The family of Jacob and Charlotte Stenger were among those pioneers who helped build America, living much of their lives, "where the rubber meets the road, " but more accurately, "where the wagon wheel meets the rut." This is their story, not unique, but instructional for those who may be unfamiliar with the hard lives and sacrifices endured by our not so ancient forbearers. This picture of life on the prairies and deserts of the southwest in the second half of the nineteenth century is not meant to be completely accurate historically, nor a definitive history of my maternal ancestors. It is simply the story of their journey, the daily risks of life on the frontier, the tedium of a slower pace of life, the heartbreak and joy of family life, separation and reunion. Where coincidence and documentation allow, their experiences are woven into the stories of a few of the famous people they encountered. Many of the characters are of necessity fictitious, but some are well-known pioneers and personalities who braved the often-perilous journey on the southwestern trails, or otherwise helped transform New Mexico from a remote Mexican province into a territorial outpost in the westward expansion of America to the Pacific Ocean. Theirs was an important contribution in fulfilling the dream of "Manifest Destiny, " a Continental United States of America.