Remi Nadeau and the Cerro Gordo Freight Road: Opening the “Bullion Trail” (1860s–1880s)
Origins of the Cerro Gordo Freight Road
The story of Remi Nadeau’s freight road begins with the rich silver strikes at Cerro Gordo in the late 1860s. Cerro Gordo (“Fat Hill” in Spanish) was a remote mining camp high in the Inyo Mountains of eastern California, overlooking Owens Lake. Rich veins of silver-lead ore were discovered there around 1866–1868, attracting investors like Mortimer Belshaw and Victor Beaudry. These mine owners faced an urgent challenge: transport heavy silver bullion (smelted silver and lead ingots) from the isolated mountaintop to the distant markets and refiners in Los Angeles. At first, only primitive trails existed. Belshaw financed and built a steep toll road down the mountain – the “Yellow Grade Road,” named for the yellowish rock it cut through – to facilitate moving ore out. Even with that local road, the journey from Cerro Gordo to Los Angeles was an arduous three-week trek by wagon. In December 1868, Belshaw and Beaudry hired a skilled freighter, Remi Nadeau, to haul their bullion to Los Angeles. Nadeau dispatched 32 mule-team wagons that carried about $50,000 of silver and lead each day (in 1868 dollars) down the Yellow Grade and across the desert.” Cerro Gordo’s mines often produced twice as much ore as freighters could move, creating a bottleneck. The situation demanded a more robust freight system.” The solution would be a dedicated freight road – eventually dubbed the “Bullion Trail” – and Nadeau’s freighting empire would make it a reality.
Remi Nadeau: From Miller to Freight Magnate
Remi Nadeau was an unlikely figure to dominate desert transportation. He emigrated to the United States in Quebec, Canada, in 1821. Nadeau worked as a miller in New England and the Midwest. In 1861, he crossed the plains to Salt Lake City, building several mills before finally moving to Los Angeles. Sensing opportunity in the underdeveloped economy of Southern California, Nadeau borrowed a few hundred dollars from Prudent Beaudry (a Los Angeles real estate man and brother of Victor) to buy wagons and mule teams, launching himself into the freighting business. His first contracts involved hauling goods on a 700-mile route between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, a round trip that took 35 days. This routine remained profitable until the transcontinental railroad reached Utah in 1868, when it undercut wagon freight.
Nadeau then turned his attention to the booming mining camps of the Mojave Desert and Eastern Sierra, especially Cerro Gordo. In 1868–69, he began hauling silver bullion from Cerro Gordo to Los Angeles. Nadeau introduced the use of long mule teams – often 14 to 20 – to pull heavy bullion over rough terrain. He is credited as the first in California to use 20-mule teams on such a scale. By 1869, Nadeau had become the leading freighter in Southern California. The Cerro Gordo silver trade became the heart of Los Angeles’s economy in the 1870s, making up about a quarter of the city’s total exports. Los Angeles was still a sleepy town, but Nadeau’s mule trains carrying bullion to San Pedro created a wealth stream that fueled local growth.
Developing the “Bullion Trail” – A Road from Cerro Gordo to San Pedro
As freight operations expanded, the 230-mile route to the harbor necessitated improved infrastructure. In 1873, the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and Cerro Gordo mine owners struck a deal with Nadeau to create a regular freight line. Nadeau agreed that shippers invest $150,000 to improve the route. The company used these funds to construct stations and watering stops, as well as improve roads across the desert and mountains. The organizers formally established the Cerro Gordo Freighting Company that same year. The road from Cerro Gordo to San Pedro became known as the “Bullion Trail” or “Nadeau Road.” This road was not a paved road but a network of tracks and stations that provided consistent bullion transport. Nadeau commissioned 80 heavy wagons, each capable of hauling about four tons. They were pulled by teams of 16–20 mules, making a sight over a hundred feet long. The company established a round-trip schedule of about 22 days, with one-day stretches between stations. At any time, 56 wagons were on the road while others were loaded or maintained. Nadeau’s operation soon had 100 mule teams, the first organized, large-scale freight line in the California desert.
The Route and Major Stops Along the Way
The freight route began at Cerro Gordo, descending the treacherous Yellow Grade Road to the Owens Valley floor. Wagons often had their rear wheels “rough locked” or chained to skids to control the descent. From there, bullion was sometimes ferried across Owens Lake by the steamer Bessie Brady to Cartago. Overland wagons would reconverge at Olancha and head south across the Mojave. Freighters established stations every 15–25 miles, including Coyote Holes, Red Rock Canyon, Forks-of-the-Road, Cow Holes, and Barrel Springs. These stops offered water, feed, corrals, and shelter. Red Rock Canyon provided a scenic route through the El Paso Range. Forks-of-the-Road likely sat at a major junction, and Cow Holes was a known desert watering spot. Wagons eventually entered Soledad Canyon, following the Santa Clara River past Lang Station, an important water stop. From there, they moved through Newhall Pass via Beale’s Cut into the San Fernando Valley. They followed San Fernando Road into Los Angeles. The final stretch went another 20 miles south to San Pedro Harbor. Bullion was refined and loaded onto ships bound for San Francisco and beyond.
Trials and Challenges on the Road
The Bullion Trail was grueling. Summer heat, winter snow, and rough terrain all posed threats. Freighters often had to haul water to the stations, where it was crucial. Teamsters frequently drove at night to avoid the heat. Sandstorms and steep grades were constant hazards. To descend slopes like Yellow Grade, drivers locked wheels and used skids or logs as brakes. Accidents were rare, a sign of the drivers’ skill. Bandits were another risk. Notorious outlaw Tiburcio Vásquez and his lieutenant Cleovaro Chavez robbed travelers, including a holdup at Coyote Holes in 1874. Teamsters traveled with arms, and some convoys used guards. Competition from rival freighters also arose, but Nadeau’s system was well-run and dominant. The operation required hundreds of mules, skilled blacksmithing, and careful logistics. Round trips took 22 days, ensuring a constant flow of bullion and supplies. Despite the hardships, Nadeau’s line earned a reputation for reliability — reportedly, freighters never lost a load of silver in transit.
Impact on the Mining Economy and Los Angeles
Nadeau’s freight line allowed Cerro Gordo’s mines to operate at full capacity. In the early 1870s, the mine produced up to $50,000 in daily bullion. Return trips carried goods and supplies to the miners. At its peak, Cerro Gordo had a population of around 4,000–4,700. Nadeau’s road tied the remote mining camp to the California economy. In Los Angeles, the impact was huge. With fewer than 10,000 people in 1870, the city benefited from the influx of silver. The Cerro Gordo trade accounted for approximately 25% of the city’s export revenue. Local smelters, banks, and merchants thrived, and San Pedro Harbor saw growing shipments. Nadeau himself became one of the city’s wealthiest men. In 1886, he built the Nadeau Hotel, Los Angeles’s first luxury high-rise. He also invested in land, farming, and early industry. The freight road’s success helped promote investment in infrastructure and railroads. By 1876, the Southern Pacific Railroad reached Los Angeles, roughly paralleling the Bullion Trail. In the early 1880s, the Carson & Colorado Railroad reached Keeler near Cerro Gordo, replacing the mule teams. Nadeau had anticipated the change and moved on to other freighting ventures in Arizona and Nevada. His freight company dissolved by 1882.
Decline and Legacy of Nadeau’s Freighting Enterprise
With railroads expanding and silver output declining, the era of mule-team freight faded. Still, Nadeau’s achievement in running a reliable freight line across 230 miles of desert was remarkable. Over 13 years, his wagons moved enormous amounts of freight and bullion. He helped jump-start Los Angeles’s transformation into a commercial hub. Nadeau died in 1887, remembered as a self-made man whose enterprise bridged the desert and tied remote mining to coastal commerce. Early motorists utilized parts of the old road, and wagon ruts marked the route in certain areas.
The Bullion Trail had a permanent impact on Southern California’s economy and geography. Modern highways, such as US 395 and SR 14, follow much of his pioneering route. His legacy lives on in place names, historical markers, and memories of when mules and grit built the roads that carried silver to the sea.