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Cooke's Wells Station

Coordinates: 32°40′10″N 114°55′35″W / 32.66944°N 114.92639°W / 32.66944; -114.92639
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Cooke's Wells Station a stage station of the Butterfeild Overland Mail, located south of the Mexican border, in the old Alamos River bed, about 1 km west northwest of Mérida, Baja California. Its site was at Cooke's Wells, named for Philip St. George Cooke whose expedition found them in 1847. It was at first the only water source 22 miles (35 km) east of Alamo Mucho Station and 18 miles (29 km) west of the Pilot Knob Station on the Southern Emigrant Trail.[1]

Cooke's Wells were fed by spring flooding from the Colorado River along the course of the Alamo River that sank into the ground or formed small pools or lakes along its course that could provide water in the otherwise dry region.[2] Later the stage company established two other stations in similar locations on the river west of Cooke's Wells, at Gardner's Wells Station 9 miles (14 km) east of Alamo Mucho and at Salt or Seven Wells 9 miles (14 km) east of Gardner's Wells and 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Cooke's Wells.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "California - Interesting from Washington Territory – Progress of the Indian War – Arrival of the Overland Mail – Itinerary of the Route" (PDF). The New York Times. October 14, 1858. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "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., pp.710-712, Journal of the march of Companies E, G, and H, First Infantry California Volunteers, commanded by Lieut. Col. Joseph R. West, from Camp Latham to Fort Yuma". Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2013.

32°40′10″N 114°55′35″W / 32.66944°N 114.92639°W / 32.66944; -114.92639