A Line in the Sand:: Musings & Essays on Stagecoaching

By Joseph M. Nixon B. A. Ph. D.

As a preface to a consideration of stagecoaching in the mid-1800s Southwest and West, Ancient Footsteps examines what the Tribal Representatives, Anthropologists, and Archaeologists of today understand about the origins of ancient trails over which many later transportation and communication developed. Considering their ancient appearance, stability through time, adaptability, and later, European appropriation, it sets the stage for commercial and technological change to follow.

Using an approach tailored to preservation of these ancient artifacts of mankind, discussion focuses on trail characteristics in prehistoric, historic, and modern times with a final focus on the possible future of these irreplaceable linear artifacts.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Sep 22, 2017
• ISBN: 9781546208846

Joseph M. Nixon B. A. Ph. D.

Residing in Southern California, Dr. Nixon works and writes from there. He has researched and visited many of the venues pertaining to the history of local stagecoaching and follows prehistoric and historic regional development. Prior to retirement, he participated in decision making processes involving local, county, state, federal, commercial, and Tribal representatives. As an Anthropologist, he has absorbed much local - desert – lore and is at home in this sometimes taxing environment. With prior experience in the Midsouth, Midwest, and Southwest, his perspectives encompass Western desert adaptations in the context of the early US frontier.

Book preview

A Line in the Sand:

Musings & Essays

on Stagecoaching

VOLUME 1: ANCIENT FOOTSTEPS

JOSEPH M. NIXON, B. A., PH. D.

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© 2017 JOseph M. Nixon, B. A., PH. D.. All rights reserved.

Introduction

Linda Nelson, B. A., M-Ed.

Illustration

Hillary A. Murphy, B. A.

Photography

Evermore Photography

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 09/21/2017

ISBN: 978-1-5462-0885-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-0883-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-0884-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017914405

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and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Table of Contents

Lists of Illustrations

Preface

Introduction

Acknowledgements

Dedication

Foreword

INTRODUCTION: REVERSE INHERITANCE?

TRAILS & TRACES

Walking on Water

The Set

The Preservation Triumvirate

The Tribal Representative

The Archaeologist

The Anthropologist

Preservation Perceptions

Individual Perspectives

Shared Perspectives

Dress Rehearsal

On Stage

Calliope: The Stylus & the Tablet

Remote Desert Meeting Sites

A Linguistic Frontier

The Culture Broker

TRAILS IN TIME

PLAYING WELL WITH OTHERS

CURTAIN CALL

CREDITS

COMING ATTRACTIONS

REFERENCES CITED / URL ADDRESSES

LISTS OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Maps

Map 1. Rincon Community & Surround

Tables

Table 1. Opportunistic vs Intentional Trails (per Cleland et al. 2003)

Table 2. Primary vs Secondary Trails (per Cleland et al. 2003)

Images

Frontispiece, Travertine Deposit, Ancient Lake Cahuilla Shoreline, 2006. Photograph. Author’s collection.

PREFACE

M odern academic institutions divide learning into ‘colleges.’ The university I attended supported, among others, a College of Humanities, a College of Medicine, a College of Agriculture, and germane to my education, a College of Arts & Sciences. Each college employs Deans to oversee Departments, each Department directed by a Chair. While any Dean may be responsible for several Departments, it is under the supervision of Chair where actual education happens. My Chair and my Department Professed Anthropology, hence my education in that ‘discipline.’

As an Anthropologist taught the peculiarities therein, I admit to being off ‘home turf’ when considering History. But having read more than my share of their muses, it seems Historians train to assess development of something (person, country, product, event) by looking at trends, patterns, and tendencies. Those are Historians’ presumptions. Because approaches vary among disciplines, my teachers infused me with different presuppositions, emphasizing not trends and tendencies but the individual.

Cautiously, spurred by personal curiosity, I assembled a group of essays focused on stagecoaching. This I did not from the perspective of corporate transportation technology; not in view of period market trends or saturation; not looking at stagecoach magnates blazing the fiscal trail for railroad tycoons to follow. Rather, I assumed the perspective of someone who worked for these tycoons on a stagecoach route, or in a livery, or building adobes, or driving a team and six. Other than as context (and as bosses now and then), I did not focus on Owners or Investors, not intending to retell stories of fortunes and failures. Rather I addressed the individual in this vignette of History including – where appropriate – Owners & Investors to complete the cast. With these stipulations, qualifications, and reservations, in the essays to follow I offer an Anthropologist’s view of this piece of western saga, its evolution and transition.

INTRODUCTION

by Linda Nelson B. A., M.-Ed.

A s I read this book, I kept thinking about its title. A Line in the Sand is usually a phrase used to indicate restriction. Property lines are lines in the sand - where my space begins and yours ends; country boundaries are lines in the sand - where our space begins and yours terminates. Crossing these lines can be illegal, dangerous, and lead to conflict of one kind or another.

Joseph Nixon’s line in the sand does not mean a restriction. His recorded thoughts, research, and actions through the lenses of anthropologist, archaeologist, historian, educator, and mediator present, instead, an invitation to explore the expansion of these lines, or trails, and their evolution over time into increasingly efficient ways to facilitate human contact and connections in the American Southwest.

This first volume, Ancient Footsteps, focuses on trails over time, formed by everyday people doing their everyday activities of life. They remained durable in the face of cultural differences, meshing of languages, and changing cultural diversity characterized by differently evolved world views he says. Through experiencing their longevity and perseverance, the author recognizes the spirituality in the durability and adaptability of trails.

Joseph Nixon portrays trails as pointing to the wisdom of nature in maintaining the steps of people to build connections, rather than erect walls. Once again, this author shows us his unfailing recognition of the harmony within human endeavor in whatever language or custom it expresses itself.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

T he motivation, enthusiasm, and occasional kick in the pants necessary to find energy where none existed during this decade+ of manuscript preparation came from MSN (not Microsoft) and JHB. Rightfully I acknowledge their assistance and perseverance.

First, I acknowledge cooperation of the Palm Springs Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians (ACBCI). The Tribal Chair and the government opened their Cultural Register to research and their membership cooperated throughout the production of the essay titled Trails & Traces. Specifically concerning the Whitewater Ranch, the Tribal Council demonstrated an understanding of preservation characteristic of their long adaptation to, and appreciation of, the Palm Springs area. This work recognizes and applauds their quietly ongoing efforts to preserve an ancient heritage as well as the more recent saga of this part of the American (US) Colorado and Mojave deserts under the guidance and leadership of Net Richard Milanovich.

Second, the Pala Band of Mission Indians in Pala, CA, generously extended assistance and cooperation during research stages of this work. Staff at the Tribal Historic Preservation Office opened their Cultural Register, their willingness to contribute standing as evidence of an abiding interest in preservation of Pala Tribal and local heritage.

The staff at the Huntington Library (San Marino, CA) radiated an always welcome attitude when visiting their archives. Thanks, too, to those who read and commented on early versions of this manuscript. To JHB for taking the time to provide individual input and comments on usage. To MCH for assessment of aptness of historical application and advice on historical approaches. Finally, thanks to friends and family who listened with raptor like focus to an old man mumbling about some train or telegraph or stagecoach thing again.

DEDICATION

T his work owes much to the endless patience and unwavering teaching of two individuals.

First, my biological Father, Myron S. Nixon (1919-2000, BA 1977), who raised me, instilling the value of education tempered with determination and hard work. Providing an example of beginning with nothing, making the best with what you have, enlisting personal perseverance, there is more of him in this manuscript than apparent.

Second, my late father-in-law, James H. Brown (1931-2014), offered encouragement during manuscript preparation. He took the reins from my biological Father and gently prodded just a few more words from a syntax weary mind. Reading the text, his ideas and encouragement reinvigorated me - as welcome as the warmth of a lakeside bonfire after a hard day’s work.

Requiescat in pace!

FOREWORD

A ccording to Greek mythology, Zeus and Mnemosyne parented nine daughters, collectively known as the Muses (Anonymous 2017). Each represented a facet of arts, poetry, prose, painting, sculpture, each imparting to Man the powers of creativity, imagination, inspiration, insight, and other altruistic virtues. As a boy, I recall teachers instructing students to ‘put your thinking cap on’ rendered today perhaps as ‘get your head together,’ ‘get your game on’ or something colloquially comparable. In their times, ancient Greeks invoked the spirits of the Muses as they sat before empty tablets, their equivalent of today’s blank screen. Homer, for example, invoked the muses in preparation of his Iliad and Odyssey , enjoining them to grant him skills to tell his tales as best he could.

INTRODUCTION: REVERSE INHERITANCE?

A Man without sons

is a tree without leaves.

A man without daughters

is a tree without flowers.

          - Nov 2008

M y eldest daughter tells me I am a chronic over analyzer; she has a thousand reasons why. An avid reader, she is well informed on many subjects. Well informed but not always in agreement. It’s not she doesn’t understand what others write – she does, all too well – often compelled to add thoughts, sources, and clarity to embellish proffered arguments. She can mull championed positions making them stronger, more convincing, clearer, more believable than the author. She probably would agree concurrence with an author is nice, but ancillary. But these analytical exercises for her are nothing more than logical limbering to keep sharp.

I share this innate skepticism. Reading for me generates more questions than answers despite the thoroughness of the author, detail of illustrative materials, believability of supporting statistics, clear and concise verification of sources, entertaining writing style, recent appearances on Oprah, or any among a wealth of factors. I always seem to stumble across unexplained exceptions or doggedly nagging details outshining the premise and suggesting to me - and probably her – questions in the stead of answers.

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Spared the grief of inestimable loss of data, America weathered the millennium rollover – and the 2012 Mayan Apocalypse - with few electronic difficulties other than paying enormous federal bills to prevent what was a non-problem in the first place. The potential losses were staggering: no more Facebook or My Space, the wisdom of Wikipedia lost in cyberspace, Google gone, Microsoft missing.

Not long