Santa Fe Trail
www.santafetrail.orgThe Santa Fe Trail begins on the shoulders of Route 40 in the former site of Franklin, Missouri (due to constant flooding, the entire town picked up and moved to a slightly higher elevation). Just north of the Boonville bridge across the Missouri River you'll find a DAR marker (shown at right) noting the location of Old Franklin and the eastern terminus of the Santa Fe Trail. The marker in New Franklin claiming to be the starting point should be disregarded.
The trail to Santa Fe was begun in 1821 by a merchant William Becknell and extended 950 miles to the Spanish provincial town of Santa Fe. The trail was important during the Mexican War when large numbers of troops needed to be moved to the Mexican frontier. When the railroad appeared, the trail fell into disuse.
Route 40 roughly parallels the Santa Fe Trail between Boonville and Kansas City, Missouri. The National Old Trails Road, on the other hand, more closely parallels the old trail.
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Trails and highways in western Missouri.
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Santa Fe Trail and Boone's Lick Trail (1912). Click here for a larger display.
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William Becknell on the Santa Fe Trail.
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Sign pointing to Santa Fe Trail ruts in Kansas.
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Santa Fe Trail and Route 40 in Missouri.
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Santa Fe Trail in Kansas City, 1909. Click here for a larger display. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
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Last updated: 2011-01-28 19:11:03 |
