La Junta tribune., 1911-10-21
|T Cinarron the trail comes
to the parting Of the ways
Here the trail divided. A


Here the trail divided. A
branch crossed the Arxaa-
sas river and went to the southwest
vard. while another branch ~e-.t
north Of the Arkansas river toward
what is nov La Junta. Colo
The CimArron crossing is one Of
the most important, II not the most
important historic point on the old
trail. This crossing Is few miles
west OF cimarron. II vas here that
the old traders used to branch off
from the valley trail and take the
shorter route toward the cimArron
river TO cut off part Of the distance
and avoid the deep passes Of the
mountains Much strenuous discus
sion has existed and the echoes have
not died away as TO which Was
the real old trail II IN" ,estimon-
les OF old timers are convincing both
trails were used Kansas has wisely
marked both OF the trails. The one
which ran north OF the Arkansas
river through Gray. Finney. kearney
and Hamilton counties into Colorado
and the one which. crossing near
Cimarron. ran through Gray Haskell.
Grant and Morton counties.
ID. W. Barton, Of the little village
Of ingalls,. west OF cimarron. perhaps
al. ka., l,s "A In sbt. mart
Of Kansas In regard to the old trail.
. resident, here since the early seven
ties. Geo. A. Day. who homesteaded
the frs, tract or Hand l.. Cray county.
and Elmer T. Peterson. editor his
foriAn and artist. went with the
tran party over the historic places
around Cimarron. d. W. Barton has
a home made knife found at the scene
OF the Cimarron Indian massacre. T..
T. Peterson has a number OF wagon
irons, relics OF the same terrible trag.
edy. Mr. Peterson has painted a pic
ture Of the old cimarrou crossing.
which reprodDces with artistic skin
the Arkansas river In the days when
the Santa Fe traders crossed IL
According TO these old timers. the
eontention made that there was prsc-
iically no trail north Of the Arsan-
sas. west OF Cimarron. and that the
trail proper was over the Cimarron
route. crossing the river In Gray coun
ty. 10 somewhat. but not entirely jus
titled. They ref.r To tn. two trall..
The biggest trail and by far the
most Travelled long before 1853 MAS
west of the CImarron crossing on the
north side OF the Arkansas. After
1868. when the Indians broke out.
oore than three-fourths Of all travel
took this route A. far zs Beni's Fort.
which Was forty miles west Of Fort
Lyons. Robert ". Wright. OF Dodge
City. freiEhred vegetables from
abo,. Pueblo to Forts Lyons and
larned In the early sixties. bull; all
he little stations In between the
forts for Barlow. sanderson 4 Com
pany and furnished them with hay
and handled all their grain from
Fort Larn.d ives, to supply these sta.
lions. He was continually on the route
and very often droy. III. siag. him
self He says that thrc"-fourths Of
the freight went west OF m. Cimar.
ron crossing In the iaisr y.ars on the
north side Of the ryer al Bcnt's old
fort Non. but Mexican trains. ac.
oofdlng 10 Mr. Wright. crossed At the
cimarron crossing after 1865. and the
United States government issued or.
d.rs tina, all government freight
should keep on ih. north side OF the
Arkansas river until II reached Bent,
old fort and the government refused
10 pay any damage sustained from
Indians II this order vas di.ob~ytd
Il am speaking. OF course. said Mr.
Wright. -of the Nc~ Mexico freight
10 Fort rnion and Santa Pc. the For,
CAriand fr.ight all vent up the Ar.
kansas river on IN. north side. Long
before my time. 1859. and after 1853
more than thrc..fourthz followed the