Howdy, Part 1 dealt directly with 1846 California History - Part 2 only indirectly. It will mainly interest only researchers of the Sanfa Fe to CA Southern Trails.. For many goldseekers Socorro was a final assembly point and the last New Mexico trail settlement on their trip to CA - no matter their Southern Trail from Santa 'Fe to CA. Let's look at a couple of 49er diaries. First, some exerpts from 49er/diarist William P. HUFF, who was stranded in Socorro for a period in 1849 and 1850, as he describes Socorro,NM" "Wednesday, July 18th, 1849 "We hired Dutch FRANK to haul our wagon down to Socorro, distant three miles. On our way we passed through the 'Pueblo Isletta' a small village inhabited by Pueblo Indians. The houses were built of 'adobies' or unburnt brick, all having flat roofs and are scattered here.... Poverty spoke out in stern and unmistakable signs through the rents and long worn apparel of men women and children. .. The land is level and low and free from rocks and pebbles. Upon our arrival at Socorro I rented a large comfortable room from a very old Mexican lady by the name of DURAN at the enormous sum of one dollar and half per month, with the privilege of the orchard and vineyard during our stay. "October 15th, 1849 "Here[Socorro] is that singing, stinging insect by the Mexicans called MOSCUS, but by the people on the Brazos River vulgarly called mosquitos, as large, familiar, and as numerous as they are in any portion of Fort Bend County[TX]. " No fresh meats nor vegetables are to be obtained.... "The redeeming qualities[of Socorro] visible to the eye and which will be made tangible in a few years... is that universal and unparrallelled[unparalleled] productiveness of every kind of small grain sown in the uncommonly rich soil of this valley. "Wheat, barley, corn, beans, pumpkins, mellons, apples, peaches, pears, quinces, plums, apricots, and pomgranates, and three or four varieties of the wine grape are the production of the simplest method of cultivation and yield most abundantly. The wine grape for quantity, the size of the bunches, and the luscious taste is equal to any of the earth. The red and white onion excel for size, quantity, and flavor, and all that I have ever seen or used for table was. "... I was told that at times fish of various kinds were very plentiful in the Rio Grande. During a stay of eight months at Socorro within two miles of the river I never saw nor tasted a fish of any kind what ever.":-))[Thanks to CINDY<[email protected]> who sent me a copy of "The Gold Rush Diary of William P. HUFF(Copyright David Ewing Stewart), which is Huff's journal of an overland trip from Richmond,TX to CA in 1849/50. NOW for my SECOND diary, which is by 49er Judge Benjamin HAYES where we glean:: "Sunday, Oct. 28th[1849]. "Arrived at Socorro. " .....Socorro is prettily situated on the second bank of the river[Rio Grande] at the foot of a mountain towering to the height of 2,700 feet, embosomed in vineyards and orchards, and boasting a good many large and commodious dwellings, as well as a spacious church. "Almost every house has a corral connected with it, which can be rented, (with rooms adjacent). for from $4 to $7 per week. Here the stock are brought for safekeeping at night, being grazed during the day on the bottom under the charge of a herder, at the rate of 50 per day. The practice is to give them corn in the morning and again upon their return, with fodder at night.... "Within four miles of the town in the hills are the hot springs and fine graina grass, to which our herd was frequently driven under guard. Beef, milk, fruit, etc.,can be had at reasonable rates. This being, as we supposed, about the last chance, old clothes and every other superfluity were gotten rid of for corn and such other things as we needed... "As the various fragments arrived that were to compose the COMPANY, great activity was displayed in the various corrals in rigging out pack-saddles, collecting and weighing provisions, and the other necessary preparations. Col. COOKE''s[Lt. Col.P. St. George Cooke - commander of the 1846 Mormon Battalion] idea is that the trip from the last New Mexico settlement can be accomplished with pack-mules in 40 days and in 60 with waggons "To be on the safe side, our aim was to take supplies for 50 days at least; some provided for 60. I believe the average allowance was about 60 lbs.of flour and 25 lbs. of bacon to the man....A Mexican will put 200 lbs. or more upon a mule for every long trip. My pack mule had but 80 lbs., including all my provisions, which were ample for one man, especially with three opportunities for laying in supplies on the road. "The weather was delightful during our stay. Socorro, however, has little to interest one after the bustle of preparation for a campaign is over, notwithstanding the frequent religious processions at this season, the fandangos, and the fracases between the soldiery and the people."(From the "Pioneer Notes from the Diaries of Judge Benjamin HAYES."(NY: Arno Press, 1976 - as I recall I am also endebted to CindyLadyBug for a copy). NOTE: Col. COOKE took the deep Southern Trail through Chihuahua-Guadalupe Pass-Pima Villlages-Gila River. Judge Benj. HAYES' company did likewise. AND It took them 45 days: leaving Socorro on November 16th and crossing the Colorado River into CA on December 31, 1849. As long time listmembers can attest from my prolific prior postings,:-)) it is in Judge HAYES's published diary(p.34) that I found my ggf, Ole J.R., in Socorro on November 16,1849 heading for CA. .Unfortunately, ggf's company split from Judge Hayes' at Socorro and they took the Gen.Kearny/Kit Carson Gila River route to CA. AND.I still don't know exactly when they crossed the CA line:-(. But for my ggf, it was before the 1850 Merry Posey census:-))) Much fun for me; hope a little others:-)) Bob Norris in Dallas <BNorris166aol.com>