Saahatpa

Saahatpa

This sign and a rest stop on the 10 fwy are all that's left of Saahatpa, a settlement of Cahuilla Indians. Here's what the sign has to say:

Chief Juan Antonio and his band of Cahuilla Indians helped white settlers in the San Bernardino area defend their property and livestock against outlaws during the 1840s and 1850s. In late 1851, Juan Antonio, his warriors and their families settled at nearby Saahatpa.

During the winter of 1862-1863, a smallpox epidemic swept through Southern California killing many Native Americans, including Juan Antonio. Cahuilla tradition asserts that the U.S. government sent army blankets that were contaminated with smallpox. After this disaster, Saahatpa was abandoned.

California registered landmark 749. Originally registered August 17, 1960. Plaque placed by the state department of parks and recreation in cooperation with Riverside County Historical Commission and Billy Holcomb chapter of E. Clampus Vitus, May 3, 1987.