The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-28
The SEVEN PATHWAYS.
Historic Transeontinental Trails
Across the Great Plains
Of America.
Another Trail Which Precedes
Them All by Fully Four
Centuries.
Remarkable Journeys of Captains Lewis
and Clarke-The Other Pathfnders-
Sheridan's Confirmation.

There are seven historic trails" on the
great plains, all of which traverse for por
tion of their distance what is now the state
Of Kansas These are the "Old Santa Fe,"
the Oregon and California, Gen. John G.
Fremont's, that of the Mormon hegira to
Utah, the Denver. Gen. Emory's, and Gen.
6heridan's during the Indian war of 1858;
of course, there are many minor ones,
purely local for their purpose at the period
Of their Inauguration. There have been
many famous expeditions, such as Col. Don
iphan's. Col. Stevenson's. Gen. Kearney'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 stories
so full of interest and thrilling adventure
which has made those tracks across the
continent the scene Of our American class
les. Every one of the trails above enum-
Grated, although abandoned years ago, their
usefulness having ended at the advent of
locations distinctly, yet each recurring sea-
son is making them DINNER, and soon they
will have faded into nothingness.
The first Of all trails started from the
west, writes Henry Inman in the Kansas
City Star, and was made by Francisco
Cities Of Cibola,'' in the ''Kingdom Of Out
vira." Every vestige of his trail was oblit-
Grated centuries ago, for the mighty inter,
since the celebrated Spanish explorer and
his little band of faithful followers made
their march across the great plains, which,
when considered in all the circumstances
surrounding the undertaking and the era in
which it occurred, stands as one of the
of history. It was only forty
eight years after the landing of Colum bus
on the island of San Salvador, and remorse-
less time long since must have relegated
trees, water courses, and the entire land
scape the hardy Adventures looked upon to
the domain of vast modification, at least SO
that their exact line of march can never be
determined from any legible marks they
left. Coronado probably looked upon the
Missouri river about where Atchison stands,
from which point he turned back from his
boOtless mission, disappointed and heart
broken man.
In the early part of this century Capts.
Lewis and Clarke commenced their remark
able journey of exploration and adventure
across the continent. A 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 Atch
ison is situated, and thence northwesterly to
Where rolls the Oregon"
Traces of their route may yet be seen in
the mountains and in many other places
Much change has taken place in the land.
scape in this region since they first gazed
upon it. It was in July, 1904, that Lewis
and Clarke reached ''the upper point of the
River Kansas" and between that date and
mouth of the river had materially altered,
which, glance at the old maps will confirm.
There were many other expeditions after
that ofsLewis and Clarke-Gen. Adkinson's,
have forgotton-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 pred
ecessors. or deviated relatively short dis
tances from them.
Of all perhaps, has history that in its en-
tirety can never be written. Its ancient
Landmarks Pawnee Rock. Choteau's Is
land, Cow Creek, Point of Rocks, and a
dozen other prominent places in days long
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 cold
Santa Fe Trail'' that General Stephen
Phil Kearney" of the civil wary set out on
his expedition and took possession of New
Mexico as soon as war had been declared
against Mexico by the United States. HI
was made briGadier in the old army II
''Army of the Vest when he left the ole
fort. He followed the Santa Fe trail ove1
the Ration mountains and on to the quaint
Mexican village of Las Vegas, almost thu
same route the railroad now takes.
Col. A. W. Doniphan, too, of the FRS
Missouri Volunteers. who was ordered b,
General Kearney to New Mexico, followed
the old Santa Fe trail its whole length
The bravery of this gallant soldier is par
of the country history. l had the homo
OF knowing him very we'll. and in 1SS
stood with him on the very site of some o
his famous skirmishes, when met him OF
the occasion of my third visit to New Mex
leo.
There is another trail, established i,
1913, that is as plainly visible from tn
town of Fowler, in Meade county, to Mead
Centre and beyond. as country road.
is that of Major William Hemsley Emory
then of the United States Typographical en-
gineers, corps that in the early part of tn
civil war was consolidated With the eng
neers proper. Emory was Marylande
and resigned when Sumter was fired upol
believing that his state was going out of tt
union; then, discovering that it was not, l
managed to have his resignation SUI
pressed or recalled and rose to the rank {
major general of volunteers. l knew hi
very well; he was an admirable schola
a good soldier, and a martinez. I
was an astronomer and in charge
tie survey of the boundary between Il
United States and Mexico, and the trail
refer to is of his expedition TO discover Il
sources of the Red river, (of the north.
course.) Our people then knew no more
the country they had acquired by the st
ulations of the "Guadalupe- Hidalgo treaty
than We do of the hieroglyphics of Uxm
and PalenQue, in Central America, to .da,
SO Emory was sent to go and learn SOM
thing about it. He went as far as the Peco
and was the first to sketch and describe IL
s,lA III 10 fhpf