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 Santa Fe Trail in Douglas County, KS Posted by:  YoSam.
N 38° 46.042 W 095° 07.726
15S E 315054 N 4293113
Towns along the Santa Fe Trail in Douglas County, back then were: Baldwin City, Worden, Globe
Waymark Code: WMNJ85
Location: Kansas, United States
Date Posted: 03/22/2015
Views: 2
County of marker: Douglas County
Location of marker: Black Jack Roadside Park, US 56, 3 miles E. of Baldwin City
Marker erected by: Daughters of the American Revolution and the State of Kansas
Marker text:
SANTA FE TRAIL
1822 - 1872
Marked by the
Daughters of the
American Revolution
and the
State of Kansas
1906
"The trail entered Douglas County near its southeast corner, a few miles east of the old town of Black Jack before taking northwesterly course through Palmyra and on to Willow Springs. Here, it turned to the southwest, passing close to the now extinct towns of Globe and Baden and into Osage County about three miles north of the southwest corner of Douglas County.
"Black Jack Highway Park, Baldwin City
"Located three miles east of Baldwin City on US 56, Black Jack Highway Park which commemorates what many say was one of the first battles of the Civil War, even though it took place five years before the war officially began. The Battle of Black Jack occurred June 2, 1856 when John Brown, fierce opponent of slavery, led his militia against a proslavery force during the days of Bleeding Kansas.
"Battle of Black Jack Markers, Kansas
An authentic log cabin is situated in the park and contains many antiques from the Santa Fe Trail era. A small footbridge and trail connects the park to the Ivan Boyd Prairie Preserve, located immediately to the south. Here, a dramatic set of parallel trail ruts can be seen, which are among the finest along the entire length of the trail.
"Nearby, the Pearson Memorial Park, situated on E. 2000 Road, one-quarter mile south of US 56 Highway and is said by some to be the actual site of the Battle of Black Jack." Legends of America
Road of Trail Name: Santa Fe trail
State: Kansas
County: Douglas County
Historical Significance:
The Santa Fe Trail entered Douglas County near its southeast corner, a few miles east of Black Jack, from where it took a northwesterly course through Palmyra and on to Willow Springs. Here it turned to the southwest, passing close to Globe and Baden of later days and into Osage county about three miles north of the southwest corner of Douglas County. Palmyra, which later became a part of Baldwin, was long a favorite place for repairing wagons and for rest. Here, can be seen the old Palmyra Santa Fe Well which is located to the east of the high school. One half mile to the northwest is Trail Park, which contains interpretive markers and just beyond the park are stretches of county roads that lie on the old trail. Beyond here, the route traveled through a place called "The Narrows," a ridge that separated Wakarusa Creek on the north and the Marais des Cygnes River to the south. Wagon trains had to stay on this ridge to avoid rough terrain and muddy draws. The Narrows ran from just west of present Black Jack State Park, east of Baldwin City through Hickory Point and Brooklyn then to the site of Willow Springs, some 9 miles to the northwest. Willow Springs, was also a favorite place and had a thrilling territorial history. After Willow Springs, Trail travelers turned to the southwest through Globe and onto Simmons Point. Here, ruins of the old Simmons Point Stage Station can be seen from US Highway 56, 12 miles west of Baldwin City. The road then passes into Osage County about 3 miles north of the southwest corner of Douglas County.
The main “modern” town within the Douglas County Chapter area is Baldwin City, Kansas. Lawrence, KS is located just to the north. U.S. Highway 56 closely follows the Trail east to west through the chapter area. You can reach U.S. Highway 56 from Interstate 70 by traveling south from Lawrence on U.S. Highway 59. From Wichita, go north on I-35 to the same exit 60 at McPherson, follow Highway 56 to the east. From Kansas City, take I-35 south to Wichita. Take the US-56 exit 210 toward Gardner. Continue to follow US-56 through Douglas County, which closely follows the route of the Santa Fe Trail." ~ Santa Fe Trail Association
Years in use: 1822-1872
How you discovered it:
I was riding home from a party in Saline Kansas and decided to take US 56 (see nothing on Interstates), and as I passed through Baldwin City and east, then saw the roadside park, always stop, always markers in them.
Book on Wagon Road or Trial:
Along the Santa Fe Trail in Douglas County, Kansas: A brief history of the seven D.A.R. marker sites and town sites along the route of the trail in Douglas County, Kansas Unknown Binding – 1987
by Katharine B Kelley (Author) - Publisher: K.B. Kelley (1987)
SANTA FE TRAIL
Brief Summary of the Santa Fe Trail through Kansas Reprinted from the Eighteenth Biennial Report
of the Kansas State Historical Society 1911-1912.
Website Explination:
https://dianastaresinicdeane.wordpress.com/2013/08/06/exploring-the-santa-fe-trail-douglas-county-kansas/
and
http://www.santafetrail.org/chapters/douglasco/index.html
Why?:
"The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century transportation route through central North America that connected Franklin, Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1821 by William Becknell, it served as a vital commercial highway until the introduction of the railroad to Santa Fe in 1880. Santa Fe was near the end of the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro which carried trade from Mexico City.
"The route crossed Comancheria, the territory of the Comanches, who demanded compensation for granting passage to the trail. Americans routinely assaulted the Comanches along the trail, finding it unacceptable that they had to pay a fee for passage to Santa Fe, and soon, all Comanches fled the area, opening up the area to American settlement.
"The Trail was used as the 1846 U.S. invasion route of New Mexico during the Mexican–American War.
"After the U.S. acquisition of the Southwest ending the Mexican–American War, the trail helped open the region to U.S. economic development and settlement, playing a vital role in the expansion of the U.S. into the lands it had acquired. The road route is commemorated today by the National Park Service as the Santa Fe National Historic Trail. A highway route that roughly follows the trail's path through the entire length of Kansas, the southeast corner of Colorado and northern New Mexico has been designated as the Santa Fe Trail National Scenic Byway." ~ Wikipedia
Directions:
US 56, 3 miles E. of Baldwin City in a roadside park. Be careful, if you turn down E 2000 Road to the battlefield or the trail ruts, you will miss this marker ad cabin and a couple others.
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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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