Lane's Crossing

History

Located along the Mojave River, the vicinity of modern Oro Grande, California was the location for Native American settlements hundreds of years. The river was also the part of a trade route from the Colorado River for tribes in the southwest with those on the coast of Southern California, what was called the Mohave Trail. Followed by Spanish padres and soldiers, and later American fur trappers and New Mexican traders the Mohave Trail became part of the Old Spanish Trail between New Mexico and Alta California from 1830. After the Americans acquired California in the Mexican American War, Mormon pioneers began the Mormon Road a wagon road from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles on the western part of the Old Spanish Trail that crossed the Mojave River just below the Lower Narrows of the Mojave River. This was called the Last Crossing of the Mojave because the travelers on the road from here left the river to cross the remaining desert to Cajon Pass.

In 1859, the year after the Mojave Road to Fort Mohave was established, Aaron G. Lane a veteran of the Mexican War and a Forty-niner established the a ranch and store for travelers on the road at this crossing, that came to be called Lane's Crossing. This was the first settlement on the Mojave River. He sold out in 1865 and moved down river to establish a ranch at Bryman, and others took over his old ranch and store. However the name "Lane's" stuck for years thereafter, appearing on maps of the area as late as 1880's.