A history lesson.."Santa Fe Trail".. and Our Departure

All Good things must come to an end, and today was travel day one on our return trip home...we where going to try another route , but an appointment I had is moved up so we need to race home the most direct route...,and today was probably the nicest day(weather wise) we have had during our visit....oh well...there will always be a next time....yesterday(Saturday) we where trying to get the last minute stuff done for FIL and back brief all concerned...that evening we had the other Twin Daughter and SIL come from Jefferson City and all came over for an evening of good eats (KC famous Jack Stack BBQ)...not as good as Texas, but will suffice in a pinch..lol... a fun evening with a lot of laughter and and good natured "jabbing"...and memories...

By 0600 Sunday we had packed, loaded, and where ready to hit the road...but didn't...had breakfast with FIL..last minute reminders and got under way at 0830....destination Paul's Valley Oklahoma...400+ miles down the road...got here before 3pm....checked in and now just relaxing...in fact the bride is napping...

One of the items I forgot to post earlier that I always thought interesting is that FIL lives south KC, Mo....on the Old Santa FeTrail...about a quarter mile up the road is this historical site, which includes a cemetery...and this is all in a residential area... Soo for your reading and learning pleasure...a history lesson:

The town of New Santa Fe (or Little Santa Fe, as some call it) stood at the junction of the Santa Fe Trail and State Line Road, now southwest Kansas City. The little village had great historical significance in the development of western commerce in the 19th century.

New Santa Fe was a little post village situated on the west line of Missouri, about midway in Washington Township. The village developed about the farm of John Bartleston, who erected a cabin in the forest along the Santa Fe Trail in 1833 and subsisted on hominy and potatoes. Within a few years, a community known as Little Santa Fe developed. Wagon caravans laden with merchandise for the Mexican and California trade paused here before pushing westward. In 1851, Little Santa Fe was incorporated as New Santa Fe. About this time the village's troubles began. Located on the line between a free and a slave State, it suffered from the Border War of 1855-60, the Civil War, and the depredations of the bands of outlaws who came after the war. Finally, the isolation of the village from the railroad reduced it to little more than an historic site. (1941 Missouri: A Guide to the "Show Me" State, Missouri State Highway Department)
Dabney Lipscomb and his wife, Elizabeth W. Lipscomb, "laid out" the town on October 5th, 1851.
"Being on the State line between a free and a slave State, it experienced some of the most remarkable events that have been known on a turbulent border: the Border Ruffian War of 1855-60, the awful commotions of the Civil War, and the bands of outlaws, murderers and robbers since the War of the Rebellion ceased have haunted this section to an unwanted degree. The country around about New Santa Fe was of unsurpassed loveliness and fertility." (History of Jackson County, p. 361)

Trail Remnants

The National Park Service certified the trail rut in New Santa Fe Cemetery as part of the officially mapped National Historic Trail System.

So there you have it...I have been to this site numerous times and just wonder about there trek...though I can sit on FIL's porch and during a still evening as the sun is setting hear the huff noises  of the oxen pulling the wagons and the Wagon Masters voice as he yells instructions to the wagon Train....and that's before I've had a glass of wine....

Another Zoo Photo...not as crisp as I'd like...

Horst Kelly photographer



 

I'll Close for now and recap our trip sometime later...Thanks for stopping by...Safe Travels..Horst