Fosters Hole facts for kids

Fosters Hole, also known as La Tinaja, was an important natural waterhole. It was located along the original path of Cooke's Wagon Road. This road was a famous route in what is now Sierra County, New Mexico. Fosters Hole is hidden in a narrow crack at the base of a cliff. It's in a place called Jug Canyon. It's quite hard to spot unless you know exactly where to look.

Discovery of Fosters Hole

Finding Water on the Trail

In 1846, Lieutenant Colonel Philip St. George Cooke led an expedition. His group, called the Mormon Battalion, traveled from Santa Fe to San Diego. Cooke wrote about their journey in his official journal.

On November 9, 1846, one of his guides, Antoine Leroux, returned. Leroux had explored ahead. He found some waterholes about 15 miles from where the Rio Grande river turned east. He also saw a stream about 30 miles further. This news was very important for the expedition.

The Journey to the Waterhole

On November 13, the expedition found a note from Leroux. Two other guides also met them. They told the group to leave the river and head right. They said water was about 15 miles away. The wagons traveled over a smooth, sloped area. Then they went up a steep climb. They followed ridges and climbed more hills. Finally, they reached a dry streambed.

From there, they went up a long valley to a ridge. They crossed a very rocky prairie. The wagons arrived at their camp about an hour before sunset. They had traveled 15 or 16 miles, mostly uphill. The ground was often gravelly but not too rough.

Describing the Water Source

The water was about 100 feet below their camp. It was in a rocky chasm. It was hard for animals to get down to it. The main water source was a natural well. It was made of rock and was 30 feet wide. It was also 24 feet deep. This well held about 55,000 gallons of water.

Below the main well were two smaller holes. Animals could drink from these, but only a few at a time. There was not much wood for fires. Only a few bushes and Spanish bayonet plants grew there. The area had a lot of gamma grass and buffalo grass. From a high point, they saw the Organ Mountains and the Franklin Mountains (Texas). They also saw a mound called San Diego Mountain (New Mexico), where the river turned east.

Cooke later wrote more about this discovery. He noted that the Mormon Battalion was 15 miles west of the Rio Grande. They were camped near a deep ravine with a natural rock well. Their guides had cleverly found this water. This discovery helped their first trip into the desert succeed. This happened on November 13, 1846.

Naming and Using Fosters Hole

How Fosters Hole Got Its Name

This natural well was later named Fosters Hole. It was named after Stephen Clark Foster. He was the translator for the expedition's officers. Foster was the one who found this important water source. The name and location of Fosters Hole appeared on a map. This map was made by W.H. Emory. It showed the route of the Army of the West.

The Road to Fosters Hole

After Cooke's expedition, many travelers used this route. People going to the California Gold Rush in 1849 used it. Later travelers also followed this path. They would cross the Jornada del Muerto and then the San Diego Crossing. From there, it was about 17 miles to a camp on the river. A shortcut then led to Cooke's route near the future site of Fort Thorn, New Mexico.

From Fort Thorn, it was 8 miles up a dry streambed. Then it was 4 miles over rolling hills to "the water," which was Fosters Hole.

A Traveler's Description

In November 1849, Benjamin Ignatius Hayes traveled through the area. He camped at Fosters Hole. He described it in his journal:

"After about 12 miles, the land showed we were leaving the river soon. Wagon tracks seemed to lead away. We turned toward the hills. We went up a long canyon, then down into a wide valley. Then we crossed rolling land covered with grass. After 24 miles from our morning camp, we entered a small cove. Captain Cooke had already found water here. There was plenty of grass on the hillsides. For fuel, there was a little mesquite and Spanish bayonet stalks. This is 'Foster's Hole'."

Hayes also quoted Colonel Cooke's description of the well. He said it was "a natural rock-bound wall, thirty feet in diameter and twenty-four feet deep, containing about 55,000 gallons of clear, pure water."

Hayes explained how animals got water. Mules were led over the hills into the chasm. They could drink from two small basins. These were at the foot of the main well, about 15 or 20 feet below it. This process took a long time but was easy enough. Hayes also found a large pond with water three miles from the river.

From Fosters Hole, it was 10 miles to Mule Spring. Then it was 12 more miles to Cooke's Spring. This whole path became known as Cooke's Wagon Road. In 1853, Fort Thorn, New Mexico was built. It was located between where the roads left the Rio Grande for Fosters Hole. The town of Santa Barbara, New Mexico was built nearby.

Fosters Hole: Used Less and Forgotten

A New Shortcut Changes Things

In 1856, a new shortcut was built. This road connected Mesilla, New Mexico to Cooke's Spring, New Mexico. It was part of the Pacific Wagon Road project. Because of this shortcut, fewer wagons used the longer route through San Diego Crossing.

In 1858, a guide called "The Prairie Traveler" mentioned "Water Holes" near Fort Thorn. It said they were 14.3 miles from the fort. It also noted that the water was "uncertain" and there was "no wood."

Lost to Time

Fort Thorn, New Mexico was closed in 1859. By 1861, the American Civil War began. The Apache Wars also started. These conflicts caused people to leave Santa Barbara and other nearby settlements. This meant that locals who knew about Fosters Hole were gone. Only the Apache remained in the area.

In 1862, the California Column traveled the route. Their records of the path from Cooke's Spring to Fort Thorn did not mention Fosters Hole. They did not list any water source after Mule Spring. This was for the 22-mile stretch to the Rio Grande.

The exact location of Fosters Hole was lost for many years. It was not until 1988 that it was found again. It was rediscovered in Jug Canyon, on a ranch west of Hatch, New Mexico. The ranch owner had not even known it was there.