The Santa Fe Trail

The National Park Service tells us about the Santa Fe Trail on this, the date the National Historic Trail was established in 1987.

Between 1821 and 1880, the Santa Fe Trail was primarily a commercial highway connecting Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico. From 1821 until 1846, it was an international commercial highway used by Mexican and American traders. In 1846, the Mexican-American War began. The Army of the West followed the Santa Fe Trail to invade New Mexico. When the Treaty of Guadalupe ended the war in 1848, the Santa Fe Trail became a national road connecting the United States to the new southwest territories. Commercial freighting along the trail continued, including considerable military freight hauling to supply the southwestern forts. The trail was also used by stagecoach lines, thousands of gold seekers heading to the California and Colorado gold fields, adventurers, fur trappers, and emigrants. In 1880 the railroad reached Santa Fe and the trail faded into history.

Lordy, that much?

Discipline is one thing, but …

A high school junior in a central Georgia military town was suspended from school this week after refusing to end a long-distance cellphone call from his mother, an Army sergeant serving in Iraq.

Kevin Francois, a 17-year-old student at Spencer High School in Columbus, Ga., was in the school cafeteria Wednesday when his mother, Sgt. 1st Class Monique Bates, called to check in with him. When Francois went outside to get better reception, he was spotted by a teacher who — citing a district policy against cellphone use during school hours — told him to hang up.

Francois refused and was suspended for 10 days for disorderly conduct.

Los Angeles Times

The story goes on to get into the he-said/she said details, but like Ralph I’ve got to side with the kid on this one barring something more damning. Ralph’s got all the details on who to write/fax/email your concern.

May 8

Happy Mother’s Day.

NewMexiKen posted entries on a number of interesting items a year ago today: on Thomas Pynchon — it’s his birthday, he’s 68 this year; an excerpt from Harry Truman’s diary - Truman was born on this date in 1884; on the magnificent Blues singer Robert Johnson, born on this date in 1911; lyrics from Garden Party — Rick Nelson was born on this date in 1940; and more, including this:

The very first Coca-Cola was sold at Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta on this date in 1886. Dr. John S. Pemberton created the formula, which until 1905 had extracts of cocaine, as well as caffeine-rich kola nut. Bookkeeper Frank Robinson coined the name and it’s his handwriting we know from the trademark.

And I told the story of the day Jill arrived.

Which only makes me think that it’s too bad Jill can’t remember that day better herself. It would be great fun to read the telling of that silly story (with its happy ending) when told by as humorous and stylistic a writer as Jill. Happy Birthday Jill.