Near Beaumont in Riverside County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Saahatpa
Photographed By Craig Baker, March 29, 2019
1. Saahatpa Marker
Inscription.
Saahatpa. . 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 1862-63, 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.
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 1862-63, 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.
Erected 1987 by California State Parks; Riverside County Historical Commission; and E Clampus Vitus. (Marker Number 749.)
Location. 33° 57.496′ N, 117° 1.17′ W. Marker is near Beaumont, California, in Riverside County. Marker can be reached from Interstate 10, 1.3 miles west of Oak Valley Parkway, on the right when traveling west. The marker is in an abandoned rest area, not open to the public. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Beaumont CA 92223, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 29, 2019, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 384 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on March 29, 2019, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
