The French and the Santa Fe Trail - Kansas City, Mo - Wagon Roads and Trails on Waymarking.com

This marker is tucked away in a small pocket park just off the corner of Westport Road and Pennsylvania Avenue. ?This marker is surrounded by landscaping and a wrought iron fence. The text is in English on one side and in French on the other. Here is the text of the marker:

The Santa Fe Trail extended nearly 1,000 miles overall from the Missouri River ports Southwest to Taos and Santa Fe. The first exploration and trading on the direct overland trail was conducted by the colonial French. The 1680 pueblo revolt in New Mexico cut off Spanish trade with the Southwestern Indians, and French traders were quick to fill the void. The Illinois French were then pushing up the Missouri River and far to the West, looking for gold and silver - and beaver for hats for Louis XIV's Court at Versailles. The Spanish Hidalgos reported with alarm in the 1690's that many French were "coming across the plains" to the centuries-old Taos Fair.

Etienne Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont, surveyed the lower Missouri for Louis XIV in 1713, and set out overland from Kawsmouth to Santa Fe for the Regent, the Duc d'Orleans, and the Company of the Indies a decade later. Sickness and cold weather turned him back. He recovered in time to return and hold an immense pow-wow with the Commanches and others in the vicinity of Ellsworth, Kansas, gave them extravagant gifts, and obtained a treaty which opened the Santa Fe Trail to the French.

The direct overland prairie journey from Kawsmouth was a well-known French route to Taos and Santa Fe, used not only by Bourgmont, but also by many French military, priests and robust coureurs-de-bois like James Michener's "Pasquinal." The early French also took the Missouri-Platte-South Platte river voyage, and thence by land to Santa Fe. Well documented expeditions took this route in 1739, 1749, and 1752; the 1752 expedition leader accurately predicting that "caravans of horses" would soon carry "goods and clothing" directly overland to Santa Fe from Kawsmouth.

The Spanish at Santa Fe in 1795 sent a Frenchman, Pedro (Pierre) Vial, to reopen direct overland trade with the Missouri River communities. Sacajawae's son, "Bap" Charbonneau, part French and an 1823 resident of "Chez les Canses" (the early French name for Kansas City), later worked for the famous Santa Fe Trail traders, Bent & St. Vrain.

The Chouteau Society in Honor of Bernadette (Gohin) Weber

Road of Trail Name: Santa Fe Trail State: Missouri County: Jackson County Historical Significance: This marker discusses the very early French origins of the Santa Fe Trail - which predate the American usage by many years. 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: This marker is located in a pocket park near the southwest corner of Westport Road and Pennsylvania Avenue.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   07/19/2023 173Carver visited it 03/30/2013 Trekkie79 visited it 01/20/2013 iconions visited it

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