From Ralph's Ruts, about a mile to the west, three large sand dunes once stood called  Plum Buttes, named for the many wild plum bushes that grew around their base. About 120 feet higher than the surrounding prairie, they were an important landmark for travelers of the Santa Fe Trail. Travelers who sought to avoid the soft, sandy and nearly impassable soils along the Arkansas River, often crossed the dunes through what was called “Gunsight Notch.” Over the years, the buttes were leveled by wind erosion, creating a wide channel. Though the dunes are gone, the Gunsight Notch and Ruts can still be seen. It was near here that the Plum Buttes Massacre occurred, in which a wagon train was attacked by Indians and several people were killed.

Barton County

Beyond Plum Buttes, the trail continues west into Barton County. At a distance of about five miles, the Santa Fe Trail comes to the Big Bend of the Arkansas River, in southwest Ellinwood, Kansas. Here once sat a large campsite, as well as a burial ground for many of those who had died along the journey. Unfortunately, their graves were never marked.
 

Following the river, the trail reached Walnut Creek Crossing about two miles east of Great Bend. The crossing once included a trading ranch, a toll bridge and a military post. The trading post, a large log building, was established by William Allison and Francis Boothe in the summer of 1855. Called the Walnut Creek Ranch, it was the first time a non-military building was erected west of Council Grove.

In the succeeding years, the trading post had several owners. In September 1857, Francis Boothe was murdered by a Mexican and two years later, in April of 1859, Allison traveled to Missouri and while there, died of heart failure. It was next owned by George Peacock of Independence, Missouri. He was killed in September, 1860 by a Kiowa Chief named Santank. Shortly after Peacock’s death, the post was taken over by Charles Rath, a well known buffalo hunter, who operated the post until 1867. It was then taken over by a man named Joseph W. Douglas until the store was burned down on May 19, 1868, by Arapaho and Cheyenne Indians.

When the creek flooded, wagon trains would camp on its banks for days waiting to cross. It was one of the first streams in the region to have a toll bridge.

From here the trail rounded the north or great bend of the Arkansas River, turning southwest near the present-day town of Great Bend, and passing out of the county close to the famous "Rock Point," afterward known as "Pawnee Rock."

One of the best known natural features along the Santa Fe Trail in Kansas, Pawnee Rock is an outcropping of Dakota sandstone, named for a battle with the Pawnee Indians. During the trail days, the rock was nearly 30 feet higher than it is today and many travelers carved their names into the sandstone. Over, the years large amounts of rock was removed for railroad and home construction. However, visitors can still enjoy panoramic views across the prairie from this relatively high landmark. Today, it is a Kansas State Historic Site located ½ north of US Highway 56 on the north edge of the town of Pawnee Rock, Kansas.

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From the Rocky Mountain General Store

Vintage Photographs of the Old West - From our personal Photo Print Shop, you can now order prints that provide dramatic glimpses into the rich heritage of the American West. From notorious outlaws, to Indian Chiefs, buffalo roaming the range, and pioneers on the trail, this varied collection grows daily.