Tucson Cutoff facts for kids
The Tucson Cutoff was like a new, faster path on the famous Southern Emigrant Trail. This trail was used by many people traveling west. It became popular after a group of gold seekers, called Forty-Niners, used it in 1849. Their leader, Colonel John Coffee Hays, learned about this shortcut from a Mexican Army officer. It was a quicker way to get to the San Pedro River than the older Cooke's Wagon Road.
Where Was the Tucson Cutoff?
This shortcut started from Ojo de Ynez. This spot was on the older Cooke's Wagon Road. It was located near the Big Burro Mountains.
The cutoff then went southwest. It passed through a spring and a mountain pass. This area was in the Pyramid Mountains, south of where Lordsburg is today.
Next, the trail went down into the Animas Valley. It crossed a flat, dry lakebed called a playa. The route then headed west through Stein's Pass. After that, it reached the Cienega of San Simon on the San Simon River.
From there, the trail continued west. It went through Puerto del Dado. Then it crossed the middle of the Sulphur Springs Valley. It also went over the Willcox Playa to Croton Springs.
Finally, the cutoff led to Nugent’s Pass. It followed Tres Alamos Wash down to the San Pedro River. This was near Tres Alamos. From Tres Alamos, the path went southwest. It connected back to Cooke's Wagon Road at a waterhole on Mescal Arroyo. This spot was near modern Mescal. From there, travelers could continue to Tucson.
The History of the Shortcut
The Tucson Cutoff had many names. People called it the "Puerto del Dado" Trail or Nugent's Wagon Road. Later, it was known as the Apache Pass Trail.
Long before Americans used it, Spanish and Mexican soldiers traveled this route. This was before the 1830s. American fur trappers also knew about it in the 1830s. However, Captain Cooke did not use it for his wagon road.
The shortcut became well-known to American travelers in 1849. This was when John Coffee Hays led a group of Forty-Niners along it. One of Hays's group, John Nugent, wrote notes about their journey. These notes helped map the route. Because of this, parts of the route were named after him. These included Nugent's Wagon Road, Nugent’s Pass, and Nugent’s Springs.
In the late 1850s, stagecoach lines found an even shorter route. The San Antonio–San Diego Mail Line and Butterfield Overland Mail used this new path. It crossed the Sulphur Spring Valley through Ewell Spring. This was south of Wilcox Playa. It then went to Dragoon Springs in Dragoon Pass.
This new stagecoach route followed Dragoon Wash to the San Pedro River. It then went downriver to a middle crossing point. This was below where Benson, Arizona, is today.
Even with the new stagecoach route, the Tucson Cutoff remained important. It had more water sources. So, it continued to be used as a wagon route for many years. It connected the San Pedro River and the Sulphur Springs Valley.
