Our chapter sponsors a variety
of activities throughout the year. Here is the general schedule for what is
upcoming.
Meetings of the chapter board of directors are open to
all members and anyone with an idea or concern for the board is
invited to attend. An agenda is prepared in advance so it's a good idea
to contact a board member beforehand. Meetings are held from 4:30 pm to
6:00 pm in Salt Lake City.
Visitors are always welcome at
chapter activities. If you're not sure you'll fit in with this friendly
outfit give us a try sometime. We would genuinely enjoy having you along
and chances are you'll have a great time too.
- Winter Meeting
- January 2007
- Roger Blomquist, instructor of Western History in the history
department at Brigham Young University, talked engagingly about cowboys,
horses, saddles and cattle drives even displaying and explaining several
saddles that demonstrated.the influences of both Texas and California on
cowboys and their saddles. A serious snowstorm couldn't keep erstwhile
members away, who were well rewarded for braving the elements.
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- Spring Meeting
- Thursday, April 12, 2007, Salt Lake
County Commission Chambers, Salt Lake County Government Complex, State
Street between 19th and 21st South, North Building, ground floor. Click here
for a map and directions.
The subject of the program is the Spanish Trail, sometimes called the
Old Spanish Trail. Col. A. L. Matheson of Cedar City is the presenter.
Excerpted from an article by Lyndia Carter in the Utah Crossroads
Spring 2007 Newsletter:
Col. Matheson is deeply involved with the national Old Spanish
Trail Association and is the Director of the Old Spanish Trail
Association for the Sate of Utah. He has spend countless hours in
researching and searching for the Old Spanish Trail. He comes prepared
with knowledge, experience, and love for the Spanish Trail which he is
excited to share with Utah Crossroads Chapter, OCTA
To revitalize our love of the trails after the winter doldrums, we
are going to focus on a trail that figured prominently in Utah’s
history before white settlement , the Spanish Trail. Traders heavily
used the Spanish Trail, a commercial route from Santa Fe to Los
Angeles, from 1829 through 1848.
It should more aptly be called the Mexican Trail, because Mexico
had declared and won its independence from Spain by that time, but the
name Spanish Trail seems to have stuck anyway. The descriptive “old”
was added by American explorers and settlers apparently because the
trail predated American settlement, so it was “old” in the sense
that it was already there and did not have to be blazed. Parts of the
“Old Spanish” Trail became segments of roads used by emigrants and
settlers after 1848. The western half of the Old Spanish Trail became
the Southern Route to California for emigrants and travelers. The
trail, more than 1,100 miles in length, cut through five states: New
Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California. The largest segment is
in Utah, and in places traces of the trail may still be seen. The
trail followed natural geographic features, such as watercourses and
mountain passes, and avoided the canyons of the Colorado and Green
Rivers. Because of these natural obstacles, the trail swung to the
north and made a huge bend in Utah.
The Spanish Trail was a pack trail, not intended initially for
wagon travel. Traders driving large caravans of horses and mules,
loaded with trade goods from Santa Fe, much of which was in the form
of woolen textile products. The Santa Fe merchandise was exchanged in
California for herds of horses and mules. The traders also traded with
Indian tribes, particularly the Utes, as they journeyed through
Colorado and Utah.
We look forward to an outstanding lecture and a fun exploration of
a trail with which few of us are intimately familiar.
- Spring Field Trip
- Excerpted from the Utah Crossroads Spring 2007 Newsletter:
Keeping with our theme for this spring, the Crossroads spring field
trip takes us on a tour of the Old Spanish Trail from Castle Dale,
Utah to the Nevada border this April. Colonel A. L. Matheson serves as
guide, with assistance from field trip coordinator Roy Tea. Colonel
Matheson is an expert on the Old Spanish Trail and has done much
personal exploration; he has conducted field trips for other groups as
well. We hope you will join us. The field trip is designed to be
flexible. It is a two day affair, but participants can choose to do
either or both days.
The dates are Saturday, April 21 and Sunday, April 22. We suggest
that you carpool if possible; it saves fuel and minimizes
environmental impact, besides it’s just a lot more fun with other
people along to share the ride, stimulate conversation, and increase
the laughter. A four-wheel drive vehicle is NOT required. CB radios
will be needed. If you wish to go but do not have access to a vehicle,
please let Oscar Olson know so he can help you find someone to ride
with.
If you are interested in going, please let Oscar Olson
(801-485-0862), Lyndia Carter (801-489- 8256) or Roy Tea
(801-943-5891) know as soon as possible so planning can proceed.
The tour begins at Castle Dale, Utah. [Click here
for a map and directions to the town.] We will meet (rendezvous)
Saturday morning at the Museum of the San Rafael at 9:00 a.m. For
those of you who wish to spend Friday night in the area, Price offers
a variety of accommodations and so would be the better place to stay.
Castle Dale is very small and limited as to motels and restaurants.
The starting time is a bit later than usual to allow those of you who
want to leave home Saturday morning a better chance to get there on
time and it will permit us the opportunity of visiting the museum
before setting out.
We spend the night in Cedar City. We plan to arrive in Cedar City
by about 4:00 p.m.
The tour will continue on Sunday, April 22. Those who want to join
the tour and couldn’t come on Saturday may join those who are going
for the second day. We will rendezvous at one of the motels (we will
let participants know in advance) at 9:00 a.m. and continue west. The
tour will end in the afternoon, by 4:00 or earlier, in the Mesquite
area.
- Trail Marking
- Anytime
Our chapter has an ongoing commitment to mark the historic trails that
crisscross the state. At the present time we are placing strong, lasting
markers made from railroad rails with stainless steel plaques attached
that offer a brief description of the trail at that point, along the
entire route of the Hastings Cutoff. Marking trails involves in-town
preparatory work such as painting the markers and riveting on the
plaques as well as hours in the field locating the trail and digging
holes, making concrete and setting the markers in place. All this effort
is fun and rewarding and a great way to make and renew friendships. We
usually mark trails on Saturdays. Contact our Preservation Officer
if you are interested.
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Look for upcoming events which will appear here as they are
scheduled. |
