right from the parking lot. We oſten meet other campers and community members sitting in their vehicle or on the benches in front of the library communicating on the Internet. Tey even have an outside plug in to keep your battery charged, how thoughtful! For supplies you need to go no further than the Potrero


General Store, which is owned and operated by our friends Mike and Willemina Arnold (seen below). You can find


County’s mountainous backcountry. Utilizing


photos,


displays, and a partial store replication, the downstairs exhibit hall interprets the history of the store itself, and the rural life of the area – from prehistoric times through the early part of this century. Te upstairs hall presents the unique history of the military in the region, including the significant role of Camp Lockett, located in Campo, CA, the last horse cavalry post in the US Army in the opening years of World War II and last home of the Buffalo Soliders. Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of


the USA 10th Cavalry Regiment of the


United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Te nickname was given to the “Negro Cavalry” by the Native American tribes they fought; the term eventually became synonymous with all of the African- American regiments formed in the mid 1860s. Te movie Buffalo Soldiers released in 1997 starring Danny Glover, was a fact-based story about the all-black US Cavalry Troop which protected the Western territories in post Civil War times and focuses on the troops attempts to capture an Apache warrior named Vittorio who slaughtered settlers in New Mexico in the late 1870s.


Barrett Junction Cafe & Mercantile


anything and everything at their store. You name it, they have it, all at a reasonable price. In addition they have propane and a terrific cafe right next door (actually part of the same building). Te local Post Office is also just down the street so if you need to mail something or buy stamps, it is very handy indeed. Te bonus of spending anytime in Potrero means you have an opportunity to enjoy a number of diverse local attractions, as they say “something for everyone”. Te list is truly remarkable.


Gaskill


Brothers’ Stone


Store and Museum Te well-


built stone building was the result of a raid on the original frame store of the Gaskill brothers by border bandits in 1875. A furious gun battle that ensued prompted the early settlers of East County to build a more secure, fortress-like stone store. Constructed post 1875 raid, it still stands to remind us the “wild west” was real not just TV fiction. When the host of the museum tells the story you can easily imagine the chaos of the event and the bravery of those resisting the raid from real Banditos. Te new and improved “store” also functioned as a bank, post office, and social centre for the community. Te museum is located on Hwy 94 and includes exhibits on the history of the Mountain Empire Region of San Diego


Te original Barrett General Store (now closed), built in


1917, stands silently next to the current building. At the time it served locals and travelers along Highway 94 which in earlier days was a stagecoach route, especially with those coming from, and going to, the border towns of Tecate, USA, and Tecate, Mexico. Te larger Barrett Junction Cafe first opened


as a restaurant in 1946, now consists of a group of buildings clustered together, under ancient California pepper trees, on the north side of Hwy 94. In addition to the cafe, the complex includes a small giſt shop and antique store, a small dining room, which connects to a much larger saloon and dining hall, within a huge Quonset hut. You can find countless unusual items and antiques lining the walls and counters, surprisingly the antique icebox and phone behind the counter are still in perfect working order. Tey have a great menu; Lisa and I have eaten here more then once. Believe us: you will not be disappointed, this establishment is worth the visit.


RVT 151• JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 15


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