Historic Resources of the Santa Fe Trail (Amended 2013)
National / Multi-State
This document provides a context for understanding the conditions that were associated with travel along and later reuse of the Santa Fe Trail in the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as a basis for evaluating those physical historic resources that resulted from these activities and associations. The 1200-mile Santa Fe Trail system, including both the Cimarron and Mountain routes, traverses 36 counties in five states: four in Missouri, 22 in Kansas, one in Oklahoma, four in Colorado, and five in New Mexico. This transportation route between the Missouri River and the Rio Grande was a highway for travel and communication and was the first great Euro-American land trade route. It was the first major road network to be surveyed west of Missouri, and as such, it was a template for future road development. The Santa Fe Trail differed from the Oregon, California, Mormon, and other trails which served as highways for emigrants bound for new homes in the far West. The bulk of traffic along the Santa Fe Trail, especially prior to 1846, consisted of civilian traders - Hispanic and American - with some military traffic and few emigrants.
The document provides 11 historic contexts involving the Santa Fe Trail and the states through which it passes. These contexts include discussion on international trade on the Mexican road during the years 1821 through 1846; the Mexican-American War; expanding national trade on the trail from 1848 to 1861; the Civil War and the trail; railroad development; and later reuse of the trail and commemoration efforts. The document also includes historic contexts for each of the states through which the trail passed.
Property types nominated under this context will include transportation segments (swales, crossings, navigational aids, etc.), travel & trade sites (natural springs, buildings, etc.), military sites, trail graves/cemeteries, monuments/memorials (DAR markers), and cultural landscapes.
Cover Page and Historic Contexts (Sections A-E)
Geographic Data and Evaluation Methods (Sections G-H)
Major Bibliographic References (Section I)
Multiple Property Documentation Form (Prior to 2013 amendments)
Property Types and Registration Requirements (Section F)
Boyd's Ranch Site & the Pawnee Fork Crossing (Dry Route) (Larned vicinity)
Coon Creek Crossing & Fort Larned Military Road Segment (Garfield)
Donahue's Santa Fe Trail Segment (Durham vicinity)
Finney County Point of Rocks (Pierceville vicinity)
French Frank's Santa Fe Trail Segment (Lehigh vicinity)
Harmon Park Swale (Prairie Village)
Hunt (Samuel) Grave (Burlingame)
Indian Mound (Lakin vicinity)
Little Arkansas River Crossing (Windom)
Lone Elm Campground Swale (Olathe)
Madonna of the Trail (Council Grove)
Palmyra Post Office (Baldwin City)
Point of Rocks - Middle Spring Santa Fe Trail Historic District (Elkhart vicinity)
Santa Fe Trail - Cimarron National Grassland Segment 1 (Elkhart vicinity)
Santa Fe Trail - Cimarron National Grassland Segment 3 (Elkart vicinity)
Santa Fe Trail - Douglas Co Trail Segments (Baldwin City)
Santa Fe Trail - Ford County Segment 2 (Fowler's Ruts) (Ford Vicinity)
Santa Fe Trail - Grant County Segment 1 (Klein's Ruts) (Ulysses)
Santa Fe Trail - Kearny County Segment (Charlie's Ruts) (Deerfield)
Santa Fe Trail - Marion County Trail Segments (Durham)
Santa Fe Trail - Rice County Segment 1 (Ralph's & Kerns' Ruts) (Chase)
Santa Fe Trail - Rice County Segment 2 (Fry's Ruts) (Little River)
Santa Fe Trail - Rice County Segment 3 (Swanson's Swales) (Little River)
Sawlog Creek Crossing on the Fort Hays-Fort Dodge Military Road (Spearville)
Six Mile Creek Stage Station Historic District (Burdick)
Smoky Hill Trail & Butterfield Overland Despatch Segment (Chapman)
Station Little Arkansas (Windom)
Trail Park & DAR Marker (Baldwin City)
Willow Springs Santa Fe Trail Historic District (Baldwin City vicinity)