Echoes of the Vanished: Freeman's Stage Station.

By

Scott Schwartz

Outlaw Tiburcio Vasquez and his gang rode into Freeman's Station at 11 AM on February 25, 1874, with pistols blazing.  Literally.  Firing into the buildings as they thundered into the compound, Vasquez and his men grabbed anyone they could and relieved him or her of any valuables.  In order to show that they meant business, the gang shot one man in the leg, because he refused to follow the gang's orders.  

A few hours later, a stage coach pulled in.  Its passengers were robbed by Vasquez and his men, as well.  A freight wagon that came in that day was also robbed.  

The Vasquez gang finally left after night fall- with six horses that belonged to Freeman!

Freeman checked out some large rock formations the next day.  There, he found some empty cans and evidence that someone had camped there recently.  He deduced that Vasquez and his men had camped here while planning the robbery of Freeman's stage station.  After this, the rock formations-which are only a couple of miles from Rte. 14-became known as "Robber's Roost".

Tiburcio Vasquez.
Vasquez was caught on May 14, 1874, and he was executed (by hanging)on March 19, 1875.

The author's Jeep, with "Robber's Roost" in the distance.  Photo by Scott Schwartz.

The rugged area that is known as "Robber's Roost".  Photo by Scott Schwartz.

Freeman's wife died in 1884.  Freeman stayed on at the station, and a post office was built at the site in 1889.  Freeman was installed as the postmaster, a position he held until he died in 1909.  

During World War I, a fire destroyed Freeman's house, along with the stage station.  Today, the only things remaining are the rusty pipe (see previous post) that carried water from the spring at Coyote Holes, and the indentation in the ground that has been referred to as a "root cellar".  Only ghosts live here, now.