This Day…

1853-The head of bandit Joaquin Murieta is pickled in whisky and sent on a national tour with the hand of Manuel “Three Fingered Jack.”

1869-The Golden Spike was driven at Promontory Point, Utah signifying the completion of the transcontinental railroad even though there are no bridges spanning the Missouri River.

1824-Texas and Coahuila are organized as one of the states of the Mexican Federal Republic, now the single most important rival to U.S. dominance of North America.  Thousands of Americans have already settled in this area.

1805-Aaron Burr and General Wilkinson, commander of forces in the Mississippi Valley, hold a secret conference whose subject was never made public.

1846 – General Taylor heads back to supply base at Point Isabel and ask the governors of Texas and Louisiana to send 5000 volunteers.  The Mexicans cross the Rio Grande in force and lay siege to Fort Texas, under command of Major Jacob Brown.

1859-Fort Mojave is built on the banks of the Colorado River (Arizona) for the purpose or controlling the Mojave and Paiute at Beal’s Crossing.

1881 – Billy the Kid escapes from his cell in Lincoln, New Mexico.

1858 – Chinese are prohibited from landing at any port in California under the terms of a bill passed by Congress.

1856-Western Union Telegraph is established in New York to provide communications west of the Mississippi River.

1875 – Wyatt Earp is hired as a policeman in Wichita, Kansas.