Santa Fe Trail

The Santa Fe Trail was first developed in 1821 by the merchant traders and fur traders that started in Missouri and wandered towards the current town of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Mexican traders also used the trail to take goods east bound to the western Missouri region for trade. For many years, there was only one stop between Independence, Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico. The trading post of Council Grove was the only trading post established in the early days of the Santa Fe Trail.

Council Grove was also a great reference point for settlers and travels heading over the plains of the west. From the outskirts of Council Grove to Santa Fe was about 800 miles of hazardous wilderness and unforeseen dangers. The first part of the journey from Independence or Westport, Missouri was a scenic trail with little or no danger to travelers at the time. In western Kansas, the wagon trains had two choices in the paths they could take towards Santa Fe. You could take the Mountain Route, which was considered the longer and more dangerous route. It provided little protection for camping or travel from Fort Larned and Fort Lyon in Colorado. It followed the Arkansas River before reaching Colorado, then heading south towards Santa Fe.

You could also choose the Joranda Route, which was a waterless and dry trail through the desert stretching from Cimarron Crossing and other trails originating off the Arkansas River crossings. This route could save you 10 days of travel and was the preferred route of the traders to New Mexico. The route stayed as a primary transportation alternative to New Mexico before the Santa Fe Railroad was completed in 1872 and made the trail a more cumbersome mode of travel.