 – ALVA MATHESON – OLD SPANISH TRAIL AND OTHER ROUTES

The Old Spanish Trail is an historical trade route that connected the northern New Mexico settlements with those of southern California. Approximately 700 miles long, the trail ran through areas of high mountains, arid deserts, and deep canyons. It is considered one of the most arduous of all trade routes ever established in the United States. Explored, in part, by Spanish explores as early as the late 16th century, the trail saw extensive use by pack trains from about 1830 until the mid-1850s