THE SANTA FE TRAILBy

HAROLD L. JAMES*

New Mexico State Highway Commission

Santa Fe, New Mexico

107

"A subject of more enduring interest than thestory of the old Santa Fe Trail, the great high-way over which was carried the commerce of theprairies, is not to be found in the history of thegreat southwest." —Ralph Emerson Twitchell

INTRODUCTIONFor over four centuries the vast plains that lay between

the Rio Grande and Missouri River felt the moccasinedtread of the Comanches, Apaches, Cheyennes, and Arapa-hoes. These soft-footed nomads were replaced by theclang of the armored conqueror, Coronado, and by a hostof Spanish explorers seeking the fabled Quivira and itsSeven Cities of Gold. Black- and brown-robed priests,marching with scorched sandals, and armed only withtowering crosses, were followed in turn by bearded buck-skin-clad fur traders and mountain men, by canny Coman-cheros, and weather-beaten drovers. There were the tire-less freighters and profit-conscious merchants drivingheavily laden wagons with billowing canvasses that formedgreat trains which stretched for miles across seeminglyendless prairies. Thus, the first truly great highway of theAmerican west originated—the Santa Fe Trail. It repre-sented an air of El Dorado that inspired and stimulateda spirit of progress and a desire for gain. Pilgrims, pioneers,traders, soldiers, and prospectors—tens of thousands ofthem—jolted over the rolling ruts that began to stretchinto a slender winding ribbon which linked precariouslythe quiet pastoral culture of Hispanic New Mexico withthe dynamic restless culture of the blossoming French andAmerican settlements along the banks of the great Mis-souri.

It was a colorful throng that accepted the adventure andresponsibility of its calling. Armor-clad conquistadores ofimperial Spain, Mexican lancers, and American dragoonsbearing guidons of conquest in a destiny that was to ex-pand a growing nation. Names, great and small, becameassociated with its development. There was "Kit" Carson,"Old" Bill Williams, "Jeb" Smith, Pike, Fitzpatrick, Beck-nell, Ceran St. Vrain, the brothers Bent, Sibley, Gregg, andKearny.

With the successful opening of the Santa Fe Trail otherspushed on in search of more distant horizons. As a resultof this, and of equal significance, was the commencementof the 1,600-mile Camino Real, the "King's Highway",stretching southward from Santa Fe to Chihuahua, andthe interior markets of Mexico. Still others pushed west

* Chairman, Sites Committee, New Mexico Historical Society.

past the mud villages of the Rio Grande and across moun-tains and desert to the gold fields of California.

It was a trail of promise. In the mind of its traveler wasthe dream of freedom and opportunity. Many found whatthey sought. Others fell into dismal failure and unmarkedgraves. No one ever called it an easy life. The tears andsweat dampened its glamour. The romance was somehownever felt. Even the sense of adventure was at times lostin drenching thunderstorms, blizzards, sicknesses, andmonotonous marches through sun-tortured, dust-chokingdeserts. Its romance and glamour lives now and will forcenturies to come.

EARLY HISTORYIn the early part of the 19th century the expansion of

western immigration had reached into the valleys of theMississippi and Missouri. Talcs of the mountain provincesof New Spain, particularly their commercial needs, werebrought back to the western merchants by the early moun-tain men. It was known from these early trappers that theSpanish authorities looked with disfavor upon trade rela-tions with the United States. The experience of Lt.Zebulon M. Pike, his capture and imprisonment in 1807,was in itself enough to whet the adventurous appetite ofhigh-spirited men.

Pike, however, was not the first American in Santa Fe.The earliest expedition, of which there is an account, wasthat of the Mallette brothers who entered the New Mexicocapitol in July, 1739. Their purpose was exploratory. Thefirst expedition formulated strictly for trade was madein 1763 by a group of Frenchmen who established traderelations with the Spanish along the upper reaches ofthe Arkansas River. The second expedition to Santa Fewas made by Baptiste La Lande, a French Creole, in thesummer of 1804. The year following the arrival of LaLandc, an American trapper named James Purcell wan-dered into Santa Fe. In his narrative, Pike speaks of bothLa Lande and Purcell whose acquaintance he made in thecapitol city in 1807. Pike declares that Purcell was the firstAmerican who ever crossed the plains to New Mexico, thusoverlooking the accomplishments of La Lande whom Pike,in all probability, did not consider an "American".

In the succeeding years following the capture of Pike,small unattached parties of men still made attempts atestablishing trade relations with the belligerent Spanish.In November, 1809, three men by the names of Smith,McClanahan, and Patterson set out from St. Louis. Noth-ing further was ever heard of them and it is believed thatthey fell into the hands of the Plains Indians.

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NEW MEXICO GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY—SEVENTEENTH FIELD CONFERENCE 111

In 1812 an expedition of twelve men under the leader-ship of James Baird crossed the plains. Believing that theTreaty of Hidalgo of 1810 had severed the bonds betweenMexico and Spain, they entered Santa Fe. Unaware of theexecution of the Catholic priest, Hidalgo, and the end ofthat rebellion, they were arrested by the authorities, theirgoods confiscated, and they were imprisoned in Chihuahuafor a period of twelve years.

In 1815 the famed fur trader, Auguste P. Chouteau, incompany with Julius De Munn, visited the settlementsof Taos and Santa Fe and secured permission from theSpanish governor, Alberto Maynez, to trap and trade in thenorthern mountains. They set up their base of operationsalong the banks of Huerfano Creek, northwest of present-day Walsenburg, Colorado, and there carried on successfultrading for two years. In 1817 a new governor, namedAllande, rescinded their privileges and they were arrestedand imprisoned in Santa Fe. They were subjected to ahumiliating court-martial and were forced to leave thedominions of Spain. De Munn relates that upon their re-lease, "all our property was kept and we were permittedto come home, each with one of the worst horses we had".1

A notable exception to the early traders in Spanish-heldSanta Fe was a nineteen-year-old Indian trader namedDavid Merriwether. In the year 1809, in the company ofPawnee warriors, young Merriwether was forced into a bat-tle with Spanish troops along the south banks of theArkansas River. They were defeated and Merriwether wascaptured and imprisoned in Santa Fe for a short time. In1853 he returned to Santa Fe, having been appointed byPresident Pierce to serve as the third governor of thenewly formed territory of New Mexico.

Although many men had preceded him, William Beck-nell is generally considered as the father of the Santa FeTrail. This honor is rightfully accorded for several reasons.First, his initial expedition in 1821 came at a time whenMexico had achieved its independence from Spain. Uponhis arrival in Santa Fe he was received with courtesy andwarm hospitality, a response that was unheard of in thepast. Second, considering the small amount of merchandisethat he carried, he reaped a very handsome profit. Third,on his second expedition in 1822, anxious to avoid thecircuitous route through the upper Arkansas, he pioneeredthe Cimarron Cutoff. This route left the Arkansas Rivernear present-day Dodge City and crossed through what isnow southwestern Kansas and the Oklahoma Panhandle.Becknell suffered many hardships across this waterlessstretch, but opened a route that was 100 miles shorter, andwhich later became the most popular way to Santa Fe. Heinstituted the use of wagons on the trail. Prior to this timeonly pack animals served as conveyances. His diary record-ings were the first usable guides into a new land. On hisreturn to the States, his encouragement and glowing ac-counts of the potentials of profit spread throughout themerchandising centers of Missouri.

Becknell provided the true stimulus of the trail and it isfrom this time, the year 1822, that the initiation of theSanta Fe trade may be dated.

1. Twitchell, Leading Facts of New Mexico History, p. 101.

SURVEY OF THE TRAILThe success of Bccknell, and subsequent expeditions in

1823-24, attracted the attention of the United States gov-ernment. This attraction was prompted by prominent mer-chants who began circulating petitions to the MissouriCongressional delegation setting forth the opportunities oftrade, promotion, and demands for government protectionof caravans. Senator Thomas Hart Benton organized hispolitical machinery to meet this demand and on January3, 1825 rose in the United States Senate and presented hisdrafted bill authorizing the President to cause a road tobe marked to the settlements of Mexico. The bill passedand on March 3, 1825 James Monroe affixed his signatureto the bill and it became a law. It provided for the appoint-ment of consuls to Santa Fe and Chihuahua, and the ap-propriation of $10,000 for surveying and marking the road,and an additional $20,000 for treaties with the Indians fora right of way.

On March 16, 1825, President John Quincy Adams ap-pointed a Santa Fe Road Commission. Named to the postswere Benjamin H. Reeves of Howard County, Missouri;George C. Sibley of Fort Osage, Missouri; and Pierrel\4enard of Kaskaskia, Illinois, who later resigned andwhose place was filled by Thomas Mather, also of Kaskas-kia. The Commissioners selected a most competent sur-veyor in the person of Joseph C. Brown.

The survey commenced at Fort Osage, Missouri on July17, 1825, and followed the route that was formerly estab-lished by the early traders. They chose the more directsouthwesterly course, the Cimarron Cutoff, and on Octo-ber 19 reached the Canadian River near present-day TaylorSprings. On the west bank of the Canadian River the trailturned south toward the waters of the Mora. Upon reach-ing this point Commissioner Sibley was confronted witha decision. He recorded: "If I had attempted to reachS (an) )ta fee, by way (of) San Miguel, my Horses mustnearly all have failed, and many of them been lost. If Iattempt to haul the Waggons over the Mountains loadedas they are, the Horses must necessarily fail. If I leave theWaggons & Pack the Horses, still the horses must fail, &probably the Waggons be lost entirely. If I hire Mules topack my Baggage over to Taos, I believe I shall be able toget the empty Waggons over the Mountains, and thus ata small expense save all my Horses and Waggons, & provethe existence of a Waggon route over the Mountains intothe Valley of Taos: And I determined, upon all the con-siderations, to adopt the latter plan". 2 It was an unfortu-nate decision. The trail to Taos, as surveyed, was highlyimpractical. The rugged mountains which intervened to thenorthwest provided passages suitable only for pack ani-mals.

The survey party reached Taos on Sunday, October 30,1825. Faced with the task of acquiring provisions for thewinter, Sibley and his men remained in Taos for nearly amonth. They arrived in Santa Fe on November 30, 1825and then, after tedious negotiations with the Mexican

2. Gregg, ed., The Road to Santa Fe: Univ. New Mexico Press,p. 105.

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NEW MEXICO GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY-SEVENTEENTH FIELD CONFERENCE 113

government, secured further authority to continue theirsurveys. The surveys were completed in the summer of1826. Their reports and journals were filed with the UnitedStates government in 1827.

The survey of the Santa Fe Trail proved to be a uselessexpenditure. They had overrun the appropriation in anexcess of $1,500. Their field notes and maps were neverused by the United States government, thus depriving thepublic of a contribution to the geographical knowledge ofthe West. By far, the greatest mistake was the choice ofTaos as the terminus of the trail. They overlooked themarkets of Santa Fe, thinking that Taos would developas the trading center of the Southern Rockies. Althoughshorter in distance, it offered an almost impossible terrainfor wagons. Consequently, the traders refused the routeand opened their own road to Santa Fe.

The survey was well manned, well executed, and ex-tremely accurate. Sextant observations were used for lati-tude and longitude, along with compasses for direction,and chains for distances. It was unfortunate that such adetailed and dedicated purpose should fail. However, thesurvey did contribute one lasting benefit-treaties madewith the Osage and Kansas Indians at Council Grove onAugust 10, 1825 insured safe passage for caravans on theeastern prairies.

NATURE OF THE TRADEBy the early 1830's caravan procedure and the best

route to Santa Fe had been established. Trade had takenon an overwhelming aspect, and in the few short years thatfollowed, the term "Santa Fe trade" actually became amisnomer. As the volume of business increased, traderswere shipping more than half of their goods to the south-ern markets of Mexico, often without even breaking theloads in Santa Fe. Experiences of these travelers of theplains are preserved in numerous diaries. Dr. Josiah Gregg,a physician turned historian, who made several trips toSanta Fe in the years 1831-40, has recorded the best ac-count of experiences of traders in his book, "Commerceof the prairies". The following table, which is the onlycomplete summary of the trade, was compiled by Dr.Gregg.3

Dr. Gregg does not credit William Becknell as being thefirst trader to use wagons on the road to Santa Fe, there-fore omitting their usage in the year 1822. Gregg, usually soaccurate, further errs in saying that Becknell was defeatedin his efforts to cross the Cimarron Desert, and had to re-turn to the Arkansas and go by way of Taos. The fact re-mains that Becknell did survive the Cimarron Cutoff, andin so doing brought three wagons with him into Santa Fe,which he sold at a tremendous profit.

ROUTE OF THE CARAVANSPrior to the year 1828, the principal point of rendezvous

for western plains travel was the town of Franklin on theMissouri River. This bustling frontier town was truly the

3. Gregg, Commerce of the Prairies: Univ. Oklahoma Press;ed. Moorhead, p. 332.

Year Mdse. Wagons Men TradersMdse. to

Chihuahua

1822 $ 15,000 - 70 601823 12,000 - 50 30 -1824 35,000 26 100 80 $ 3,0001825 65,000 37 130 90 5,0001826 90,000 60 100 70 7,0001827 85,000 55 90 50 8,0001828 150,000 100 200 80 20,0001829 60,000 30 50 20 5,0001830 120,000 70 140 60 20,0001831 250,000 130 320 80 80,0001832 140,000 70 150 40 50,0001833 180,000 105 185 60 80,0001834 150,000 80 160 50 70,0001835 140,000 75 140 40 70,0001836 130,000 70 135 35 60,0001837 150,000 80 160 35 80,0001838 90,000 50 100 20 40,0001839 250,000 130 250 40 100,0001840 50,000 30 60 5 10,0001841 150,000 60 100 12 80,0001842 160,000 70 120 15 90,0001843 450,000 230 350 30 300,000

cradle of the Santa Fe trade and holds an important placein the history of the trail. William Becknell's pioneeringexpeditions of 1821 and 1822 were both outfitted here, andmany of the trail's early figures called the environs of 'OldFranklin' home. Its reign was short lived, however, for theMissouri River engulfed it in a disastrous flood in 1828.Regardless of the flood, the town was doomed to declinefor, as navigation became advanced on the Missouri River,100 miles of troublesome roads could be avoided and theelimination of the ferry at Arrow Rock; thus, the town ofIndependence became the principal point of embarkation.Besides serving the travelers to Santa Fe, it also became thepoint of departure for most of the Rocky Mountain trap-pers as well as immigrants to Oregon.

From Independence the caravans traveled across therolling grasslands of eastern Kansas. At Council Grove, 150miles to the west, general rendezvous were held andauthority delegated to organize movements. Past CouncilGrove, with leaders selected and a system of governmentagreed upon, the wagon trains became disciplined. Theydrove in parallel columns, two in eastern Kansas, fourin dangerous Indian country.

Proceeding southwesterly the route traversed the centraltributaries of the Arkansas River, the Cottonwood Branchof the Neosho, Turkey Creek, the Little Arkansas, CowCreek, and Walnut Creek, each presenting its own diffi-culties of fording. Gregg relates on his first trip in 1831"Next day we reached Cow Creek, where all the difficultiesencountered at Little Arkansas had to be reconquered: butafter digging, bridging, shouldering the wheels, with theusual accompaniment of whooping, swearing and crackingof whips, we soon got safely across and encamped in thevalley beyond".4

The Arkansas River was reached at its great bend westof present Lyons, Kansas, and the grassy prairies abruptlychanged to sandy soils studded with cacti. The monotony

4. Gregg, Commerce of the Prairies; ed. Moorhead, p. 40.

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RATON PASS SUMMIT. Trail ascended from lower right onto dividing ridge then turned to the right. Line of pine trees on right horizon markexcellent trail remains.

NEW MEXICO GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY—SEVENTEENTH FIELD CONFERENCE 115

of wagon travel along the north bank of the river was soonbroken by vast herds of buffalo, and "hump-meat" becamethe order of the day. The next landmark was Pawnee Rock,a prominent sandstone pinnacle, which travelers climbed,carved their names on, and from which they got a splendidview of the surrounding plains. Seventy-five miles beyond,the leaders of the trains began evaluating a choice ofroutes, the Cimarron Cutoff, or the longer MountainRoute.

THE CIMARRON CUTOFFThis route entailed the fording of the Arkansas River.

There were three main crossings for those taking the cut-off, one near present Ford, Kansas where the river bendsfar to the south, called the Lower Crossing; another, 30miles west of Dodge City between Cimarron and Ingalls,Kansas called the Middle Crossing; and a third, the UpperCrossing about 40 miles farther up the river near Lakin,Kansas. The Middle Crossing proved the most popularbecause here was a shallow stream several hundred yardswide. Sink-holes and quicksand were common occurrencesand once into the water the double-teamed wagons werekept moving to avoid miring and submergence.

Prior to 1846, caravans using the middle and upper fordswhich lay west of the 100th meridian found themselves inforeign land upon crossing, as established by a treaty withSpain in 1819. First impressions of Mexican-held territorywere not favorable. The sandhills stretched for miles alongthe south bank of the river, then 60 miles of desert fromthe Arkansas to the Cimarron.

The Lower Spring of the Cimarron provided the onlywater for miles and to miss it meant disaster. From theLower Spring the trail followed the valley of the CimarronRiver, crossing and recrossing its sandy bed. Beyond theMiddle Spring the trail passed through the southeasterncorner of what is now Colorado and into the OklahomaPanhandle where Willow Bar and the Upper Spring wereregular campsites. The route left the Cimarron River atthe Upper Spring and maintained a southwesterly course.Five miles farther was Cold Spring where travelers pausedto inscribe their names on the soft sandstone walls.

The next important landmark was Rabbit Ears Moun-tain which guided the caravans into the present limits ofNew Mexico. Then came McNees Crossing of the NorthCanadian River, Rabbit Ears Creek, and Round Moundwhere again the plainsmen climbed to view the surround-ing country. In this vicinity it was customary to send run-ners ahead to Santa Fe to make arrangements with Mex-ican customs officials. Slowly the train followed, passingPoint of Rocks and on to the crossing of the CanadianRiver where Mexican troops often met the wagons andescorted them to Santa Fe.

South from the rock crossing of the Canadian River thecaravans continued on to Wagon Mound, crossing OcateCreek en route, then on to La Junta (present Watrous )at the confluence of the Mora and Sapello rivers, wherethe Mountain Branch of the trail joined the CimarronCutoff.

The first regular town reached on the trail was San

Miguel, about 25 miles west of Las Vegas where the PecosRiver was forded. The road then turned north to skirt themountains, passed the ruins of Pecos, and once through therocky defile of Glorieta Pass, the caravans entered Santa Fe.

From Independence to Santa Fe the total distance wasvariously estimated at between 720 and 775 miles, andusually required eight to ten weeks of travel.

THE MOUNTAIN ROUTEThose preferring the longer and safer route continued

along the north bank of the Arkansas River for almostanother 200 miles to Bents Fort, opposite the river fromwhat is now La Junta, Colorado. The fort, established in1833 by Charles and William Bent and Ceran St. Vrain,was a principal stop on the trail. In 1846 it provided thestaging area for Kearny's troops in their American invasionof New Mexico.

After several days of relaxation the caravans forded theArkansas River near its junction with Timpas Creek andwent south across a barren area. Following Timpas Creekthe travelers found the water to be alkaline and undrink-able. Near the headwaters of the creek they were refreshedby spring-fed Hole In The Rock, and ten miles beyondin a natural depression called Hole In The Prairie. Thesetwo watering places provided the only sweet water betweenthe Arkansas and Purgatoire.

Crossing into the shallow valley of the Purgatoire theroute continued west to near present-day Trinidad, Colo-rado, where it turned south to begin its ascent of RatonPass. This rugged passageway was both a barrier and agateway that symbolized the Mountain Branch of thetrail as did no other landmark. No one could cross theRaton highlands without remarking on its wild and beau-tiful setting. At the summit one could view the SpanishPeaks and the great chain of the Rockies; to the westthe Sangre de Cristos; and to the south the volcano-dottedplains of the Canadian Valley. South from the summitthe trail descended to Willow Creek. The descent was slowand precarious.

The exact course of the Santa Fe Trail through RatonPass lies west of the present modern highway, generallyin a location that is now occupied by the A.T.&S.F. Rail-road. From Trinidad it ascended Raton Creek Canyon tothe summit directly over the present railroad tunnel,turned to the northwest along a dividing ridge, then southdown Willow Creek to the present town of Raton.

Lt. J. W. Abert, a topographical engineer who followedthe Army of The West in 1846, describes in detail his re-collections of Raton Pass:

"We commenced the passage of one of the most rockyroads I ever saw; no one who has crossed the Raton canever forget it. A dense growth of pitch pine interferes withthe guidance of the teams; in many places the axletreeswere frayed against the huge fragments of rock that juttedup between the wheels as we passed; pieces of brokenwagons lined the road, and at the foot of the hill we sawmany axletrees, wagon tongues, sand-boards, and ox yokes,that had been broken and cast aside".5

5. Abert, New Mexico report 1846-47, p. 35.

FIGURE 4

CLIFTON HOUSE. Built in the years 1866-70 by rancher Tom Stockton to serve as a rendezvous for cowboyson the Mountain Branch of the trail soon attracted the Barlow and Sanderson Stage Company. They leasedbuildings and barns. Clifton House became one of the principal stops on the line. Some passengers electedfamous for its meals and lodgings.

during fall roundups. Its strategic locationmost of the house, and later added out-to stay overnight, and the place became

NEW MEXICO GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY-SEVENTEENTH FIELD CONFERENCE 117

Having reached the level plains of northeastern NewMexico the caravans crossed the Canadian River 7 milesbeyond Raton Pass. Afterwards there were crossings ofVermejo River, Cimarron Creek, and the gorges of theRayado and Ocate. The route skirted along the west baseof the Turkey Mountains and shortly thereafter enteredthe picturesque Wolf Creek Valley. A short distancebeyond lay the waters of the Mora and the "La Junta" withthe Cimarron Branch of the trail.

With the exception of the march of the Army of TheWest, the Mountain Branch was not highly significant tothe routine progress of trade, and to the development ofthe history of the trail—this distinction belongs to theCimarron Cutoff. However, its claim as an importantroute is secure in the fact that it did bear heavy traffic atvarious moments in the history of the trail.

True, it was void of savages which plagued the CimarronRoute, but, like its counterpart, it also had its waterlessstretches. Add to this the almost unsurmountable barrierof Raton Pass, and an additional 100 miles of terrain whichgenerally required another week's travel. The route was notpopular and, at times, was even abandoned.

LATER DAYS OF THE TRAIL

After the acquisition of New Mexico in 1846 the trailbegan a new era. It ceased to be a route of internationalcommerce. Rather, it became a trunkline uniting the newlyacquired possessions of the Southwest with the easternStates. Giant lumbering freighters, along with hundredsof military supply wagons and migration trains establishedavenues of traffic that continually raised trail dust fromone end to the other. As the trail entered the last half ofits history it became a great force instrumental in develop-ing and populating the vanishing frontier of America.

Commercial freighting boomed. The volume for theAmericanization of the West leaped upward every year. In1858 alone, 1,827 wagons representing a total investmentof $3.5 million crossed the prairies. There was a greatdemand for calicoes, bleached domestics, hosiery, shoes,flour, whiskey, hardware, and ammunition. As settlementsprogressed, additional items became important—furniture,musical instruments, even pianos, and heavy machinery formining operations.

Meanwhile, the terminals of the trail changed. Indepen-dence bowed to Westport (later Kansas City), and FortLeavenworth on the east. Fort Union, established in 1851,became the principal destination for distribution of sup-plies in the west.

Throughout the war years in the 1860's freighters in-creasingly began avoiding the Cimarron Cutoff. Fear ofthe route was expressed by the fact that Confederate guer-rillas from Texas might attempt to disrupt supply lineswith the States. This, combined with the mounting hos-tilities of the Plains Indians, forced the tradesmen andmilitary to move their supply routes farther to the westto take advantage of the forts that lay along the upperArkansas. The Mountain Branch became popular duringthis period and a new route, the Fort Leavenworth Road,was opened. This new freight route was designed by sur-

vey teams from Fort Union as a means of bypassing RatonPass and still be within protective sectors.

The many forts that sprang up along the route wereprime instruments in the military protection of the trail.Fort Mann, near the Arkansas crossings, was the first realfort on the trail. It was founded in 1850 and served asthe "halfway house" between Independence and Santa Fe.Most of the fort establishments were short lived, however,and their construction was located at areas where hos-tilities were most frequent. As these areas became quietedthe forts were abandoned. There were four permanentposts on the trail—Fort Lamed, Fort Dodge, Fort Lyon,and Fort Union. Throughout the turbulent years of Indianwarfare these four posts were faced with the burden ofkeeping the trail open.

As early as 1846 stagecoaches were used on the trail.The coaches carried passengers but chiefly the mail con-tracts made the business profitable. In 1847 an Act ofCongress designated the Santa Fe Trail (from Indepen-dence, via Bents Fort to Santa Fe) a post road. Through-out the 1850's however, the stages also used the shorterCimarron Cutoff.

The coaches carried nine persons, seven inside and twoon top. Passengers paid $150 and were permitted 45pounds of baggage. The fare included meals, and the tripusually took between 25 and 30 days. Schedules variedgreatly and were not dependable.

In 1863 the Barlow-Sanderson Overland Mail and Ex-press Company was awarded the mail contracts, and beganoperating stages between Kansas City and Santa Fe. Thecompany adopted a more dependable service. Weeklystages began running in both directions. Schedules weremaintained. Relay stations and stop-over houses wereconstructed and staffed, and better equipment was in-stalled. This far superior service reduced the time fromKansas City to Santa Fe to two weeks.

Half-hour stops and meal stations between Bents Fortand Santa Fe were located at Bents Canyon, Trinidad,Clifton House on the Canadian, Cimarron, Sapello Cross-ing, and San Jose. Ten-minute relay stops included Woot-ton's Ranch in Raton Pass, Rayado, Sweetwater Creek,Ocate Crossing, and at the mouth of Cottonwood Canyonthree miles north of Fort Union.

CONCLUSION

An industrial development was created by the CivilWar, and foremost among these energies was the greatwestward surge of the railroads. The old trail had thrivedfor nearly 60 years but by the mid-1860's its importancewas being challenged by trails of steel.

The Kansas Pacific was well into the plains of easternKansas in 1865, and continued rapidly westward cuttingthe trail off at its roots. The eastern terminus of the trailwas forever changing. By 1867 the Santa Fe Trail east ofFort Lamed was void of wagon traffic. Shortly, the Cima-rron Cutoff was bypassed and that portion of the trail wasnow a servant and a spur line of the railroad. The Moun-tain Branch along the Arkansas River remained opened forseveral more years, but in 1873 the Kansas Pacific reached

118 NEW MEXICO GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY—SEVENTEENTH FIELD CONFERENCE

Las Animas, Colorado, near the site of Bents Fort andthis became the eastern terminus of the trail.

Financial backing for the railroad lagged for awhile ineastern Colorado, and this gave the shortened "path ofempire" a few remaining years. It also allowed Uncle DickWootton to continue collecting tolls on his improvedwagon road over Raton Pass.

Meanwhile, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Rail-road was pushing up the Arkansas. It reached Granada,Colorado in 1873, then pushed on to join the KansasPacific at La Junta in 1876. Time was short and evenUncle Dick could see the belching black smoke advanc-ing from the east. In 1878 the Santa Fe secured a right-of-way south of Trinidad, and the dark recesses of Raton Passfailed to escape the steel penetrations of progress. Itpushed on to Las Vegas the following year. Finally, onFebruary 9, 1880 the rails entered Santa Fe. The old trailwas dead.

The railroad dominated for a generation and then camethe highways, which we still sentimentally call "trailroutes". Evidence that the traders often discovered the bestpathway arc hundreds of miles of modern highways whichfollow the general lines of the old trail. When you drivesuch a highway you visualize the type of country throughwhich the caravans passed. You see the same mountains,rivers, and landmarks, and you pass through the same de-files. The desert stretches are much the same, and it doesn'ttake much of an imagination to realize that today's thirty-minute trip over Raton Pass required three to four daysof wagon travel.

In many places, however, the trail and the highwaydo not coincide. The early trail blazers did not have ade-quate information to find the best way. They were oftenhampered by the requirements of water and grass. In thesestill undeveloped areas, such as the Oklahoma Panhandle

and parts of northeastern New Mexico, traces of the trailcan be followed from landmark to landmark. The plainlydiscernable grass-grown ruts can lead the modern travelerpast life-giving springs that still flow, and through isolatedplaces where the old forts stood, and their ruins still stand.One can be guided past the Rabbit Ears and on to RoundMound where upon its summit the view is exactly asdiarists described it over a hundred years ago.

The Point of Rocks is much the same and after climbingit one can almost imagine a rustic village of campingwagons at the base, oxen and horses grazing about on theprairie, whitened wagon covers arranged in a circular fash-ion holding trail-weary men talking in groups as they re-pair equipment; campfires blazing brightly, and bonnet-topped women busying themselves with the preparation ofmeals.

And so, even though the great Conestogas have ceased toroll, and the jingle of saber and spur are forever silenced,the old trail still lives in the imagination of man, andrightfully takes its place as one of America's most cherishedtraditions.

REFERENCES CITED

Abert, J. W., 1962, Abert's report: Examination of New Mexico,1846-47: Albuquerque, Horn & Wallace.

Brown, W. E., 1963, The Santa Fe Trail: National Survey of HistoricSites and Buildings, U.S. National Park Service.

Gregg, K. L., 1952, (ed.) The road to Santa Fe: Journals and diariesof G. S. Sibley: Albuquerque, Univ. New Mexico Press.

Gregg, Josiah, 1954, (M. L. Moorhead, ed.) Commerce of thePrairies: Norman, Univ. Oklahoma Press.

Moorhead, M. L., 1958, New Mexico's royal road: Norman, Univ.Oklahoma Press.

Russell, Marian, 1954, Land of enchantment: Evanston, BrandingIron Press.

Twitchell, R. E., 1963, Leading facts of New Mexico history: Albu-querque, Horn & Wallace.