Another morning, another campground. This one was the KOA Las Cruces 
. After a restful night I was off to historic Mesilla, New Mexico . The town of Mesilla, and the local Wells Fargo team led by Pat Lamb, really put together a great event for me to participate in.
The morning event began on the town square, where 120 local elementary students showed up to learn about the Butterfield Overland Mail Route and Wells Fargo history. While I did my presentation to one group of students, other groups were treated to a ride on the Wells Fargo stagecoach around the town square.
The students were really involved, and despite the challenge of holding the attention of 30 or so fourth and fifth graders while so much excitement was going on around them, they were great listeners and seemed to enjoy my stories.
After the great event with the students, I was invited to speak to a group of community leaders and team members at a luncheon held at La Posta de Mesilla Restaurant. Some of the attendees included State Senator Mary Kay Papen , and Mayor Michael Cadena of Mesilla . Several Wells Fargo team members were there, as well as the owners of La Posta, Tom (a.k.a. "Hutch") and Jerean Camunez Hutchinson.
I must admit that I was a bit nervous to start, what with all the important people in attendance. However, once I began talking and they laughed at my first joke, I was completely at ease. They were all so great and responsive, and I appreciate the opportunity to have had a few minutes to talk to them about Wells Fargo history and my personal experiences retracing the Butterfield.
Although I didn't get to eat until well after my lunch was delivered, it was still really great. But while La Posta is a great restaurant, it is also an important historic landmark. It is one of the few remaining stage stops still in existence. According to Jerean and Hutch, the building is actually several old adobes that have been joined. In fact, the section of the restaurant in which the luncheon was held was the actual stage stop. The Hutchinsons gave us a tour of the building and shared with us some of its special history . This is a must stop for anyone traveling through the Mesilla/Las Cruces area....
Mesilla is immersed in history. The town was once the capital for the New Mexico and Arizona Territories. Across from the restaurant is the Billy the Kid Gift Shop . The shop is so named because it was once the courthouse where Billy the Kid was tried and sentenced to hang.
I took an opportunity at the gift shop to pick up a coonskin cap . Not for myself but for Juan Colato, Manager of the Los Angeles Museum and my partner for the first and last leg of this journey. Juan and I kept running into these hats during the first leg of the trip, and he kept saying he was going to get one, but never did. So I picked up one for him. I hope he'll wear it!
After leaving Mesilla, we headed west toward Tucson . On the way we stopped in Gage at the Butterfield Stage Stop . This isn't actually a stage stop but a gas station/gift shop/Dairy Queen. Unfortunately, the very nice lady minding the store couldn't really tell us if there was actually an old stage stop nearby, or if the name is just a gimmick. I'm betting on the latter but who knows?
Next stop was Ft. Bowie at Apache Pass . This was supposed to be a quick and uneventful stop to shoot some video at the Butterfield ruins. Unfortunately, it was neither quick nor uneventful. First, it was quite a drive off of I-10, then about a mile-and-a-half hike to the ruins. It was an easy hike though, and the area around the ruins was actually quite beautiful. The ruins themselves were not unlike several others I've seen on this trip, with partial rock walls and scattered rock remains. This stop, though, actually still has the fireplace intact, and I could imagine the keeper making his scant meals and coffee on its coals.
It was on the hike back to the RV that things became well...eventful. As we were leaving the trail about 50 yards from the RV, I heard what sounded like Connie falling down and a word that I won't repeat here. I knew immediately something was wrong because Connie never uses a word like this. When I turned to see her lifting herself off the ground she held out her right palm and there it was — blood. Lots of blood streaming from her palm. I knew right away that this was no scratch because of the amount of blood pouring from her hand.
After making sure she was as OK as one can be after falling and splitting open a hand, I ran to the RV to get the first aid kit and a roll of paper towels. Upon returning, we determined that Connie should go to a hospital. The cut was really bad and full of rocks and sand. Yikes! But everyone who knows Connie knows what a tough person she is, so it was no surprise when she began cleaning rocks out of her own wound.
Well, that was about all I could handle. I don't do well with blood.
We drove nearly an hour, and finally arrived at a hospital in Benson, Arizona. Connie hung tough the whole way, and we talked about what would have happened 150 years ago if this same thing had occurred. Let’s face it, without cleaning out the wound, infection or gangrene could have set in. A traveler on the Butterfield route may have lost her hand with this serious a wound.
Connie ended up with 11 stitches and two bruised knees. But the folks at the Benson Hospital were really professional and caring — she was bandaged up in no time and ready to return to the grind.
No accidents for the mail though, students! It is safe and secure en route to San Francisco.
Looks like a wonderful trip continues! Sorry to hear about your colleague Connie's misfortune -- but you certainly stayed on-track like a good coach crew (the old route passe trough Benson and on to a couple of small stops beyond.
Looking forward to sharing stories when you get home (I can spot the old Bridgeport TX bridge location for you).
Say Hi to Juan -- and post pictures of him with his new hat!!!
-kirby sanders-
Heritage Trail Partners
Fayetteville, AR