Box: As the 1800s brought more and more people emigrating to the West, the need for a “winterproof” route became increasingly important. In 1857, the Secretary of War under President Buchanan awarded a contract to former Navy Lieutenant Edward F. Beale to survey and develop such a route.
Combination: Using the 1851 findings of Captain Lorenzo Sitgreaves as a guide, LT. Beale and his team began their mission from Fort Defiance, New Mexico Territory, with a crew of 44 men, 12 wagons and a string of 120 animals.