Carrizo Creek Station facts for kids

Carrizo Creek Station was an important stop for stagecoaches in the old days. It was part of famous mail routes like the San Antonio–San Diego Mail Line and the Butterfield Overland Mail. You can find its site in Imperial County, California, inside the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. It was right next to Carrizo Creek, which was a vital water source.

History

A Historic Watering Hole

Carrizo was a key spot on the Southern Emigrant Trail. This trail was used by many travelers heading west. Carrizo Creek often had flowing water, which was a huge relief. It was usually the first water travelers found after leaving the Colorado River.

For a long time, Carrizo was a watering place for many different groups. Native Americans used it first. Later, Spanish explorers, Mexican traders, and American fur trappers also stopped there. Soldiers also found it a useful place to rest and get water.

Military Storehouse

Early Descriptions of Carrizo

In June 1855, a group exploring for a railroad camped at Carrizo. Their report described the area. They noted that Carrizo Creek flowed over layers of clay and gravel. The creek sometimes cut very deep paths through the sand.

The report also mentioned an adobe house that was newly built at the camp. A storekeeper lived there. He told them it had only rained once in the past eight months. That rain had lasted for eight hours. Even though rain was rare, there were signs of past water flow. Large stones were washed out of the clay and sand.

Hot Days at the Creek

The temperature at Carrizo on June 3rd was very hot. It reached 100° Fahrenheit at noon and went up to 102° later. The heat affected the creek. The water stopped flowing around 11 AM. It didn't start flowing again until almost 4 PM. The water was either soaked up by the ground or evaporated. Just two miles downstream, the creek completely disappeared into the sand.

The mail company later used the adobe house built by the military. This house became the station building. In the fall of 1857, it was described as an old adobe house. Its thatch roof had been burned off.

Stagecoach Station

A Key Stop for Mail Routes

The station at Carrizo Creek became a very important stop. It was a major link in the San Antonio–San Diego Mail Line. It was one of seven main stations west of the Rio Grande.

Passengers traveling east from San Diego would get off their coach here. They would then board a different coach. This new coach traveled between Carrizo and Fort Yuma. The coach would wait at the station until the other coach returned. That coach would bring west-bound passengers who had boarded in Yuma. Watering stations like Carrizo were usually about 30 miles apart.

Life at the Station

Under the Butterfield Overland Mail system, Carrizo Station had a special role. It was a "swing" station. This meant that stagecoaches would replace their tired horses with fresh ones here. Carrizo usually had one keeper, called a hostler. The hostler took care of the horses and helped the driver change the teams.

After the Butterfield Overland Mail stopped running in March 1861, the station was still used. The Union Army used it as a camp. It was on their route to Fort Yuma and Arizona Territory. Carrizo became a stage station again from 1867 to 1877. This was for the Banning and Thomlinson stage lines. But then the railroad reached Fort Yuma. This made the stagecoach route no longer needed.

Modern Discoveries At The Site

Exploring the Past

In March and April 2001, archaeologists studied the Carrizo Stage Station site. They dug test holes and analyzed old items found there. This work confirmed that two structures once stood at the site. They also found remains of the Carrizo Stage Station from 1857 to 1877.

After the digging, the site was covered up again. Special features were added to protect it from erosion. This helps keep the historical remains safe for the future.