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Historic Trails
Historic trails abound in Kansas from cargo and supplies on the Santa Fe Trail, mail on the Pony Express Trail, western settlers on the Oregon and California Trail, explorers on Lewis & Clark trail, to cattle on the Chisholm trail. As the United States expanded, Kansas was in the center of it all.
In 1804 Lewis & Clark followed the Missouri River along the northeastern corner of Kansas exploring the great westward expansion of the Louisiana Purchase. Among the notable of their encampment was the first Independence Day celebration west of the Mississippi River, commemorating the United States' 28th birthday. In 2004, educational kiosks were erected along the river in Kansas City, Leavenworth, Atchison and White Cloud to tell the story of the explorers time in Kansas.
The Santa Fe Trail stretches far across Kansas from the northeast near Olathe to the extreme southwest corner at Elkhart loosely following US-56 as it crosses the state. Near Cimarron in southwest Kansas the trail spirit to include the mountain path, that although longer had fewer attacks and more water. Ruts from thousands of wagons heading west can still be seen near Chase, Dodge City, Elkhart and Wellsville.
In 1841 the first wagon of settlers headed west through Kansas along the Oregon Trail. Over the next 20 years more than 300,000 people journeyed though northeast Kansas on their trek west. Kansas was not open for settlement during this time period, but the descriptions of the fertile ground and beauty of the area encouraged others in later years to settle in Kansas. Near Olathe visit Lone Elm Park, the only place where the California, Oregon and Santa Fe Trails converged.
In the 20 year spanning from 1867 to 1887 over 5 million head of cattle traveled up the Chisholm Trail from Texas to the railroads in the cattle towns of Kansas. The Traditional end of the trail was in Abilene, but as the railroads expanded it came to include Wichita, Newton, Ellsworth and Caldwell. The Western Cattle Trail, also traveled up through Kansas and on north into Nebraska. Although it may not be as well known it gave rise to the most iconic cattle towns in history - Dodge City.
It may have only existed less than two years, but the Pony Express remains a beloved part of America's past. The 1860 trail crossed the Missouri River into Kansas from St. Joseph, Missouri, at Elwood then continued more than 120 miles west though Marysville to Hanover where it connected to the Oregon Trail heading north to Nebraska. Today, Marysville boasts the only home station on its original site. In Hanover, a stop at the Hollenberg Station State Historic Site provides a glimpse at a building that hosted travelers of the Pony Express and Oregon Trails in the 1860s.
Image by Jon Hardesty
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