Santa Fe Trail - Oklahoma Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

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The Santa Fe Trail
A Bridge Between The United States and Mexico

Before you is a portion of the historic Santa Fe Trail.  Established as a wagon route by William Becknell in 1822, the Santa Fe Trail became the first major trade link between the eastern United States and the newly established country of Mexico.  From the 1820's to the 1860's a steady stream of wagon trains followed this historic route.  From Missouri came materials and supplies that were vital to the development of norther Mexico; Mexican traders sent silver, furs, and other products to the U.S.  Traveling only 12-15 miles per day the 800 mile trip could take 7 weeks.

With the discovery of gold in California to the late 1840's, traffic increased greatly on the Santa Fe Trail.  Traders, goldseekers and military troops were frequent travelers on the trail throughout the 1850's.  Following the Civil War, however, construction of railroads began in the region.  By the 1860's and 70's trade items and military freight were increasingly carried by rail.  On February 9th, 1880, when the first steam locomotive passed near Santa Fe, New Mexico, the wagon trail was no longer needed.  This brought about the end of nearly 60 years of commercial use of the Santa Fe Trail.

One Trail - Two Routes

As the Santa Fe Trail crossed the southern Plains it split into two trails: the Mountain Route and the Cimarron Route.  Just west of Doge City, Kansas, the Mountain Route continued in a westerly direction to Colorado before turning south to New Mexico.  The Cimarron Route which was also called the Cimarron Cut-off, crossed this portion of Present-day Oklahoma.  The Cimarron Route was the more heavily used trail because it was 100 miles shorter than the Mountain Route and crossed more gentle terrain.

The Santa Fe Trail
A Cultural Tidal Wave Through Indian Land

The Santa Fe Trail had a profound impact on the lives of the Indians of the Southern Plains.  Comanche, Kiowa, Plains Apache, Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors fought hard to protect their lands from the arrival of traders and emigrants.

By the mid-1870's, as a result of intense military pressure and the slaughter of millions of buffalo, these Plains Indian tribes were forced to begin a new life on reservations.  While the Santa Fe Trail opened the door to American expansion in the Southwest, it signaled an end to the Plains Indian's nomadic way of life.

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