New Mexico, Dona Ana County, near Las Cruces
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In 1849, following the Mexican War, fields were first broken in Las Cruces. The town became a flourishing stop on the Camino Real, deriving its name, "The Crosses", from the marking of graves of victims of an Apache attack. Las Cruces since 1881 has been the county seat of Doña Ana County.
(Settlements & Settlers • War, Mexican-American) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
In 1849, following the Mexican War, fields were first broken in Las Cruces. The town became a flourishing stop on the Camino Real, deriving its name, "The Crosses", from the marking of graves of victims of an Apache attack. Las Cruces since 1881 has been the county seat of Doña Ana County.(Settlements & Settlers • War, Mexican-American) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
In dedication to Don Hansen and Dana Wharf Sportfishing, the first business operating out of Dana Point Harbor. Dana Wharf Sportfishing originated Whale Watching for Orange County and founded the Dana Point Festival of Whales and Dana Point Boat Parade of Lights. 
Penetrating northward through this point, toward wilderness areas of British Columbia and Alaska, a telegraph line was partially built in 1865-1867 to connect New York with London via the Bering Strait Cable and a line across Russia. A single-wire pole line followed a fifty-foot clearing through heavy forests and across frozen tundra. Western Union Telegraph Company dropped project abruptly in 1867 when satisfactory trans-Atlantic cable service was established. Russian-American co-operation in building this line facilitated our purchase of Alaska in 1867.
One mile west stands a granite obelisk, the first of a series of similar markers along the 49th parallel, defining the Canadian-American line from the Strait of Georgia to the summit of the Rocky Mountains.
Downie, a native of Scotland arrived in San Francisco on July 5, 1849. He moved up the Yuba to The Forks, arriving in November of 1849. On this site, he built the first structure in Downiville and took residence on December 10, 1849. It has been rumored that Downie had offered a cup full of gold if they would name The Forks (as it was known then) Downieville. It is not certain if the price was actually paid. Downie was one of the most famous of all the gold seekers and is considered the founder of Downieville.
A native of Kentucky, Ewing Eric Dunn (1835-1917) came to Texas in 1850. He served as Navarro County deputy
sheriff, 1854-1858, and joined the Confederate army during the Civil War. In 1866 he built the first portion of this
frame house. Dunn was county sheriff from 1876 to 1884. S. M. Ransom, a grocer, enlarged the residence in 1890
and added the wraparound porch, fish scale shingling, and stained glass. Five generations of the Ransom family
lived here. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1981
A very famous Texas Ranger. Born in Austin, son of Adjutant General of Texas. At 16 became cowboy on western frontier. At 19 joined Rangers; hunted down raiding Indians, rustlers, feuding settlers. After serving 1875-1881, became El Paso city marshal.
This was the home of rancher, merchant and community leader John Humphris and his wife Mary. Built in 1883 by local builder Saturnino Naborette, the house represents traditional building methods of early pioneer days in west Texas, with a central hallway with four rooms on either side. The house was purchased in 1915 by schoolteacher Sally Humphreys, wife of rancher Joe Humphreys, who ran a boardinghouse here until 1937.
Downhill ski racing history in the Western Hemisphere first began in California circa 1857, and in this famous Donner Pass of the Sierra Nevada the Auburn Ski Club presents a full exhibition of pioneered manpower transportation and skisport history as prepared by Historian William B. Berry.
This point is the approximate site of the capture of Santa Anna, the president of Mexico, and commander of the Mexican army-by James A. Sylvester, Joel W. Robison, Edward Miles, S.R. Bostigh, Joseph Vermillion and ???? Thompson, all soldiers of the Texas army under General Sam Houston. Santa Anna hand made his escape disguised in the uniform of a private soldier, on horseback, on the night of the Battle of San Jacinto, April 21st. He was captured on the 22nd and taken back to the camp on the battle ground where General Houston lay wounded. The salutations "El Presidente" of the wounded Mexican prisoners revealed his identity.
Formed from Bexar County
At confluence of Concho and
The two modern buildings replaced structures built in the early 20th Century and were used in two of Truckee’s notorious industries • Bootlegging and prostitution. They upheld a tradition begun on this street in the 1870’s. Many a thirst was slaked and need fulfilled because of these building’s contents. Politely ignored, although they never failed because of lack of business, they operated until mid century to serve the working men of this and surrounding communities. Changing commercial interests and ultimately property values doomed the buildings to history.
The earliest large-scale cattleman to settle in the Big Bend, Milton (Don Meliton) Faver prospered against seemingly impossible odds to become the first cattle baron west of the Pecos. While operating a freighting business on the Chihuahua Trail, he moved his family to Presidio del Norte and opened a general store about 1855 . After accumulating a large herd of cattle in Mexico he moved his family and vaqueros to the mountain country north of Presidio and made his headquarters on Cibolo Creek in 1857. He established two other ranches at nearby La Cienega and La Morita.
Here
Several communities in Navarro County organized military units that saw action in the Civil War. Company E of the 15th Texas Infantry was formed on April 16, 1862, when two squads were combined into one unit under the leadership of Captain Joshua Long Halbert, a prominent Corsicana lawyer. Company G, 15th Texas Infantry, was originally part of William Melton's 13th Texas Infantry, but the company was reorganized during the winter of 1861-1862 as Company G, under the command of Captain Clinton Fouty. The two companies were assigned to Colonel William Speight, and saw action throughout the Trans-Mississippi region, including Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana and Indian Territory. As they began their journey to Arkansas, the regiment first saw combat on September 29, 1863 at the Battle of Bayou Fordoche, northeast of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After the battle, the 15th Texas saw action at Bayou Bourbeau, which was one of the early skirmishes that led to the Red River Campaign. Although a Confederate victory, the battle took a toll on the soldiers from Navarro County, with 7 killed in action, 22 wounded and 5 missing. Additionally, the group later saw action during the Red River Campaign at the battles of Mansfield, Pleasant Hill, Mansura and Yellow Bayou, Louisiana. The campaign resulted in the halting of the Union advance by the Confederate forces, and may have prolonged the war by distracting the Union's efforts to capture Mobile, Alabama. The men of Companies E and G started their journey back to Navarro County on February 20, 1865 and were discharged later that spring.
George H. Brooks (1833-1911) served in a California volunteer unit during the Civil War before settling in Presidio County in the 1860s. In 1878 he married Mexican native Ygnacia Reza. This cemetery began with the burial of their son, Albion E. Brooks, in 1904. George and Ygnacia Brooks (d.1948) and other members of the Brooks family, including former Texas Ranger and deputy sheriff Robert Speed (1878-1940), are buried here. Also interred here are friends and relatives of the Brookses in the Fuentes and Gonzales families. The cemetery remains active and is maintained by the Shafter community.
About 1773, the Spanish garrison at Presidio del Norte, present Ojinaga, Mexico, established El Fortin de San Jose in this vicinity to protect local farmers. The settlement retained the name after the post was abandoned about 1810. After Ben Leaton had acquired extensive property in the area in 1848, the community came to be called Fort Leaton. Ben Leaton's fortress is all that remains of the old settlement. Fort Leaton is neither the site of the original Presidio del Norte nor the Spanish mission Apostal Santiago, as stated erroneously by earlier markers at this location.
Approximate site of
Proximate site of Presidio del Norte de la Junta established by Captain Alonzo Rubin de Celis in 1759-1760. Name of post retained in part by the present town and county. In this vicinity the missions of San Antonio de los Puliques, San Francisco de Los Julimes, Santa Maria la Redonda, San Pedro Alcantara, El Apostol Santiago, San Cristobal, were first established in 1683-1684 by Don Juan Dominguez de Mendoza and Padre Fray Nicolas Lopez O. F. M. Maintained by Franciscan missionaries for the Christianizing and the civilizing of the Apache, Natages, Faraones, Puliques, Julimes, Jumanos, Zumas and other Indian tribes. Administered and controlled in 1746 by the custodia of New Mexico.
