River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-05-14
The Old Stage Statior0 at BlueW+eter
The Orasna1 ADOBE Structure o.. the Ksht)

TUST at the moment when the
movement to mark the historic
Santa Fe Trail is reaching its
climax and contamination, by one
Of those ironic freaks of fate that so
often come to cap the best laid plans
of men with an anti-climax the most
notable remaining memorial of the
old highway is threatened with immi-
nent destruction This is the Fonda,
later known as the Exchange hotel,
which was the southwestern terminus
of the trail from the beginning to the
end Of the commerce of the prairies.
1t stands at the southeastern corner
of the plaza in Santa Fe, and was the
rendezvous of all the freighters,
scouts, plainsmen, bad men, Indian
fighters, gamblers, prospectors, pion-
GERS, travellers, soldiers and settlers in
the southwest when Santa Fe was the
chief mart and emporium beyond the
Missouri. After bull team traffic came
to close on account of the successful
rivalry of the railroad the old hotel
fell upon evil days, and soon degen-
Grated into rooming house for so
journers in the City Of Holy Faith.
Then the corner apartments were used
as a meat market, while the others
We're rented out for housekeeping
rooms. But within the past few
months the old adobe walls have be-
gun to bulge alarmingly making it
necessary to prop them up with heavy
timbers. Naturally the 'roomers"
sought safer quarters, the butcher
moved elsewhere and the hostelry is
now vacant Then an enterprising
merchant bought the property, and
has announced it as his purpose to
raze the historic block upon the site.
This impending disappearance of
the last relic of the Santa Fe Trail re-
naming in the city of Santa Fe is to
be compensated by the erection of
memorial arch. This will be placed
IN the plaza, directly opposite the
Fonda, at cost approximating $1,000.
A bill to that effect was passed by the
legislative assembly in 1903. 1t was
provided that the work should be SUI
perintended by a commission consist
ing of the mayor of Santa Fe, the
superintendent of the Territorial peni-
Tertiary. and third person to be ap-
pointed by the governor Nothing has
vet been done, but only the other day
Gov. Curry appointed Bradford L.
Prince to act as the third member of
the commission, and the building of
the memorial will proceed without
unnecessary delay. By a further pro-
vision of the assembly, the arch must
be of stone quarried in New Mexico,
and the work must be performed by
ccnvicts from the Territorial peniten-
tiary.
Few Relics Now Left.
The remaining bonafide relics of
this highway to the southwest are
few. Through a large part of It's
length, the trail is now followed by
the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe rail-
road. In many places the rails and
ties were laid along the exact line fol-
lowed by the old wagon trains. Cross
ing the Ration Pass of New Mexico,
the trail is distinctly visible from the
car windows; and near the summit of
the divide may be seen one of the old
hating places-a road house on the
old Southern Overland stage route. A
few miles further on is Starvation
Peak. a landmark familiar to every
traveller in the old days, where it is
said that a number of early traders
were besieged by the Indians until
they died of thirst and hunger.
AS the trade with the southwest
grew a volume and Importance, num-
erous branches radiated from the main
highway. One of the most important
of these extended south to Ell Paso
and Chihuahua, and another ran north
through Taos. On the Taos branch,
at Alcalde, is still standing, in an ex-
cellent state of preservation, the old