Twenty-mule team facts for kids
Imagine a time before big trucks! The Twenty-mule teams were like the super-haulers of their day. These were special teams of eighteen mules and two horses. They pulled huge wagons filled with borax out of Death Valley between 1883 and 1889.
Borax is a mineral used in many things, like cleaning products. These teams traveled a long way, about 165 miles (275 km), across the Mojave Desert to the nearest railroad in Mojave, California.
The wagons they pulled were some of the biggest ever moved by animals. Each wagon could carry 10 short tons (about 9 metric tons) of borax ore. That's like carrying the weight of five cars!
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The History of the Mule Teams
Even before the famous twenty-mule teams, people were trying to move large amounts of borax. In 1877, a magazine called Scientific American wrote about Francis Marion Smith. He was a borax miner who moved a huge 30-ton load using 24 mules!
The wagons used by the twenty-mule teams were truly amazing. The back wheels were seven feet (2.1 m) tall, taller than most people! The tires were made of thick iron.
The wagon beds were 16 feet long and 6 feet deep (4.9 m long, 1.8 m deep). They were built from strong oak wood. An empty wagon weighed 7,800 pounds (3,500 kg). When loaded with borax, the whole wagon train weighed 73,200 pounds (33,200 kg).
A full caravan, including the mules, stretched over 180 feet (55 m) long. Because they were built so strongly, none of these wagons ever broke down during their tough journeys through the desert.
How Did They Get Water?
Moving through the desert meant needing lots of water. A huge 1,200-U.S.-gallon (4542-liter) water tank was part of the wagon train. This tank supplied water for the mules.
The teamster (driver) and the swamper (assistant) had smaller water barrels on the wagons. They refilled their water at springs along the way. The big tank water was used at dry camps where there was no natural water.
The company had a smart system for getting feed and water to the teams. When wagons left Mojave empty, they carried their own supplies. These supplies were dropped off at different camps along the route. This way, when a loaded wagon came back, the supplies were already waiting. This saved space for the valuable borax.
Over six years, these teams hauled more than 20 million pounds (9,000 metric tons) of borax out of Death Valley. By 1898, the borax company started using trains instead, which was much faster.
Meet the Team: Mules and Horses
The "twenty-mule team" actually had two horses! These horses were called "wheelers." They were the two animals closest to the wagon. Horses were chosen for this spot because they were very strong. They could handle the heavy weight of starting the wagons moving.
The mules, however, were smarter and better at working in the hot desert. They were also very tough.
Who Drove the Teams?
The teamster was the main driver. They used a single long rein, called a "jerk line," to guide the team. They also used a long whip, but mostly for noise, not hitting. The teamster usually rode on the left wheeler horse.
The swamper was the assistant. They often rode on the back wagon. If a mule wasn't paying attention, the swamper might throw a small rock at it to get it back to work!
Both the teamster and swamper had important jobs. They had to get the team ready, feed and water the mules, and fix any problems. They stopped midday to feed and water the mules. At night, the mules stayed in corrals with feed boxes.
A typical day's travel was about 17 miles. A one-way trip took about ten days. The company even built small cabins for the drivers and swampers to stay in at night.
Becoming Famous: Promotion and Appearances
Francis Marion Smith, also known as "Borax Smith," started the Pacific Borax company. He was a great promoter! He sent teams of mules and wagons to big cities across the U.S. to advertise his company's laundry products. They even gave out free samples!
These special exhibition teams usually had all mules for show. But in real life, the working teams often had a mix of horses and mules.
One of the first drivers to become famous was Bill Parkinson. He was known as "Borax Bill." His team made their first big appearance at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. It was a huge success, and Parkinson went on tour.
The team even paraded down Broadway in New York City! After that, the mules were sold, and the wagons went back to California. The mules also appeared at the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge.
The twenty-mule teams continued to make appearances for many years. They even made a special trip in 1958 to celebrate a new way of mining borax. They also appeared at President Wilson's inauguration in 1917.
Their last public appearance was in the Rose Parade on January 1, 1999. The company spent a lot of money to get the 115-year-old wagons ready. They also got new harnesses and mules for the parade. After this, the company stopped using the teams for advertising. They no longer sold products directly to people.
A book called The Last Ride, the Borax Twenty Mule Team 1883–1999 shares many details. It has photos of "Borax Bill" driving the team down Broadway. It also shows the team in San Francisco in 1917, with the teamster riding a horse.
California Historical Landmark
Quick facts for kids 20 Mule Team Terminus |
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20 Mule Team Terminus: Sign in Mojave,CA
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| Location | 16246 Sierra Highway, Mojave, California |
| Official name: Mule Team Borax Terminus | |
| Designated | July 1, 1958 |
| Reference no. | 778 |
The place where the twenty-mule teams finished their long journeys is now a special historical site. It's called the Mule Team Borax Terminus. It's a California Historical Landmark (number 652).
This landmark is located at 16246 Sierra Highway in Mojave, California. It became a historical landmark on July 1, 1958.
A sign at the site explains:
- Just west of this point was the Southern Pacific terminus for the 20-mule-team borax wagons that operated between Death Valley and Mojave from 1884 to 1889. The route ran from the Harmony Borax Mining Company works, later acquired by the Pacific Coast Borax Company, to the railroad loading dock in Mojave over 165 miles of mountain and desert trail. A round trip required 20 days. The ore wagons, which hauled a payload of 24 tons, were designed by J. W. S. Perry, Borax Company superintendent in Death Valley, and built in Mojave at a cost of $900 each. New borax discoveries near Barstow ended the Mojave shipments in 1889.
