TMW
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History of the Baja California Hwy
The Baja California Highway
Homer Aschmann
A paper from Fred Metcalf files.
In 1956 a remarkable individual road-making achievement was carried out. Arturo Gross, a part time miner, prospector, and mine promoter, and long a
resident of the Laguna Chapala and Calamajué district was offered 10,000 pesos ($800) by the State government if he could drive his truck up the East
Coast from Calamajué to San Felipe. Carrying a pick, shovel, and some blasting material he did it. Within weeks tourists followed with
four-wheel-drive vehicles. The northern part of the road has been improved, and now there are tourist fishing camps on the formerly completely
uninhabited coast.
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Cardon Man
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Was Arturo Gross a Mexican National, a gringo, other?
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David K
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Cardon Man
Was Arturo Gross a Mexican National, a gringo, other? |
He was Mama Espinoza's oldest brother... founded Rancho Laguna Chapala and operated many gold mines in the region.
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Baja Bucko
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I think he means Arturo Grosso-from Mama Espinoza's family....
My other 4WD is a Baja Mule!
La Mula Mil Survivor 2013-2014!
1000 miles by mule from the tip to Tecate!
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David K
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HWY. 5
| Quote: | Originally posted by TW
The Baja California Highway
Homer Aschmann
A paper from Fred Metcalf files.
In 1956 a remarkable individual road-making achievement was carried out. Arturo Grosso, a part time miner, prospector, and mine promoter, and long a
resident of the Laguna Chapala and Calamajué district was offered 10,000 pesos ($800) by the State government if he could drive his truck up the East
Coast from Calamajué to San Felipe. Carrying a pick, shovel, and some blasting material he did it. Within weeks tourists followed with
four-wheel-drive vehicles. The northern part of the road has been improved, and now there are tourist fishing camps on the formerly completely
uninhabited coast. |
(the final o added to Gross, above)...
While it may have been years instead of weeks for tourists to flow to Gonzaga Bay, the Mexican government did follow Grosso's pilot Jeep trail a year
after he blasted out and bulldozed the pilot road, but it was still very steep in many places and oly 4WDs, trucks and buggies were safe to use it to
about the late 1970's. Lack of use (since the completion of Hwy. 1 in Dec. 1973) because Gonzaga traffic was all coming in from the south, caused it
to become nearly impassable for several years.
In 1986, they rebuilt the 1957 road to 'near-highway' standards and for the first time, passenger cars could safely drive south from Puertecitos...
Lack of maintenance made the newest road very difficult to drive after 2006. A new, 'super engineered' paved highway has been under construction south
from Puertecitos since 2008 and has reached a point 24 miles from Puertecitos as of July, 2011.
[Edited on 8-4-2011 by David K]
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motoged
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Thanks for the info...
Don't believe everything you think....
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TMW
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Baja Bucko
I think he means Arturo Grosso-from Mama Espinoza's family.... |
Yes I'm sure it was a typo in the paper.
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