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 Santa Fe Trail - Olathe, Kansas Posted by:  iconions
N 38° 52.933 W 094° 49.183
15S E 342160 N 4305279
Santa Fe Trail marker on the grounds of the Johnson County Courthouse in Olathe, Kansas.
Waymark Code: WM2YFB
Location: Kansas, United States
Date Posted: 01/10/2008
Views: 59
This marker was placed by Johnson County and the Old Settler's Association in 1907 and it commemorates the trail's passage through Olathe. The Santa Fe Trail was mainly a shipping trail that was in use starting in 1821 and ending in 1880. Most of the length of the trail went through modern day Kansas. As the railroads were pushed further west, the starting point of the trail was pushed further west.
Road of Trail Name: Santa Fe Trail
State: Kansas
County: Johnson
Historical Significance:
Olathe, Kansas was a day's travel away from Westport, Missouri and had a tavern that served some of the last non trail food before Council Grove - 100 miles away.
Years in use: 1822 -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:
http://santafetrail.org
Why?:
From the National Park Service website:
http://www.nps.gov/safe/historyculture/index.htm
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 waymark is located in the Johnson County Plaza at the Northwest corner of Cherry and Park in Olathe, Kansas
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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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