Iron silhouettes installed on the Old Spanish Trail

On December 9, a work party of Utah BLM and Old Span­ish Trail Association members from Kanab’s Red Pueblo Chapter installed these iron sil­houettes commemorat­ing Antonio Armijo’s journey through this area 196 years ago to the day.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Frey.

Armijo, 25 years of age, was tasked with leading a caravan of 60 men and a hun­dred mules laden with woolen goods from Abiquiu, New Mexico to trade for better quality horses and mules at the San Gabriel mission near Los Angeles. They left on November 7, 1829 and arrived, without the loss of compadres or goods, on January 31, 1830. Many of the expedition members returned via the same route in only 40 days knowing the arduous route and Armijo re­turned in 50 days with the stock.

Armijo’s route was used only one time and for the next 19 years the Old Spanish Trail would wind it’s way through western Colo­rado and central and western Utah to the Las Vegas area before crossing the Mohave desert to L.A.

The seven pieces, depicting two Mexican vaqueros and five pack mules, can be seen along Hwy. 89 from the parking area at the turn to the old Paria movie set road about 35 miles east of Kanab. They were produced by OSTA member, Alva Matheson, Cedar City, Utah., who has placed similar pieces in other locations along the Old Spanish National Historic Trail.