Santa Fe Trail Ruts - near Howell, Kansas
Posted by: iconions
N 37° 47.461 W 100° 11.775
14S E 394673 N 4183302
This is a two mile section of Santa Fe Trail Ruts located 1/2 mile west of Howell, Kansas on US-50.
Waymark Code: WM598M
Location: Kansas, United States
Date Posted: 11/30/2008
Views: 33
The Santa Fe Trail Ruts located 9 miles west of Dodge City, Kansas
are remains of the once major thoroughfare of westward expansion. Much of the remains have been lost, However, a splendid specimen of some approximate 140 acres have been preserved by the Boothill Association. This section contains a major arch of the trail as it curved across the Kansas countryside. Also on this parcel are several separate sections of the ruts. The ruts at this point stretch some 400 feet in width. When one of the ruts would become too deep, wagons would be shifted and new troughs would be dug into the earth.
There have been a number of intrusions which have severed the trail in various locations. These intrusions include U.S. 50, a railroad and irrigation ditch built in the 1890 f s which winds back and forth across the ruts. Cattle grazing on the ruts have also greatly impaired sections of the trail.
In addition to the above mentioned intrusions, the Arkansas River has shifted as much as half a mile to the south from its original channel. Despite these alterations in the historic scene, the well defined ruts retain a great deal of their historic integrity.
- National Register Application
Street address: 9 miles west of Dodge City Dodge City, Ks USA
County / Borough / Parish: Ford
Year listed: 1966
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event - Santa Fe Trail
Periods of significance: 1800-1874
Historic function: Transportation
Current function: Vacant - Not in Use
Privately owned?: no
Season start / Season finish: From: 01/01/2008 To: 12/31/2008
Hours of operation: From: 8:00 AM To: 5:00 PM
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
National Historic Landmark Link: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
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Visit Instructions: Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.
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