Santa Fe Trail in KS

Driving through Kansas last week, one of our stops was at Pawnee Rock. The community is barely a dot on the map, but is a much bigger dot in the chronicle archives. It is a geological landmark as well as a historical feature.

Rising to the northwest of the highway, the hill of Pawnee Rock was a landmark for the natives living in the area and later for the early settlers traveling the Santa Fe Trail.

The 'hill' does not look very remarkable today, but a couple hundred years ago the hill was much higher. In fact, it was a high as the tops of the two structures now standing atop the earthen dome.

One can climb to the top of the brick structure to view the surrounding countryside, just as the natives and early travelers did in the mid 1800s. One of the posted signs said the hill was a war-free zone for the various Indian tribes living on the plains.

The monument is a tribute to the people who influenced, settled and passed through the area.

There was some red rock showing when we were at the base of the hill, but not like the red rock we see in the western part of New Mexico, southern Utah and northern Arizona. One sign stated, the hill decreased in size as settlers and others used the rock for their homes and buildings.

A headstone for Private Nehemiah Carson, who died in 1846 at age 20 and placed at the base of the hill.

This marker was placed in 1908 by the DAR of Kansas marking the road and hill as part of the Santa Fe Trail, 1822-1872. It was cool to come across this marker. Pawnee Hill was the location of 3 geocaches; well worth the stop and look-see.

Some of the historical things we missed along the Santa Fe Trail in that part of Kansas: Ed Miller's Grave, Durham Ruts, Coon Creek Crossing...

I did learn there was a Wet Route and a Dry Route on the Santa Fe. The wet route afforded travelers with good grazing and water for the large numbers of stock. The dry route was shorter but with limited water supply.

Farther along Hwy. 56 we came across The Cache Site.

"The Caches was a noted landmark and rest stop on the Santa Fe trail. Numerous trail travelers commented on these famous pits dug in 1822 by a trading party led by James Baird and Samuel Chambers. Baird and Chambers set out from Missouri late in 1822 when a blizzard stranded their pack train near this site for three months. They lost most of their pack animals and in the early spring of 1923, they dug pits to cache their goods and proceeded to Taos, New Mexico, to purchase mules. On their return trip to dig up the goods, a war party of Pawnees attacked the men. However, they accomplished their mission and returned to Taos. The pits remained open and became a landmark on the trail for many years, although no evidence of them remain today."

The historical Cache site was located between Fort Mann and Fort Atkinson. Only a roadside marker designates the location today.

After traveling on and reading about the Santa Fe Trail, I am very happy I was in the comfort of our Chrysler van, covering 1500 miles in 3 days.