Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1903-12-12
SANTA FE
TRAIL
Daughters Of American Revo|u-
tion Propose Erecting an
Arch at Terminus.
IS AT EXCHANGE HOTEL
Colonel J. Franco Chaves Gives a Brief
History Of the Trail in the
EARLY Days.

| O->-
Santa Fe trail.
At the last meeting of Sunshine
Chapter, Daughters of the American
Revolution, held last Wednesday af-
ternoon in this city, the members of
the Chapter voted to consider ways
and means for marking the terminus
of the old Santa Fe trail which ends
at the Exchange Hotel in this city.
The route of the trail is being marked
through Kansas and the Daughters of
the American Revolution are of the
opinion that the terminus should be
perpetuated for posterity by marking
it with an arch.
The old Santa Fe trail which start.
ed at independence, Missouri, was the
highway for commerce and travel be-
fore the advent of railroads in the
great Southwest. 1t was the scene Of
many bloody encounter with the In
dians, wagon trains being waylaid,
and even the friendly Indians would
stampede the mules at night. For ov-
er half century all the commerce
and travel to the southwest came ov-
er the trail, some of the merchants
being their own freighters, while 9th
ers had it done under contract.
1t is distinctly the one landmark in
Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico
that should be perpetuated, represent
ing as it does the establishment of
commerce and wealth in the great
southwest, and the sole highway of i'm
migrating to this section prior to the
advent of railroads. The movement
started by the Daughters of the Amer
lean Revolution should meet with the
hearty favor and support of all those
who are anxious to have Santa Fe re-
main the most important historic
point of interest in the United States.
History of Trail BY Colonel chaves.
"The old Santa Fe trail prior to
1880 when the first railroad entered
Santa Fe' said Colonel J. Franco
Chaves, lapsing into reminiscent
mood, was the sole highway of COM
merce, immigration and travel. The
trail was established in 1920 and start
ed at independence, Missouri, running
20 miles in Missouri, thence through
what is now the state of Kansas, strik-
ing the Arkansas River $50 miles from
independence, thence along the banks
of the river to about IL miles above
Fort Dodge, where the stream was
crossed; thence westward to the lower
Cimarron spring at Cimarron River;
thence to Las Vegas and from Las
Vegas to Santa Fe via the route OF the
Santa Fe Railroad, but instead of 60
ing down the Apache Canon via OF
Lamy as the railroad does, the wagon
trains came right on by Johnson's
Ranch, over the hill to Rock Corral, to
Santa Fe.
"Still another trail went up the Ar
kansas River to Bent's Ford and then
westward to what was then called the
Purgatoire, commonly known as
Picket Ware where the town OF
Trinidad, Colorado, is now situated;
thence through the Ration pass down
to the Dry Cimarron where Lucien
Maxwell established his ranch; thence
to Las Vegas where the two trails
joined. 1t took from two and half
to three months to come over either
trail with loaded wagons.
A Trip Over the Trail.
Having crossed the trail upwards
of -25 times, will give in detail as far
as my memory serves me the route
from independence to Santa Fe. At
ter leaving Independence we came to
Black Jack Point where Olathe. Kan
sas, is now situated and then crossed
the Willow Creeks, 11O creek, now
known as Burlingame,. Kansas, 142
creek, afterwards known as Dragon
Creek, Council Grove, known below as
Neocho Creek, Diamond Spring, Lost
Spring, Cottonwood Creek, the Three
Turkeys, the Running Turkey, the
Dry Turkey and the Big Turkey, Owl
Creek, Little Arkansas, Little Cow
Creek, Big Cow Creek, Walnut Creek,
and the big bend, where the Arkansas
was first struck, Pawnee Rock, Paw
nee Fork, Ash Point, Three Coon
Creeks and the Arkansas.
..It was So miles from the Arkansas
Rivereto the Lower Cimarron Spring
from there to Cold Spring, then we
struck Carrizo Creek, Rabbit Ear, the
Red or Canadian River, Apache Hill,
Wagon Mound, La Junta where the
town of Watrous is now situated,
thence to Las Vegas, and from there
to Tecolote, Bernal to the Pecos Riv-