The Santa Fe Trail Through Kansas

Santa Fe Trail Through Kansas - Page 2

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The trail entered Douglas County near its southeast corner, a few miles east of the old town of Black Jack. Today, the site is commemorated Douglas County Prairie Park east of Baldwin City. Here, a dramatic set of parallel trail ruts can be seen, which are among the finest along the entire length of the trail. Just next to Prairie park is Black Jack State Park, where the Battle of Black Jackoccurred during the days of Bleeding Kansas.

Beyond here, the route traveled through a place called "The Narrows," a ridge that separated Wakarusa Creek on the north and the Marais des Cygnes River to the south. Wagon trains had to stay on this ridge to avoid rough terrain and muddy draws. The Narrows ran from just west of present Black Jack State Park, east of Baldwin City, to the site of Willow Springs, some 9 miles to the northwest.

Santa Fe Trail through Douglas Osage and Lyon Counties,

courtesy National Park Service.

The route then traveled through Palmyra, which has long since merged with Baldwin City. Here, can be seen the old Palmyra Santa Fe Well which is to the east of the high school.

The community of Palmyra grew along the Santa Fe Trail in the 1850s, and the well provided water for Trail travelers and their livestock. The Trail has been commemorated with markers nearby and the well is identified as the Santa Fe Well. One mile to the northwest is Trail Park, which contains interpretive markers and just beyond the park are stretches of county roads that lie on the old trail.

The trail then took northwesterly course to Willow Springs, a good watering spot on the prairie and then turned to the southwest to Simmons Point. Here, is the old Simmons Point Stage Station, located north of US Highway 56 and 12 miles west of Baldwin City. This was a popular watering spot during the trail's heydays and at one time offered a small hotel. Unfortunately, the privately owned buildings in crumbling and in serious disrepair. Because it is on private property, and because of its unsafe condition, visitors should not try to approach it. Just west of the stage station on the north side of US 56 is a small cemetery.

The old road then passed close to Globe and Baden of later days and into Osage County about three miles north of the southwest corner of Douglas County.

Osage County

In passing westerly through Osage County, a distance of 24 miles, the trail dropped only one mile south, entering from Douglas County; then to Flag Spring and almost due west along the natural divide for ten or more miles, passing through present-day Overbrook and on to 110 creek crossing. From this place it ran westward, passing within a mile south of Scranton. Along this path is the site of the old McGee-Harris Stage Station about 1 mile south of US Highway 56 on the east bank of 110 Mile Creek, east of Burlingame, Kansas. The stage station was started in the 1850s by Fry McGee, who also erected a toll bridge over 110 Mile Creek here. Harris, McGee's son-in-law, operated the station, following McGee's death, from 1861 to 1866, when this segment of the trail closed. Crumbling building remains are all that are left today.

Continuing on the trail reached the Switzler Creek Crossing on the eastern edge of Burlingame, Kansas, very near the present day US Highway 56 bridge. A toll bridge was operated here from 1847 to the 1860s. This was the location of the Council City of territorial days. It was at Burlingame that the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad first made its first contact with the Santa Fe Trail in 1869. The trail went down the main street of Burlingame.

Samuel Hunt Grave in Osage County

Samuel Hunt Grave, courtesy National Park Service.

Three miles to the northwest of Burlingame and north of Kansas Highway 32 is the Dragoon Creek Crossing, a natural rock crossing point that still appears much as it did in the Trail days.

About one mile west of Dragoon Creek and just south of Kansas Highway 31, is the old Havana Stage Station site. Reportedly built in 1858, the station was complemented by a store and a hotel. Today, only the remains of the stage station are discernible.

The Samuel Hunt Grave is located just north of Kansas Highway 31 and about ½ mile west of the Havana Stage Station site. Private Samuel Hunt, US Army Dragoons, served with Colonel Henry Dodge's Rocky Mountain Expedition in 1835, and died at this location on the return march to Fort Leavenworth. This is the earliest known gravesite of a soldier on the Santa Fe Trail.

Just southwest of the gravesite is Soldier Creek Crossing, where where visible Santa Fe Trail ruts lead to the creek.

The path then took its course through the old town of Wilmington, in the southeast corner of Wabaunsee County. Once a thriving town and stage station on the Santa Fe Trail, the settlement was established by H. D. Shepard in 1856. Today, all that is left is the 1870 Wilimington School, a stone building now owned by the Flint Hills Chapter of the Santa Fe Trail.

Lyon County

Entering Lyon County near the northeast corner, the trail crossed the county dropping about five miles south of a westerly course. Waushara, Chicken Creek, Elm Creek, the crossing of 142 Creek, and Agnes City on Bluff Creek, were stopping places of more or less importance at different times. In Lyon County the main line of the Missouri Pacific Railway is from three to six miles south of the old trail.

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