Bitter Spring (San Bernardino County) facts for kids

Bitter Spring is a natural spring located in the Fort Irwin National Training Center in San Bernardino County, California. It sits in a valley surrounded by several mountain ranges. To the east are the Soda Mountains, to the northwest are the Tiefort Mountains, to the southwest is Alvord Mountain, and to the south and southeast are the Cronese Mountains. The spring is about 1,355 feet above sea level.

History of Bitter Spring

An Important Water Stop

For a very long time, Bitter Spring was a vital source of water and food for the Native American people living in this desert area. Later, it became a key watering and grazing spot for travelers. It was located along the Old Spanish Trail, a famous route connecting Salt Spring and the Mojave River.

Travelers on the Old Spanish Trail would pass through Silurian Valley, then through the Avawatz Mountains at Red Pass. After that, they would go past a dry lake called Red Pass Lake and through a gap between the Soda and Tiefort Mountains to reach Bitter Spring. From Bitter Spring, the trail continued southwest, climbing Alvord Mountain and crossing Impassable Pass. It then went down Spanish Canyon and across plains to the Mojave River. Here, it met another important path called the Mohave Trail.

The Mormon Road and Gold Rush

After 1847, the Old Spanish Trail became a wagon road. It was later called the Mormon Road, named after a group of Mormons led by Jefferson Hunt who first traveled it in 1847–1848.

By 1849, during the California Gold Rush, many people heading to California called it the "Southern Route." It was a popular winter path for gold seekers, Mormons, and other settlers. After 1855, the route was improved, and it became a major trade road between Utah Territory and California. It was then known as the Los Angeles - Salt Lake Road.

In the early 1850s, a traveler named Solomon Nunes Carvalho visited Bitter Spring. He noted that the water was a bit salty but not truly bitter. He also mentioned that the area had lots of good bunch grass for animals. Travelers would often use the thorns of mesquite bushes to leave notes for those following them. Groups would spread out their travel times between springs. This helped prevent them from using up all the water and food for their animals at once, allowing the springs to refill.

Just west of the springs was a large hill called "The Whale." The road went around this hill to the north before heading southwest towards Alvord Mountain and the Mojave River.

Camp Bitter Springs

In 1859, the U.S. Army established a temporary camp near Bitter Spring. This camp was used by the First Regiment of Dragoons to patrol the Los Angeles - Salt Lake Road.

In April 1860, Major James Henry Carleton was put in charge of the Bitter Spring Expedition. This happened after two incidents where travelers were harmed. In one case, two unarmed teamsters were attacked at Bitter Spring by Native American men. General Newman S. Clarke, Carleton's commander, ordered him to "chastise the Indians you find in the vicinity." General Clarke specifically said the punishment should be for those living closest to the area.

Carleton and his soldiers left their fort in early April. After setting up their base at Camp Cady, Carleton sent out patrols. The camp at Bitter Spring stayed open to protect travelers on the road. It was closed on July 3, 1860, when Carleton's expedition ended.