Salt or Seven Wells

Overland Mail stagecoach stop in Baja California, Mexico

Seven Wells Station was built at the site, of Salt or Seven Wells one of the wells developed by the Butterfield Overland Mail, as a part of its improvements of its Colorado Desert route between Cooke's Wells Station and Alamo Mocho Station. These wells allowed travel along the level ground along the 19th century course of the Alamo River (north of the course of the modern river), avoiding the more difficult route up on Andrade Mesa.^[1]

It was in operation until March 1861 when the Butterfield route was abandoned for the Central Route by the beginning of the American Civil War. However the locality remained in use as a watering place for travelers on the Southern Emigrant Trail and was a post for Union Army units moving back and forth between California and Arizona Territory. In the journal of an 1861 march of California Volunteers to Fort Yuma, Lieut. Col. Joseph R. West described the old station:

November 1.- Left Alamo Station at 4.50 p.m.; road inferior. Gardner's Wells (old mail station, but water has failed), nine miles; thence by same character of road and country to Salt or Seven Wells, and camped. Water plenty, but brackish; wood abundant. Weather warm. Distance previous, 108 miles; distance to-day, 18 miles; distance in eight days, 126 miles.^[2]

The Seven Wells Station was in use again by stagecoach lines from 1867 until 1877 when the Southern Pacific Railroad reached Fort Yuma. It was then abandoned but the Seven Wells continued in use until the river changed course in 1905.

Today the location of the Seven Wells site is about a mile southwest of the modern town of Bórquez Norte, Baja California.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b Tom Jonas (Autumn 2009). "Wells in the Desert, Retracing the Mexican War Trails of Kearny and Cooke through Baja California" (PDF). The Journal of Arizona History. 50 (3): 279–282. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
^ THE WAR OF THE REBELLION: A COMPILATION OF THE OFFICIAL RECORDS OF THE UNION AND CONFEDERATE ARMIES. CHAPTER LXII. OPERATIONS ON THE PACIFIC COAST. JANUARY 1, 1861–JUNE 30, 1865. PART I., CORRESPONDENCE., p.713

Butterfield Overland Mail 2nd Division Stations

Los Angeles – Located 12 miles southeast of Cahuenga Station in the pueblo of Los Angeles. The 2nd Division headquarters was in a brick building, consisting of an office, blacksmith shop, stables and sheds.
Monte – Located 13 miles east of Los Angeles.
Rancho San Jose – Located 12 miles east of Monte in present-day Pomona.
Rancho Santa Ana del Chino – Located 12 miles southeast of Rancho San Jose.
Temescal Station – Located 20 miles southeast of Rancho Santa Ana del Chino.
Laguna Grande Station – Located 10 miles southeast of Temescal Station, near present-day Lake Elsinore.
Alamos or Willow Springs Station – a later station, 11 miles south of Laguna Grande Station.
Temecula Station – Located 21 miles southeast of Laguna Grande Station.
Tejungo Station – Located 14 miles east of Temecula Station, near Aguanga
Oak Grove Stage Station – Located 12 miles southeast of Tejungo Station.
Warner's Ranch – Located 10 miles southeast of Oak Grove Station.
San Felipe Station – Located 10 miles southeast of Warner's Ranch, northwest of nearby Scissors Crossing.
Vallecito Station – Located 18 miles southeast of San Felipe Station.
Palm Spring Station – Located 9 miles southeast of Vallecito Station at Palm Spring.
Carrizo Creek Station – Located 9 miles east southeast of Palm Spring Station.
Sackett's Wells – a later station, located 171⁄2 miles east southeast of Carrizo Creek Station, 15 miles west northwest of Indian Wells.
Indian Wells Station – Located 32 miles southeast of Carisso Creek, near present day Heber, no water except at station.
New River Station – a later station, located 15 miles southeast of Indian Wells Station, in Baja California, 14 miles west of Alamo Mocho Station, in present day Mexicali.
Alamo Mocho Station – Located south of the Mexican border in Baja California, 38 miles east of Indian Wells Station, no water except at station.
Gardner's Wells Station – a later station, located south of the Mexican border in Baja California, 9 miles east of Alamo Mocho and 9 miles west of Seven Wells.
Salt or Seven Wells – a later well, located south of the Mexican border in Baja California, 18 miles east of Alamo Mucho.
Cooke's Wells Station – Located south of the Mexican border in Baja California, 22 miles east of Alamo Mocho Station, no water except at station.
Pilot Knob Station – Located 18 miles east of Cooke's Wells.
Fort Yuma Station – Located 10 miles east of Pilot Knob Station.