Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-05-21
SANTA FE TRAIL
Missouri Women Plan to Assist
in Marking the Famous
Old Highway.
OLDEST CITIZENS CONSULTED
Daughters of the American Revolution
Have Taken up Work of Great
Historical Interest.

The Daughters of the American Rev
olution have undertaken to mark the
old Santa Fe trail, of historic memory,
says special dispatch from Kansas
City. Mo. to the st. Louis Globe-Dem-
ocrat. In Kansas City and Jackson
county. Mo, similar work will be
done to connect at the state line with
the Kansas monuments. For working
the trail west of the Kansas state line
to the New Mexico border the Colorado
legislature has made an appropriation.
This leaves only the gap in New Mex
leo to be marked.
In aid of the project the Kansas leg
islature has granted an appropriation
of 81 900. but the greater part of the
money necessary 10 defray the expense
will be given by the men, women and
children and by the schools and
churches of the state of Missouri. AL
ready the public schools of Missouri
| have had penny contributions, and the
daughters Will devise other means by
| which the patriotism and the public
| spirit of the people will be reached.
| The design is to make il Il monument
of the people to the memory of the
| hardy plainSmen who blaZed the way
for the civilization which since has
come TO the great American desert.
| The trail in Kansas will be marked
with stones taken from Il granite quar-
nv near the town of Granite, Okla. OF
| this granite about four monuments to
Il county will be used. Later mile
| stones made of cement, dug from the
soil of Kansas. will be set between the
| granite monuments. Two of the gran
ite monuments already have been set
in Johnson county by local assOcia-
| tons. and this summer other local as
SociatiOuS along the course of the Old
| trail will set stones. The Atchison, To-
peka and Santa Fe Railway company
| will suitably mark the trail where that
| railroad crosses.
In making the survey for the monu-
| mentS the oldest inhabitants and other
survivors of the period will he consult
ed. For since the advent of the rail
way and the consequent abandonment
of the trail the course Of this ancient
path Of caravan commerce, except in
isolated localities of the remote south
west. has been Obliterated by the fruit
full farms. the town sites and the stat
utory highways of modern civilization
and the memories of the men and wo
men who used the trail in its latter
day or have witnessed its passing must
be depended upon.
Restore Old stopping Places.
In the eastern part Of Kansas old
| w
halts were made for the MONDAY re
frpshmeNtS and the groves where th'
night camps were pitched. so far n
possible, will be restored. In the west
beyond the Cottonwood river in Kan
saS to the end Of the trail, where the
real hardships ana dangers of the Ion:
journey across the plains began, TIL
sites of the military posts, long Sine
abandoned. will be marked and ali
cient landmarks preserved. The sit
of old Fort Mann in Kansas, which
was surprised by Indians and the gar
rison massacred, and OF old For
Bent in Colorado, especially, will b
| marked.
l. Although unused. abandoned and n
I most forgotten this famous path o
: commerce. the foreTunner Of n grea
! transcontinental railway, still mark
/ the solitude of the plains. The WACO
?. ruts are grasSgrOwn, but distinct. TIL
. roadside still bears the sears OF cam
l. fires, long since qucnched by the snow
>, and rains of Il third of n centur!
/ Even evidences of the caches of tn
} early voyagers of the prairies remain
The towns which were founded an
/ the settlements which grew an
. thrived upon the caravan traffic hay
n passed from the map. All the bus
~ commerce of the plains is gone. bu
g, Gods pastures remain. and. succeed
. ing the wild Indian and the migrator
C bison, have come the peaceful AmeI
: lean and his herds of domestic cattl'
8 The old trail in Rice county, Kan
crossed the largest deposit of salt
- the world, which is 200 miles long an
800 feet thick.