Little canyon, big connections

​#RockSolidHistory from Box Canyon in the Anza Borrego Desert State Park in southern California!

This area is unique geologically. Full of beautiful desert bedrock, it is in this area that Mormon Battalion members blasted through a gorge to create the first road to what would become southern California in 1847 during the Mexican-American War. Before that, it was too narrow for get wagons to get through.

This road was used by the existing Butterfield Overland Mail route and then people in search of gold in 1849.

What I like about it is how the rocks have created an almost staircase and a slide. Wee!

#49ersHistory #CaliforniaGoldRush #ButterfieldOverlandMail #MormonBattlion #MexicanAmericanWar #BoxCanyonCA #AnzaBorregoDesert #CAgeology #desertbedrockCA