The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-01
SEVEN GREAT TRAILS.
Historic Pathways Beaten in
Crossing the Plains.
FOOTPRINTS OF THE PIONEER.
Lewis and Clarke Camped Where Kan
sas City Stands-Traces OF Fremont's
March Still Visible.
Henry Inn,an in Kansas CITY Star.

March Still Visible.
Henry InEan in Kansas City Star.
There are seven historic trails on the
great plains, all of which traverse for DOR
ton OF their distance what is now the state
OF Kansas. These are the "Old Santa Fe. -
the Oregon and California, General John
Z. Fremont's, that of the Mormon hegira
TO Utah, the Denver, General Emory's and
General Sheridan's during the Indian war
of 1862. OF course there are many minor
ones, purely local for their purpose at the
period of their Inauguration. There have
feen many famous expeditions, such as
Colonel DoniphaD's, Colonel Stevenson's
General kearny's. the exodus to Pixies
Peak and California, but all of them follow
one or the other of the trails named here.
adding to the story so full of interest and
thrilling adventure which has made those
tracks" across the continent the scene of
our American classics. Every one of the
trails above enumerated, although aban-
doned years ago, their usefulness having
ended at the advent of the railroads, may
still be seen in many localities distinctly,
yet each recurring season is making them
DINNER, and soon they will have faded into
nothingness.
The first of all trails started from the
West, and was made by Fraelsco yasauez
de Coronado, one of Cortez's generals, in
search of the mythical Seven Cities of
Cibola' in the Kingdom of Quiyira.n
Every vestige of his trail was obliterated
centuries ago. for the mighty interval OF
nearly 400 years has elapsed since the cele-
brated Spanish explorer and his little band
of faithful followers made their march
across the great plains, which, when con-
sidered in all the circumstances surround
ing the undertaking and the era in which
it occurred, stands as one OF the grandest
exploits recorded on the pages of history.
1t was only forty eight years after the
landing of Columbus on the island of San
Salvador, and remorseless time long since
must have relegated trees, water cou rises,
and the entire landscape the hardy adven-
turers looked upon to the domain of vast
modification, at least go that their exact
line of march can never be determined
from any legible marks they left. Coro-
nado probably looked upon the Missouri
river about where Atchison stands, from
which point ne turned back from his boot
less mission, disappointed and heart
broken man.
In the early part of thiscentury Captains
Lewis and Clarke commenced their re-
markable journey of exploration and
adventure across the continent. part of
their trail was what is now Grand avenue
in this city, at some point on which they
camped. They crossed the Kaw, went
north to where Atchison is situated, and
thence northwesteriy to
Where rolls the Oregon.
Traces of their route may yet be seen in
xtoxw> rss.N~I
Much change has taken place in the land
scape in this region since they first gazed
upon it. 1t was in July, 1904, that Lewis and
Clarke reached 1.-The upper point of the
River Kansas" and between that date and
sixteen years afterward, the position
of the mouth of the river had ma
terially altered, which a glance at the old
maps will confirm.
There were many other expeditions after
that of Lewis and Ciarke-GeneraI Adkin-
sons, Pixies, Longs, ETC., whose leaders
names have forgotten--the story of which
IN all its most interesting details, may be
found by the careful student of history. but
they practically followed the trails of their
predecessors, or deviated only relatively
short distances from them.
The old Santa Fe Trail" most famous
of all perhaps, has history that in its en-
tlrety can never be written. Its ancient
Landmarks" Pawnee Rock. Choteau's
Island, Cow Greek, Point of Rocks, and a
dozen other prominent places in DAYS long
since vanished. if they might speak what a
story they could tell of the blood-curdling
events that have happened on the now
peaceful prairie surrounding them.
1t was from Bent's fort on the "Old
Santa Fe trail" that General Stephen Watts
kearny (uncle OF that fighting Phil
kearny" of the civil war; set out on his ex-
petition and took possession of New Mexico
n : ne "
Mexico by the United States. He was
made brigadier in the old army in June.
1916, and was in command of the "army of
the West" when he left the old fort He
followed the Santa Fe trail over the Ration
mountains and ON to the quaint Mexican
village of Las Vegas, almost the same
route that the railroad now taxes
Colonel A. w. Doniphan, too. of the First
Missouri mounted volunteers, who was or
dered by General kearny to New Mexico.
followed the Old Santa Fe trail its whole
length. The bravery of this gallant soldier
Is part OF the country's history. had the
honor of knowing him very well, and in
1881 stood with him OH the very site of
some of his famous skirmishes when met
him on the occasion of my third visit to
New Mexico
There is another trail. established in
1918, that is az plainly visible from the town
OF Fowler, in Meade county TO Meade Gen.
ter and beyond, as country road. 1t is
that of Major William Hemsley Emory,
then OF the United States Typographical en-
gineers, corps that in the early part of
the civil war was consolidated with the en-
gineers proper. Emory was Marylander
and resigned when Sumter was fred upon,
believing that his state was going out of
the Union; then, discovering that il was
not, he managed TO have his resignation
suppressed OF recalled, and rose to the
rank of major general of volunteers. |
knew him very well; he was an
admirable scholar, good soldier and q
martinez. He was an astronomer and in
charge of the survey between the boundary
between the United States and Mexico
and the trail refer TO is of his exped1tion
TO discover the sources of the Red river
tof the North, of coursel Our people then
knew no more OF the country thew had
acquired by the stipuations OF the "Gnada-
iupe- Hidalgo treaty" than we do of the
hierogiyphics of Uxmal and Palenoue, in
Central America, today so Emory was
sent 10 20 and learn something about ii.
lie went as lar as the Pecos, and was the
hrst 10 sketch and describe the old Aztec
temple on that historic stream. Ii was the
reFuted birthplace OF the Aztec culture
hero, Mouteznma.' and is also the Cicuye
OF COronado's wonderful march. MANY
tourists confound the old Catholic church
alongside of the temple with IT, The tenn
pie has been RACED 10 the ground these
many years--long before New Mexico knew
ANYTHING. of modern trayeI-while the
church itself has been ruin for more than
century. Erected nearly four hundred
years ago. when the Aztec temple was
intact, 1t must have been strange sight
that blending OF the two reIigions-the
black smoke from the estaufas of the
femuia xhieh mad heep hurrfptv rr<,ho Xiv