The National tribune., 1908-09-24
SANTA FE TRAIL.
Mrs. Stanley, State Regent OF Kansas
d. A. r., Tells Story of Marking.

''The work of marking historic trails
commenced in Kansas has excited much
attention during the past few years. as
shown by the numerous newspapers and
magazine articles. until at last it has
become a matter of general interest
and l have received so many inquiries
on the subject of the marking of the
Santa Fe trail that 1 have concluded to
\ embody portion of the history of the
\ matter in my report.
six years ago the Society of the
Daughters of the American Revolution
| in Kansas decided to mark this great
highway by suitable monuments before
| all evidences of the exact location had
disappeared. In the beginning of the
work we were compelled to enter upon
| study of the subject, and as far as
possible learn the exact location of the
route we expected to mark
This study led to the knowledge
that in the early part of the last GEN.
| tury the tide of western immigration
| had reached the Missouri River, and at
\ this time there had grown up a con-
| siderable trade at and about Santa Fee
n. NJ, which attracted the attention of
| the Western pioneer. Between this
| western line of settlement and Santa
F'e there was a strip of rs miles thru
| treeleSs and trackless prairies, infested
| by tribes of hostile savages. None but
the hardest pioneer dared undertake
| this treacherous journey and brave the
privations and sufferings incident to
| the route, but the West has always
| furnished sturdy men to force their
way over plains and thru forests in the
| interest of advancing civilization, and
| these men proposed to mark the course
! from the Missouri River to Santa Fe.
and the dangers attendant upon the en-
! terprise could not swerye them from
| their purpose.
I'm the beginning the opening of the
| route to Santa F'e was largely matter
of private daring and enterprise, but in
1924 the trade had increased to such
an extent that the Government took
| hold of the matter in a substantial way,
and caused surveys to be made and
obtained concessions from the Indians
which cost more than 100000.
while st. Louis was really the great
optfitting post for the Southwest trade.
the route itself began near the Missouri
River and entered the State of Kansas.
in johnson County. and for the first $50
miles passed thru well -gatered
prairie country, comparatively free from
Indian depredations. This portion Of
the route ended at Council Grove, on
the Neosho River. where caravans We're
usually organized so considerable
party might pursue the journey togeth-
er and SO be means of protection to
each other against Indian raids.
THE name Council Grove was given
to this place by the Santa Fe Road
Commission in 1926 from the fact that
here they met the Usage Indians in
council. and secured from them their
agreement to the unmolested passage
of the traders thru this country The
place is now one of the beautiful and
thriving cities of Kansas.
Leaving Council Grove. the trail
continued in a southwesterly direction
to point where Walnut Creek empties
into the Arkansas River The Walnut
Valley comprises more than 1000, 900
square acres. and in the early part of
the last century was a famous grazing
land for the enormous herds of buffalo
that roamed over the prairie. As a
consequence il was popular hunting
ground. and claimed by all the tribes
for this purpose. Maj. Inman says that
no tribe had the tcnlerity to attempt
its permanent occupancy, and that this
region had been the scene of more san !
culinary conflicts than any other portion
of the continent.
THE trail followed the Arkansas
River to Cimarron. crossing near old
Fort Dodge, the present site of Dodge
City, where it divided, uniting again
near Las Vegas.
The southern. usually called the Ci-
marron route, was the more direct, but
attended with greater hardships and
privations than any other portion of
the trail. Generally there was great
scarcity of water along this part of the
route and during the dry season there
was no stream or other place where
water could be obtained, and the emf,
grants and traders We're compelled to
carry with them a supply, and often. in
the case of an attack by Indians, where
the caravan would he compelled to go
into state of siege, the danger from
lack of water was as great as the dam
ger from the attacks of sayages-
This portion of the trail, on account
of lack of water and greater danger
from Indian attacks, was considered
the most dangerous part of the journey,
and somewhere along the old Cirnarron
route many brave pioneers who faced
these dangers in opening up the trade
of the great Southwest sleep in un-i
known graves over which the winds of
the unbroken prairie still sing their
requiems
Near the point where the Walnut
empties into the Arkansas River the
trail passed almost under the shade of
Pawhee Rock. This was a famous land
mark which rises abruptly above the
pitlIlS, ana dlIOfueQ at the same time
an outlook and a fortress. Many a
bloody battle between hostile IndianI
tribes and whites were fought about its
summit Little is now left of this noted
rcck: much has been carried away and
used by the settlers, and it has been
reduced almost to a level with the
plains. In the days when caravans
passed by il it looked down upon many
an ambuscade and bloody battle. and
could it write the history of the great
plains above which 1t once stood watch
that history would contain many GRIM
son pages.
After having studied and become
familiar with the route, we turned our
attention to the matter of raising funds
to procure monuments for the marking
of the trail. The Legislature was asked
for an appropriation of $1,000. which
was readily given. The Society them
decided to make the matter one Of his
torical interest. especially to the chill
dren in the public schools, as well asl
one of patriotic education. Programs
were prepared, and the anniversary of
the admission of Kansas into the Union,
IAN. %. was selected as the day forI
having historic exercises. Prizes were
Offered to pupils In graded schools writ