Fork of the Road facts for kids

Fork of the Road was a special place along the Mojave River in San Bernardino County, California. It was where two very important old trails met: the Mojave Road and the Old Spanish Trail (also known as the Mormon Road).

This spot was like an oasis in the desert. The Mojave River would come to the surface here, providing much-needed water. Travelers crossing the desert could stop at Fork of the Road to drink, camp, rest, and let their animals graze. It was a vital stop before or after long journeys across the dry lands.

The location was about 18.75 miles southwest of Bitter Spring. It was also around 14.5 miles east of Grapevine and 10.9 miles west of Camp Cady.

The Alcorn Ranch: A Desert Home

By the fall of 1864, a man named Alcorn and his wife started a ranch right at Fork of the Road. Mr. Alcorn was from Kentucky, and his wife was from South Carolina. Their ranch became an important stop for people traveling through the area.

A Safe Place During Troubles

In November 1864, after some attacks on settlers along the Mojave River, the Alcorn Ranch became a gathering point. It was a safe place for settler families to come together for protection. This shows how important the ranch was to the community living along the river between Point of Rocks and Camp Cady.

Helping Travelers on the Trail

A woman named Jane Rousseau traveled with her husband, a doctor, in a wagon train. They were going from Salt Lake City to Southern California in late 1864. She wrote about their stop at the Alcorn Ranch. The Alcorns helped them by providing feed for their horses when they had run out at Bitter Spring.

Mrs. Rousseau also mentioned that her husband, the doctor, treated "a young man about to die, a son of Mr. Allcorn." This shows the Alcorn family's kindness and the challenges of life on the frontier. After helping the Alcorns, the wagon train continued its journey up the Mojave River.