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 Trail Remnants - New Santa Fe - Kansas City, Mo Posted by:  iconions
N 38° 54.422 W 094° 36.349
15S E 360763 N 4307685
This is a pair of connected National Park Service Panels near the site of New Santa Fe, Missouri - an important stop and town on the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon Trails.
Waymark Code: WM6QWR
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 07/10/2009
Views: 11
Text of the left side panel:
Sometimes muddy, often dusty, shared tack of three major roads - the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California Trails, once passed this way. It was created by teamsters urging heavy freight wagons to and from New Mexico. In the 1840's-50s, pioneer families traveled this part of the Santa Fe Trail as they started west to Oregon and California.
Here, travellers found an ideal camp, with water and good grazing. By the 1850s, a stage stop called "New Santa Fe" offered several amenities: a post office, two general stores, an inn, and a shoe shop, drugstore, blacksmith, and saloon.
The wheels of heavy wagons, thousands of hooves, and the feet of generations of people wore deep ruts into the land. The rolling, grass filled swales in front of you are the last hints of these famous western roads.
"At six o'clock we reached ... (Little Santa Fe), which marks the separation between civilized and uncivilized life. Beyond were the vast plains ... little known to the white man - the home of the Indian - land of the buffalo."
-William G. Johnson
Overland to California, 1849
"...we drove 20 miles to New Santa Fe, on the western borders of Missouri, where we encamped upon the prairie. The mail companion had an agent ... with whom the passengers found accommodations ... there was an abundance of good cheer."
-W.W. Davis
Illustration of pioneers coming into and out of New Santa Fe by Charles Goslin 1987
text of the right side panel:
The Oregon and California Trails were pathways to the Pacific for fur traders, gold seekers, missionaries, and emigrants. For 20 years, beginning in 1841, an estimated 300,00 emigrants followed this route from the midwest to fertile Oregon farmlands or California gold fields - trips that took five months to complete.
Santa Fe National Historic Trail
From 182 to 1848, the Santa Fe Trail was an international road for American and Mexican traders. In 1848, the Mexican-American War ended, and New Mexico was added to the United States. The trail became a national road for commercial and military freighting, stagecoach travel, emigration, and mail service. It was replaced over time by the westward-expanding railroad, which reached Santa Fe in 1880.
background is the map of the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California Trail with major points of interest highlighted.
Road of Trail Name: Santa Fe Trail
State: Missouri
County: Jackson County
Historical Significance:
This was the last stop in Missouri, and for awhile, the last stop in civilization, for the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California Trails before heading west.
Years in use: 1822 to 1880
How you discovered it:
I started following a book called "Following the Santa Fe Trail - A Guide for Modern Travellers" This guidebook gives the locations of the significant sites of the trail and the background stories. It is a good read even if you aren't following the trail.
Book on Wagon Road or Trial:
Following the Santa Fe Trail - A Guide for Modern Travellers by Marc Simmons and Hal Jackson
Website Explination:
Wikipedia has an excellent explanation of the trail:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Fe_Trail
Why?:
From the National Park Service Website:
http://www.nps.gov/safe/
Between 1821 and 1880, the Santa Fe Trail was primarily a commercial highway connecting Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico. From 1821 until 1846, it was an international commercial highway used by Mexican and American traders. In 1846, the Mexican-American War began. The Army of the West followed the Santa Fe Trail to invade New Mexico. When the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war in 1848, the Santa Fe Trail became a national road connecting the United States to the new southwest territories. Commercial freighting along the trail continued, including considerable military freight hauling to supply the southwestern forts. The trail was also used by stagecoach lines, thousands of gold seekers heading to the California and Colorado gold fields, adventurers, fur trappers, and emigrants. In 1880 the railroad reached Santa Fe and the trail faded into history.
Directions:
Go North on State Line Road from 135th Street. Turn Right on Santa Fe Trail. The plaques are just to the right of the cemetery gates.
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Visit Instructions:
To post a log for this Waymark the poster must have a picture of either themselves, GPSr, or mascot. People in the picture with information about the waymark are preferred. If the waymarker can not be in the picture a picture of their GPSr or mascot will qualify. There are no exceptions to this rule.
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