Palm Spring, in Mesquite Oasis near Carrizo Creek in the Anza-Borrego desert, was one of the few reliable water sources in this arid region and became a vital stop for generations of travelers. Native Americans used it long before American settlement, followed by people traveling to and from the Colorado River, Spanish and Mexican traders, American trappers, and soldiers. During the California Gold Rush it became a familiar campsite on the Southern Emigrant Trail. Its importance increased when it served the San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line in 1857, the Butterfield Overland Mail from 1858 to 1861, and later travelers and stage lines to Yuma from 1867 to 1877.