Yale University Library

39002015461735

MARKING 72?e
SAINTA FE TRAIL

YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

1938

a

Mrs. George Thacher Guernsey,
State Regent.

The Story of the
Marking OF THE
Santa Fe Trail
BY THE
Daughters of the American
Revolution in Kansas
AND THE
State of Kansas

MRS. T. A. CORDRY
Historian, Kansas D. A. R.

CRANE & COMPANY, PRINTERS
TOPEKA, KANSAS
1915

Copyrighted, 1915,
by- the
Kansas Daughters of the American Revolution.

The Story of the Marking
OP THE
Santa Fe Trail

INDEX.
Page.
Preface  11
Chapter I. The Realization of a Dream  13
Chapter II. The Story of the Santa Fe Trail Marking in
Kansas  18
Chapter III. Memorial to Mrs. Fannie Geiger Thompson .. . 26
Chapter IV. Appropriation from the Legislature  29
Chapter V. Tracing the Route of the Trail  39
Chapter VI. "Trail Day'  49
Chapter VII. Bronze Plate, and Prizes  55
Chapter VIII. Marker Selected  62
Chapter IX. Contract Awarded  72
Chapter X. Some Interesting Letters  77
Chapter XL Placing the Markers  85
Chapter XII. The End in Sight  98
Chapter XIII. History Enacted where the Markers now Stand, 102
Chapter XIV. Secretary Martin's Report  134
Chapter XV. The Saving of Old Pawnee Rock  145
Complete List of Markers  161

[7]

ILLUSTRATIONS.
Page.
Sarah Elizabeth Mitchell Guernsey (Mrs. George Thacher), State
Regent, 1909-19 —  Frontispiece
Fannie Geiger Thompson (Mrs. A. H.), State Regent, 1901-1903, 14
Emma Hills Stanley (Mrs. William Eugene), State Regent, 1903-
1907  22
Isabelle Cone Harvey (Mrs. A. M.), State Vice-Regent, 1905-
1907  30
Lillian Popenoe Hall (Mrs. Clarence), State Treasurer, 1903-
1909  50
Memorial Tablet erected by Topeka Chapter, in Memorial Hall,
in Memory of Miss Zu Adams, First State Secretary, and
State Registrar in 1908-1909  66
Miss Grace Meeker, State Secretary, 1904-1910  76
Marker Equidistant from Sterling and Lyons  86
Burlingame Marker, in memory of Mrs. Thompson  90
Baldwin City Marker, erected by Ottawa and Lawrence Chap
ters  94
Lost Springs Marker, erected by the Wichita Chapter  96
Group of Markers  104
Council Grove Marker  110
Council Oak, Council Grove, Kansas  112
Marker at Fort Larned  122
Marker and Old Settlers at Dodge City  126
Point of Rocks and Old Trail  132
Last House on Trail in Western Kansas, — an old-timer  142
Allie Peckham Cordry (Mrs. T. A.), State Historian, 1910-19—, 150
Pawnee Rock Monument  156
Map of Santa Fe Trail  facing page 161
[9]

PREFACE.
When the marking of the old Santa F6 Trail was
first suggested to the Daughters at the State Confer
ence in Ottawa in 1902, no one had very much idea of
the great undertaking it would prove to be.
Five years later, Mrs. W. E. Stanley, State Regent,
announced the completion of the marking of the trail
with ninety-six markers. This was at the State Con
ference in Leavenworth. Mrs. A. H. Horton, who had
been appointed as a committee of one to find some one
to write the story of the marking of the trail, reported
that she could find no one willing to write and issue the
pamphlet, so the subject was dropped.
When Mrs. George Thacher Guernsey, of Independ
ence, was elected State Regent in 1908 and confirmed
in 1909, she was not long in seeing the need of a state
historian, as the Daughters in Kansas had done many
things worthy of record. At the next Conference, held
in Topeka, in 1909, Mrs. C. W. Bitting called attention
to the fact that at the next State meeting an amend
ment to the by-laws, creating the office of Historian,
would be submitted. In Lawrence the next year, in
[H]

12 PREFACE
1910, the amendment passed, and Mrs. T. A. Cordry,
of Parsons, was elected to the office of State Historian.
With seventeen years' history, from 1894 to 1911,
gathered from old reports, letters, and records, the task
was a long, and at times a difficult one.
The Historian compiled the story of the marking of
the old Santa Fe Trail separately, thinking that it
might be published some day. Parts of the story are
gleaned from the letters of the old settlers to Mrs.
Stanley and Miss Meeker, and every bit of it is true
and authentic. The letters and reports are in the His
torian's box now.
In placing this in book form, we hope to keep the
memory of the old Trail alive, so that our children
need never inquire, "Where is it?"
Mrs. T. A. Cordry,
State Historian, Kansas Daughters of the American Revolution.

Marking the Santa Fe Trail
CHAPTER I.
THE realization of a dream.
Less than ten years ago, the old Santa Fe Trail was
but a memory. It was something to be studied about
as history that is past and gone — and the wonderful
tales written by Colonel Henry Inman and others were
interesting reading. But if asked to locate the Trail,
very few could do so, and would probably give the an
swer, "Oh, it is out west where the Indians were."
And so the work of the Daughters of the American
Revolution, in Kansas, in restoring the actual route of
the Trail through Kansas by the aid of maps and the
knowledge of the early settlers, wrenched back from
oblivion the famous old highway, and erected markers,
not only to point the way of the Trail, but as a memo
rial of thousands of sturdy pioneers and soldiers who
lost their lives when the way was forged across prairies
and desert sands, the home of the Indians.
One of the tenets of the National society of the
D. A. R. is, "To perpetuate the memory of the spirit
of the men and women who achieved American Inde
pendence, by the acquisition and protection of historical
spots, and the erection of monuments." No incident
[13J

Fannie Geiger Thompson (Mrs. A. H.).

REALIZATION OF A DREAM 15
of the Revolution occurred on Kansas soil, and the
Daughters here puzzled over "What can we do to
show our patriotism?" The chapters (four in number
then) had done some local work, and had helped in a
modest way in the erection of the Zebulon Pike Mon
ument, in Republic county, but it was left for Mrs.
Fannie Geiger Thompson, State Regent, to suggest the
marking of the Old Trail through Kansas, which, as
she said, was fast becoming obliterated.
It was at the State Conference held in Ottawa, No
vember 5th, 1902, that Mrs. Thompson in her annual
address suggested the marking of the Old Santa Fe
Trail. And by the way, it was at this conference also,
that it was voted to request the State Superintendent
of Public Instruction to place Kansas History in our
public schools.
Before another Conference convened, the hand of
death took Mrs. Thompson to a Heavenly home. She
was greatly mourned, for all who knew her missed
her. What plans she had for the marking of the Trail
were never known. At the next conference, held in
Topeka in the fall of 1903, instead of giving up the
project of marking the old Trail because their leader
was gone, the Daughters regarded the Trail-marking as
a sacred legacy left by Mrs. Thompson, and voted to
go to work at once, and the first Santa Fe Trail Com
mittee was appointed to consult with the State His
torical Society.
The dream of Mrs. Thompson is realized, and the
Old Santa Fe Trail has become a definite way across

16 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
the States of Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, and New
Mexico, and only willful ignorance is an excuse for not
knowing where the old Santa Fe Trail is. In loving
memory of early travelers of the Trail, and their dearly
loved State Regent, Mrs. Thompson, the Kansas
Daughters worked long and hard. Knot after knot of
doubt as to location was untied, handicapped with
money problems, until now, ninety-six markers guide
the travelers over the way from Kansas City on the
east to the Colorado line on the southwest.
The Topeka Chapter, of which Mrs. Thompson was
a member, erected a special marker in the main street
of Burlingame, which is exactly on the Old Trail, in
memory of Mrs. Thompson.
A prominent newspaper man and politician after
reading the inscription on the marker, which is,
"Santa Fe Trail, 1822-1872.
Marked by the Daughters of the American Revolution and the
State of Kansas,"
remarked, "I don't see why the D. A. R. Society is
named first." Many friends arose with the ready an
swer, "Why, man, the State of Kansas has had this
Trail for nearly fifty years, and lost it, — the Daughters
of the American Revolution in Kansas found it."
The Kansas Daughters, the first to mark the old
Trail, have had the pleasure of seeing the Daughters
of Missouri, Colorado and New Mexico follow their
example with enthusiasm.
To the Daughters, to the State Historical Society of
Kansas, to the old settlers along the Trail and in other

REALIZATION OF A DREAM 17
States, to former travelers of the Trail, the credit is due
that one may now ride in an auto along the most of
the old highway over which a noble army of martyrs
forged the way for the civilization, homes, and happi
ness, in the great West today.

18 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL

CHAPTER II.
THE STORY OF THE SANTA FE TRAIL-MARKING IN KANSAS.
Probably nothing in the history of Kansas will be
remembered and discussed with more enduring interest
than the early highway over which the commerce of the
Plains was carried on for more than a generation before
the whistle of a locomotive had broken the stillness of
the prairies, which rise in an ever-increasing ascent
from the Missouri river to the southwest border of the
State, more than four hundred miles away. This great
overland route was known as the Santa Fe Trail. In
the early part of the last century, the line of settlement
of Western immigration had reached the Missouri river,
and at this time there had grown up a considerable
trade at and about Santa Fe, New Mexico, which at
tracted the attention of the Western pioneer ; but be
tween these points was a stretch of 775 miles over tree
less and trackless prairies, nearly five hundred miles
of which was in Kansas, infested with tribes of hostile
Indians. The early pioneers were sturdy and strong,
braving the terrors of the course for the sake of carry
ing civilization through the West. In the beginning
of the route to Santa Fe, it was largely a matter of
private daring and enterprise. In 1824, the trade had
increased to such an extent that the Government took
hold of the matter in a substantial way. While St.
Louis was the chief outfitting point for the Southwest

THE STORY 19

trade, the route itself began near the Missouri river, at
Franklin, Missouri, and entered Kansas through John
son county, and for the first one hundred and fifty
miles passed through a well-watered prairie country
comparatively free from Indian depredations. This
portion of the route ended at Council Grove, on the
Neosho river, where caravans were usually reorganized
so that a considerable company might pursue the route
together, and thus be the means of protection against
Indians. The name of Council Grove was given to
this place from the fact that the Santa F6 Road Com
mission and Government representatives in 1825 here
met the Osage Indians in council and secured their
agreement to the unmolested passage of the traders
through their country.
Leaving Council Grove, the Trail continued in a
southwesterly direction, striking the Arkansas river at
the great bend. Here at the mouth of Walnut creek
was most fertile ground, claimed by all of the tribes
for hunting and grazing. The Trail followed the river
to Cimarron, crossing near old Fort Dodge, and the
present site of Dodge City. Here it divided, one
branch crossing the river and going in a southwesterly
direction to Las Vegas, N. M., the other going by a
more circuitous route along the river to " Bent's Fort "
and then in a southerly direction, uniting with that
near Las Vegas. This was generally called the Cim
arron route. This latter was full of hardships, and
notably scarcity of water. At the point where the
Walnut empties into the Arkansas, the Trail passed al-

20 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL

most under the shadow of Pawnee Rock. This famous
landmark, which rose abruptly from the plain, afforded
both outlook and fortress.
Now in these days of peace, the Atchison, Topeka &
Santa Fe Railway passes in some places over this iden
tical trail, and the travelers now can sit in the coaches
and look out on handsome homes and fine farms, with
miles and miles of improved land.
Mrs. Fannie G. Thompson (Mrs. A. H.), of Topeka,
who, as has already been stated, was the first to suggest
the marking of the Trail, was our State Regent at the
time of the meeting of the Fourth State Conference,
held in Ottawa, November 5th, 1902. In her report,
she told that it was a dear wish of hers that the old
Trail from St. Louis to Santa Fe, New Mexico, should
be suitably outlined and marked before all trace of its
direction should be lost to coming generations. How
happy she would be, if she could see it at this date
(1912) not only marked by the Daughters of the Amer
ican Revolution, but being made part of the ocean-to-
ocean highway! "Behold how great a matter" a little
heart-interest created. Kansas was the first State to
mark the old highways, and from this grew the great
idea of an ocean-to-ocean road, the use of automobiles
creating the necessity for good roads.
The Fourth Conference asked Mrs. Thompson to
bring the matter before the State Historical Society,
and request its help in getting a true map of the old
Trail in Kansas, and also ask its aid in marking the
most important places. The Daughters felt that they

THE STORY 21

might have nine markers, or a few more, but they little
dreamed that their success would give them ninety-six
handsome markers across the State. Mrs. Thompson
did consult with the Historical Society, but her death
occurred within the year, and Mrs. W. E. Stanley, as
State Regent, took up the work and carried it to a
most successful finish.
The Fifth Conference met October 16th and 17th,
1903, in Topeka, where the Regent, Mrs. Stanley, pre
sided. In her annual opening address, in speaking of
Mrs. Thompson, Mrs. Stanley suggested that as the
marking of the Santa Fe Trail was one of Mrs. Thomp
son's cherished desires, the Daughters should, in the
coming year, make this plan a reality.
On motion of Mrs. Clara B. McGuire (Mrs. C. A.),
of Topeka, the chair was asked to appoint a committee
to take up the work of marking the old Trail, and to
work with a committee from the State Historical So
ciety. The following committee was appointed :
Topeka, Miss Zu Adams and Mrs. Clara McGuire.
Ottawa, Miss Jennie Brooks, Miss Grace Meeker,
and Miss Laura Sheldon (now Mrs. William Penny).
Lawrence, Mrs. C. C. Seewir, Mrs. John G. Haskell,
and Mrs. Paul R. Brooks.
Wichita, Miss Elizabeth E. Dewey, Mrs. E. B. Rose,
and Mrs. S. D. Ashbaugh.
At the next Conference, the sixth, held in Lawrence,
October 20th, 1904, the committee, through Miss Zu
Adams, reported little or no progress, owing to the dif
ficulty in getting a true map.

Mrs. William Eugene Stanley.

THE STORY 23

Mrs. Clarence Hall was appointed on Trail Commit
tee from Lawrence in place of Mrs. John G. Haskell,
who had resigned from the society.
The State Historical Committee consisted of the fol
lowing persons : Mrs. Caroline (Noble L.) Prentis, To
peka ; Professor Frank H. Hodder, of Lawrence ; the
Hon. J. D. Milliken, of McPherson; the Hon. J. R.
Mead, of Wichita; and the Hon. R. M. Wright, of
Fort Dodge.
Miss Adams reported that the duties of Mrs. Prentis,
chairman of the Historical Committee, as hostess of the
Kansas Building at the St. Louis Fair, had prevented
her from attending to this matter. The Historical So
ciety had secured, besides the map of the Trail made
by the Government in 1825-27, the recently made map
of the TJ. S. Government, topographic maps, which
cover the route, and upon which it was supposed the
Trail could be drawn with sufficient minuteness to en
able persons on the ground to find the Trail with com
parative ease. The cost of the drawing of these maps
had not been ascertained. "However," said Miss
Adams, "it must be borne in mind that the old settler
will be the best help, — the intelligent old settler, who
will not confuse the ancient Trail with some road of
the Fifties. The women of Lawrence would have little
trouble in tracing the Trail through their county, and
possibly members of the Ottawa Chapter, who lived
too far south to claim this highway for their county,
would help. We ought," continued Miss Adams, "to
make a beginning somewhere, and I am sure our com-

24 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
mittee can find old settlers sufficiently enthusiastic to
guide the way, if we can get up a hunting party."
Under date of October 18th, 1904, the following letter
from Mr. Roy Marsh, of Topeka, to the State Regent,
Mrs. Stanley, was written: "A few days since, Miss
Zu Adams, through Mr. Root, requested me to submit
and offer to you in the matter of tracing the Santa Fe
Trail upon certain topographic maps covering the
counties of Kansas through which the Trail passed. I
have examined the data shown me by Mr. Root, and
having put in considerable time studying upon the
Santa Fe Trail, I believe I could do the work so as to
be perfectly satisfactory to you. As to the price, I
will say that on account of the work being for the
D. A. R., I will make it as low as possible, dependent
upon the time required, but not to exceed $10. I men
tion this as a maximum, but I think I will be able to
make it for less." This letter seemed to the Confer
ence something at last tangible, and it voted to have
the map made at once.
On November 4th, 1904, Miss Zu Adams writes Miss
Grace Meeker, the State Secretary, as follows: "We
think Mr. Marsh can do the map-tracing as well as
anyone we can secure. It will hardly be possible to
make it accurate, but he will have all of the maps in
the office [State Historical Society's office] to draw
from. Of course he ought to be on the ground, then
the Daughters will have no seeking to do themselves.
As I understand, you wish the entire route traced at
once. We will give Mr. Marsh all the authorities we

THE STORY 25

can find, and the Society will accept your commission
to see the work through." The Daughters were very
fortunate in having Miss Adams, Librarian of the
State Historical Society, a Daughter, and a tireless and
willing worker, for the Trail-marking.

26 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL

CHAPTER III.
MEMORIAL TO MRS. FANNIE GEIGER THOMPSON.
" To write the history of a noble and useful woman,
whose influence and work were always for the happiness
of her associates and friends, is a task which should be
undertaken Only by those who knew her most inti
mately. The highest tribute that can be paid to Mrs.
Thompson is that she represented the best and most
exalted type of womanhood, and that her mission in
life was to do good to all with whom she came in con
tact. "Mrs. Fannie Geiger Thompson was born January
1st, 1857, at Martin's Ferry, Ohio, just opposite Wheel
ing, West Virginia. Soon after her birth, her father
moved with his family to Columbus, Ohio. They lived
a short time in Louisville, Kentucky, during the war,
Mr. Geiger being an army contractor for a time. In
1867, the family came to Topeka, Kansas, where they
remained a year, and from there they went to Ells
worth, then away out on the frontier. But the danger
there to the family caused them to move back to To
peka. Fannie Geiger attended school in the old Beth
any College building at Ninth street and Topeka
avenue, and also in the present building after its erec
tion. She was married to Dr. Alton H. Thompson on
December 9th, 1875. They had two children : Isabel,
born 1880, and Wallace, born in 1883. Isabel died in

MEMORIAL TO MRS. THOMPSON 27
1897, and from this great grief Mrs. Thompson never
fully recovered, but with her sweet self-sacrificing spirit
she took up the work nearest at hand, and in her posi
tion as President of the Women's Clubs in Topeka she
took an active part in the movement to decorate and
furnish the public school-rooms, and through her en
thusiasm much was accomplished in this direction.
"At the time of her death, in Topeka, on February
17th, 1903, Mrs. Thompson was the State Regent of
the Daughters of the American Revolution in Kansas.
To this position she was elected at the annual confer
ence held in Wichita in October, 1901. She was in
tensely interested in all work of the Daughters of the
American Revolution, both State and National, taking
a lively interest in Memorial Continental Hall and
seconding in every way the efforts of the National So
ciety officers. Mrs. Thompson attended one Conti
nental Congress in Washington, and her report was the
feature of the Conference at Lawrence in 1899. It was
her great desire that the chapters throughout the State
should make a feature of their work the marking of
historic sites. One of her last interests was the Old
Santa Fe Trail, which she hoped might be well located
some day and be marked by a line of monuments across
the State ; and it was her enthusiasm and persistence
that first awakened interest in the subject, not only in
the Topeka Chapter but throughout the State. It
was her hope that the Daughters of the American Rev
olution might be instrumental in accomplishing this
important historical work. Her untimely death pre-

MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL

vented her from doing more than outline the work.
There will be a memorial tablet to Mrs. Thompson
among the monuments along the Santa Fe Trail. As
a loyal, patriotic, and active member of our organiza
tion, Mrs. Thompson had no superior. Being the
great-granddaughter of Lieutenant William Wallace,
who was with Washington's army during that terrible
winter at Valley Forge, she naturally inherited that
intense love of country which made her conspicuous as
a member of our organization.
"All who knew her, and particularly the Kansas
Daughters, hold in loving remembrance and hearty ap
preciation the sweet nature, charming manner, ready
mind, loving heart, and noble soul of Mrs. Thompson."
Mrs. Luther Burns, Topeka.
Mrs. Mary C. Hildreth, Newton.
Mrs. E. D. Kimball, Wichita.
Adopted at Wichita, November, 1905.

Committee :

APPROPRIATION FROM THE LEGISLATURE 29

CHAPTER IV.
APPROPRIATION FROM LEGISLATURE.
The first meeting of the Santa Fe Trail Committee
was held in the State Historical Society's rooms at the
State House, Topeka, December 29th, 1904. Four
members were present. Miss Meeker gives the follow
ing report of that meeting : " The maps now nearing
completion were inspected, and no criticisms offered.
Plans for the work were discussed, among them that of
interesting the county superintendents in the counties
along the Trail. It was also suggested that in the
districts where the Trail passed, the school children
might be sufficiently interested to undertake to help in
the setting of the stones. It was thought advisable to
consult the club women in towns along the Trail, and
get their cooperation, if possible. Mr. Mead gave five
dollars for postage to begin the work of correspondence.
The most favorable plan for marking was that sug
gested by Mr. Mead, — that stones be set in the high
way close enough together to trace without difficulty
the line of the old road, and avoiding fields likely to be
cultivated. The stones to be of uniform size, set in the
ground, and bearing an inscription sufficiently plain to
make it impossible to mistake them. Various methods
of collecting funds were talked of, but no especial plan
outlined for further action of the whole committee.
The following members of the committee were present :

Isabelle Cone Harvey (Mrs. A. M.).

APPROPRIATION FROM THE LEGISLATURE 31
Mrs. J. R. Mead, of Wichita, Mrs. Caroline Prentis,
Miss Zu Adams, of Topeka, and Miss Grace Meeker,
of Ottawa."
Before the meeting of the State Legislature, it was
suggested by Mrs. A. M. Harvey to the members of
the committee, to ask for an appropriation of $1,000
for marking the Trail. By correspondence, the unani
mous consent of the other members was gained, and the
Legislature readily passed a bill appropriating $1,000
for the markers.
In the spring, a meeting of the committee was called.
By vote of the members, Mrs. Stanley, Regent, and
therefore chairman ex officio, selected an executive
committee from the whole committee, to meet in To
peka, April 6th, 1905.
Miss Meeker read this report at Wichita meeting in
1905 : "Of the five dollars given by Mr. Mead, three
dollars were spent for postage, mostly on letters to
county superintendents. Two dollars still on hand
November 7th, 1905." She also said: "After the
meeting in December, 1904, by correspondence the
committee took action upon the plan of raising funds
by asking the State Legislature to appropriate $1,000
for markers for the Trail. About fifty letters were
sent out by the secretary to Senators and Representa
tives who represented the territory crossed by the
Trail." These were but supplementary to the heavy
work done by the State Regent, the Topeka Chapter,
and others who succeeded in getting the bill through.
Mrs. Charles Piper, of Labette, one of the new mem-

MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL

bers of Hannah Jameson Chapter, Parsons, interested
herself in the matter, and presented the case so success
fully to Senator J. W. Connor, of Labette county, that
he introduced the bill in the Senate.
"According to instructions at the April meeting, the
secretary prepared and sent out 105 circular letters to
county superintendents throughout the State. Favor
able replies have been received from twenty-five, and
they are still coming in. One county superintendent
on the western border of the State asks for information
about the organization of the D. A. R., and application
blanks have been sent her. The local committee at
Ottawa has prepared a program for Trail Day, making
thirty-two pages of typewritten manuscript, which, to
gether with the circular letters to superintendents,
were prepared by the business department of the Ot
tawa University, through the courtesy of Professor
Grant Crain, without cost to the Society of D. A. R.
State Superintendent Dayhoff has shown the committee
every courtesy and agrees to print the program in his
paper, 'The Kansas Educator.' He has also consented
to serve on the committee of awards, and will print
notices of the plans for Trail Day in his paper. Every
where those who have spoken to city or county super
intendents have received courteous treatment and
hearty indorsement of the plans. Some new names
have been added to the Trail committee the past year :
Mrs. L. C. Horst, of Newton; Mrs. Charles Piper, of
Labette (Parsons Chapter) ; Mrs. A. M. Harvey and
Mrs. A. H. Horton, of Topeka. Mrs. Prentis pre-

APPROPRIATION FROM THE LEGISLATURE 33
sented the plan to the Second District club women,
and Mrs. W. A. Johnston to the First District; Mrs.
Cora G. Lewis, of Kinsley, spoke of the Trail-marking
to the teachers of southwestern Kansas, on Thanks
giving Day. Miss Brooks presented the matter to the
teachers who met in Garnett."
On page 98 (chapter 65) of the Session Laws of the
State Legislature is the law appropriating $1,000 to
the Daughters of the American Revolution in Kansas
to aid in marking the old Santa Fe Trail across the
State. This bill (House Bill No. 486) was introduced
by Mr. J. T. Pringle, Representative from Osage
county, and reads as follows :
AN ACT
Making appropriation to pay the cost of marking the Santa Fe" Trail in the State
of Kansas, and providing a penalty for the defacement of such mark.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. The sum of one thousand dollars, or so much thereof
as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in
the State treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of
procuring suitable monuments to mark the Santa Fe Trail in the
State of Kansas through the following counties : Johnson, Douglas,
Osage, Wabaunsee, Lyon, Morris, Dickinson, Marion, Rice, Barton,
Pawnee, Edwards, Hodgeman, Ford, Gray, McPherson, Finney,
Kearny, Hamilton, Haskell, Grant, Stevens, and Morton.
Sec. 2. Said monuments shall be erected under the supervision of
the Regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution in the State
of Kansas, and the Secretary of the State Historical Society.
Sec. 3. This appropriation shall be paid out only upon vouchers
duly verified by the Regent and Secretary aforesaid, when approved
and allowed by the Executive Council of the State.
Sec. 4. The Auditor of the State is hereby authorized to draw
warrants on the Treasurer of the State for the several sums and pur-

34 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
poses provided by this act, when verified, approved and allowed as
herein provided.
Sec. 5. Any person who shall destroy, deface, remove, or injure
the aforesaid monuments shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor,
and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less
than five nor more than $100, or by imprisonment in the county jail
for a period of not less than thirty nor more than ninety days, or
both such fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the justice.
Sec. 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the official State paper.
The committee in charge directly of the Santa Fe
Trail appropriation consisted of Mrs. A. M. Harvey,
chairman, Mrs. Luther Burns, and Mrs. A. H. Hor
ton, — all of the Topeka Chapter. The Regent of the
State, Mrs. W. E. Stanley, was unable to be present at
the committee meetings, but kept in touch with mem
bers of committees at this time through correspondence,
and had the written assurance from Representative
Pringle that he would father the bill.
The chapters all over the State wrote to their Sen
ators and Representatives, asking the support of the
bill. Miss Zu Adams and Mrs. Eugene F. Ware were
other Daughters in Topeka to do special work for the
bill, which was drawn up under the personal supervi
sion of Governor Stanley. The following copy of a
letter sent the chairman of the Ways and Means Com
mittee will give a good idea of the plan on which the
Daughters worked :
February 3rd, 1905.— Dear Sir: The Daughters of the
American Revolution of this State have caused to be introduced

APPROPRIATION FROM THE LEGISLATURE 35
two bills in the State Legislature, in which they are deeply in
terested. One, an act to prevent the desecration of the Ameri
can Flag; the other, an act providing for an appropriation of
one thousand dollars to assist in marking the route of the Santa
F6 Trail. I presume there will be no objection to the first bill,
but as the second calls for an appropriation, I thought it proper
to write you. Kansas has few historical landmarks or places of
historic interest. The most noted one is undoubtedly the Santa
Fe Trail. The history of this Trail has been so well written by
Major Inman, and is so familiar to the inhabitants of Kansas,
that I think it unnecessary to explain further. There has been
much discussion during the last few years on the subject of hav
ing this Trail marked by the respective counties through which
it passed, but where so many are interested in the work, as a
rule no especial attention is paid to it ; and so, in this case, the
project of having the different localities or counties through
which the Trail ran, mark the same, has failed of any practical
results. I noticed, however, in one of the papers, a few days ago,
that Wyandotte county had undertaken the work of marking
the Trail in that county by the erection of marble slabs. The
Daughters do not contemplate anything so expensive, and the
appropriation asked for would only assist in putting up substan
tial stone or cement monuments. Even with this appropriation,
the different localities would have to be interested in the comple
tion of this work. I trust that your committee will look after
the matter favorably, and recommend the very small appropria
tion that is asked at this time. The Trail is now largely ob
literated, and in many cases old residents would have to be de
pended upon to ascertain its exact location, and this character of
evidence is every year becoming more and more uncertain. The
Daughters of the American Revolution in this State would very
greatly appreciate anything your committee might do in the
matter. (Signed) Mrs. W. E. Stanley, State Regent, D. A. R.
Several prominent persons suggested to the Daugh
ters that they should ask for more than $1,000, but

36 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL

they felt that to receive this was better than being
turned down for asking too large a sum. And then
the Daughters would lose the most of the individual
credit for the work, if the State gave the whole cost.
The State Secretary, Miss Grace Meeker, wrote letters
to all the Senators and Representatives along the Trail.
The Legislative Committee, composed of Mrs. A. M.
Harvey, Mrs. Luther Burns, and Mrs. A. H. Horton,
reported to the State Conference in Wichita that fall
(1905), through the chairman, Mrs. Harvey, as follows :
"If Mrs. Horton were here, she might tell you some
thing of the trials of a lobbyist, but I see by the ex
pression on Mrs. Burns's face that she is resolved never
to tell a living soul what she suffered while sacrificing
herself for House Bill No. 486, known and beloved by
the Kansas Daughters of the American Revolution as
'An Act making appropriation to pay the cost of
marking the Santa Fe Trail in the State of Kansas,
and providing a penalty for the defacement of such
markers.' Unless I give you a history of the bill from
its introduction to its passage, the report of the Legis
lative committee might be summed up in the state
ment that 'the bill was passed.'
"When the State Committee to arrange for the
marking of the Santa Fe Trail decided to ask the State
for assistance, the legislative work naturally fell to the
Topeka members of the Daughters of the American
Revolution ; for a bill before the Legislature is like a
naughty child, — it must be constantly watched, — once

APPROPRIATION FROM THE LEGISLATURE 37
you turn your back on it, it is sure to be in mischief.
Mrs. Luther Burns, Mrs. A. H. Horton and myself
were appointed as this committee, and we are delighted
to be able to report to this conference that our work
terminated March 1st, 1905, in the final approval of
the bill.
"While to those not familiar with Legislative condi
tions last winter, it may seem a mistake that we did
not ask for a larger appropriation, yet it should not be
a matter of regret that we did not do this, for we could
hardly have selected a more inauspicious time to ask
the State for an appropriation, however small, 'purely
for sentiment,' — as we were told over and over again.
"I am glad of the opportunity while making this
report, of this committee, to mention to you some of
the names of a few of the friends who assisted us. I
want especially to call attention to the effectiveness of
your letters to your members of the Legislature. Our
committee considers this one of the strongest influences
exerted in securing the passage of the bill ; and for the
inception of this agency, and constant attention to its
fulfillment, we must thank our good State Regent,
Mrs. Stanley, and her strong right hand, our State
Secretary, Miss Meeker.
"Aside from this work of our own members, we are
indebted to Mrs. Noble L. Prentis for enthusiastic help
at all times ; to Mr. J. T. Pringle, for the introduction
and oversight of the bill, in the House; to Mr. C. E.
Hulett, member of the Legislature from Fort Scott, for
assistance in the Ways and Means Committee of the

38 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL

House at a time when the bill was in danger of being
unfavorably reported; to Mr. James E. Larimer, sec
retary of that committee; to Mr. John Francis; to
Senator Connor, for work in the Senate ; Senator F.
Dumont Smith; to members of the State Historical
Society, and many members of both houses who were
friends of the bill from its introduction.
"In courtesy to these friends, as well as for the honor
of our own organization, we should now see that the
object of all this work — the marking of the Santa Fe
Trail in the State of Kansas — is carried on with the
enthusiasm and interest due an undertaking of such
magnitude and importance. (Signed) Mrs. Luther Burns.
Mrs. A. H. Horton.
Mrs. A. M. Harvey."

tracing the route 39

CHAPTER V.
TRACING THE ROUTE OF THE OLD TRAIL.
As soon as the fact that the Daughters were going
to mark the Old Santa F4 Trail in Kansas was known,
they received many letters telling of the route, from
old settlers who had lived on the famous highway, or
had traveled over it ; and even from out of the State
came to both the Daughters and State Historical So
ciety, suggestions for the route. The greatest diver
sity of opinion was discovered, especially as to the
route west of the great bend of the Arkansas river.
The fact that the counties in western Kansas were very
large when the last topographic map was made by the
Government, and that they had since been divided,
thus changing county and section lines, made the work
all the harder.
Mr. Roy Marsh, to whom the task of making a map
of the Trail was given, was finally successful. A letter
from Miss Adams to Mrs. Stanley, dated January 3rd,
1905, the week following the committee meeting in
Topeka, at which only four were present, will be of in
terest. "Dear Mrs. Stanley : Your telegram was received
with regrets by the Santa Fe Trail Committee, both
because of your absence and its cause.
"Mr. Roy D. Marsh had left the Trail map with me

40 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
for the Committee's examination. It is completed as
far as possible, with the tracing on one sheet of the
topographic sheets, and the lettering of the variations
of the routes to show whether the lines follow the sur
vey of 1825, or the U. S. Survey of Kansas in the '60s.
"I have now secured the lacking topographic map,
and Mr. Marsh will complete the map as far as the
topographic sheets are published by the Geological
Survey, within a week. The map, as he has drawn it,
does not include the Trail south of the Arkansas, except
through Gray county ; because the topographic maps
for that part of Kansas were not completed two months
ago, and may not be for some time to come, but I
have written again for them. Mr. Marsh can com
plete his work by next week, and charges at the rate
of fifteen cents an hour, amounting to $7.50. He says
he has drawn off the remainder of the Trail rudely and
will trace it on the topographic maps when they are
published, and asks nothing additional.
"Prof. Hodder, a member of the Historical Society's
Santa Fe Trail Committee, carefully examined Mr.
Marsh's work a month ago, considered his methods
correct, and gave the map his indorsement. When
Mr. Marsh has completed the lettering and the Kinsley
sheets, I will ask him to make out his bill and send it
to you. Mr. James R. Mead seemed to approve the
map, though the fact that it was not lettered bothered
him somewhat.
"Mrs. Prentis, Mr. Mead, Miss Meeker and myself
were the only members of our committee in town, and

TRACING THE ROUTE 41
of course four out of a double committee of fifteen could
take no formal action.
"There are three big items in this undertaking : the
tracing of the exact Trail through the counties ; the
interesting of individuals to take the markers and put
them in place ; and the securing of the markers. The
first two items can be done by correspondence and per
sonal appeals. The third will require money, and, to
my mind, if they were supplied from one source would
make the rest of the work easier. Mrs. Prentis thinks
the Legislature could be interested to the extent of
$1,000. "I have just inquired of a gentleman who is interested
in the manufacture of cement building-stone, for the
probable cost of a marker with the inscription cast in.
He says a stone eight by four inches and three feet
long, with the inscription 'S. F. T. 1905,' would cost
in the neighborhood of fifty cents. It is about the
same weight as sandstone or limestone, and much
more durable, as a surface could be made nearly as
smooth as glass, and the proportion of cement would
be much greater than that used in the quality made
for building-stone. I presume a few more letters in
the inscription might not add much to the price. If
we put such markers from one to two miles apart, and
some of the people preferred to put a special marker
of their own making, this $1,000 would cover, at fifty
cents each, two hundred miles or more of the Trail.
The Santa Fe Road could probably be induced to carry
them. (Signed) Zu Adams."

42 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
The maps were finally accepted, and the bill, $7.50,
allowed for them, on March 24th, 1905.
Trail Committee Meeting, April 6th, 1905.
The next meeting of the Trail committee was called
for April 6th by the Regent and chairman of the com
mittee. The following is the report by Miss Meeker
of the same : "State Historical Society Rooms,
Topeka, Kan., April 6, 1905.
"The Executive Committee of the Santa Fe Trail
Committee and the State Historical Society met at
the rooms of the Historical Society at half-past three
o'clock, with Mrs. Stanley presiding. Miss Meeker
acted as secretary by appointment of the chair.
"On motion, it was decided that the markers to be
placed on the Trail be made of cement building-stone,
in size sixteen by sixteen inches. The shorter side to
be eighteen inches high, the longer side twenty-eight
inches, with upper edges rounded. On the sloping top
an inscription is to be placed, containing the following
information: 'Santa Fe Trail. 1822-1905. Erected
by the Kansas Daughters of the American Revolution
and the State of Kansas.'
"Miss Adams and Mr. Milliken were appointed a
committee to purchase as many markers as the $1,000
appropriation from the State will pay for, all details of
construction to be left to them. A motion was also
carried leaving the kind of lettering to be used in the
inscription, to the decision of this committee.

TRACING THE ROUTE 43
"By a motion suggested by Secretary Martin, it was
found to be the unanimous desire of the committee to
ask the Mayor and Council of such towns along the
Trail as have streets formed from portions of the Trail,
to change the names of these streets to 'The Santa
Fe Trail.' This favor to be asked by the D. A. R.
and the Historical Society.
"Since the fund appropriated by the State is not
enough to pay for all the markers, and their setting, it
was decided, by motion, to ask the school children of
the State to contribute a penny each toward the mark
ing of the Trail. Also, another motion was carried,
that the societies interested ask for one half-day of
school year, to be set aside for patriotic exercises, in
each school in the State, a part of the exercises to be
essays on 'The Old Santa Fe Trail.' The essays being
in competition for prizes offered by the two societies.
Teachers in the different schools would be asked to
send the best to the county superintendent, who would
select the best for competition in the State. The com
mittee on prizes and awards to arrange all details and
decide upon the date of holding the exercises. The
State Historical Society having kindly consented to
give thirty dollars, from its membership fund, toward
these prizes, the D. A. R. Committee, on motion,
agreed to add thirty dollars more, thus making a prize
fund of sixty dollars.
"A motion was made and carried, that the State
Superintendent of Public Instruction, Mr. I. L. Day-
hoff, of Hutchinson, be asked to accept a place on the

44 MARKING the SANTA fe trail

committee of prizes and awards. The chair appointed
as the other members of this committee, Mrs. Noble
L. Prentis and Mrs. A. H. Horton. The State Secre
tary of the D. A. R., Miss Meeker, was instructed to
prepare and send out circular letters to the county
superintendents, asking their cooperation.
"On motion, a committee was appointed to interview
the Santa Fe Railway officials and ask for transporta
tion of the material for the marking. This committee
is composed of Mrs. W. E. Stanley, chairman, Mr. Mil
liken, and Mrs. A. M. Harvey. The committee hopes
the club women of the State will help in the towns along
the way of the Trail, where more elaborate markers
may be wanted.
"The committee also expressed its gratitude for the
ready response of the State through its Legislature.
"Committee adjourned sine die."
The report of Miss Meeker (given on page 31) which
she read at the Conference that fall, shows how she
followed her instructions and enlisted the help of all
the county superintendents in the work for a Trail
Day in the schools. This and the sending of reports
of the committee's action to the other members not
present, made much work for Miss Meeker, but her
heart was so set on the suitable marking of this historic
highway that she was not only faithful in a few things,
but was always ready to do her share and help the
others. The replies to the committee reports were very in-

tracing the route 45
teresting. Mrs. Harriet Hildreth Horst, of Newton,
answered at once. She had only one suggestion to
make, and that was that the whole name "Santa Fe
Trail" be put on the markers, and not the initials
only, as some one had suggested. "Then," she said,
"there would never be any doubt as to what they were
there for." Mr. J. R. Mead, also absent from the
meeting, sent his approval of all, and also said that
the towns whose streets were on the old Trail were
Burlingame, Wilmington, and Council Grove.
The two large committees from the D. A. R. and
Historical Society were so unwieldy as to having a
quorum, that the State Regent, Mrs. Stanley, decided
on an executive committee of three, — herself, Miss
Meeker, and Mrs. A. M. Harvey of Topeka; and this
was approved by the entire committee. The work
was well planned by the first of May, and that was
half the battle. Mrs. J. C. Mack of Newton, Mrs.
Clarence Hall, State Treasurer D. A. R., and Mrs. C.
C. Seewir of Lawrence, were the Press Committee, and
theirs was a busy life for the rest of the year, in fact
until after the final account of the Trail prizes. Mrs.
Noble L. Prentis and Mrs. A. H. Horton, of Topeka,
and Superintendent Dayhoff were the essay and prize
awarding committee. Miss Zu Adams and Mr. Mil
liken were the committee to purchase the markers, and
Mrs. Stanley, Mrs. Harvey and Mr. Milliken were the
committee to interview the Santa Fe Railway officials.
When the Conference met that fall, 1905, at Wichita,
the plans were moving along so nicely that all were

46 MARKING the SANTA fe trail
very much encouraged. Notice of a meeting of the
Trail Committee had been sent to all the members,
and this was held in the parlors of the Hamilton Hotel
during the conference. Those present were : Mrs. W.
E. Stanley, chairman ; Miss Grace Meeker, secretary ;
Mrs. Clarence Hall, Mrs. A. M. Harvey, Miss Dewey,
Mrs. C. C. Seewir, Mrs. W. C. Smyser, and Mrs. H.
G. Rose of the D. A. R., and Mr. J. R. Mead of the
Historical Society.
The minutes of the meeting were as follows :
"Meeting of the Trail Committee was held in the
parlors of the Hamilton Hotel, Wichita, November 9th,
1905, at one o'clock, Mrs. Stanley, chairman, presiding.
The program arranged for Trail Day was presented and
then given to Mrs. Harvey to arrange for printing in
the Kansas Educator and the Western School Journal.
"The Committee on Railroads, which was appointed
at the meeting in April, reported courteous promises,
only, as the officials were not in the offices when the
committee called. The secretary was instructed to
confer with Secretary Martin in regard to asking the
towns along the route of the Trail to re-name streets
once a part of the Old Santa Fe Trail, and call them
the Santa Fd Trail. The committee on stones for the
markers was not ready to report at this meeting.
"The Regent and Secretary Martin were instructed
to write to Mr. McDonald of the Western School Jour
nal, who had refused to print the program of the Trail
Day."

tracing the route 47
This program for Trail Day, January 29th, 1906, was
planned by a committee of the Ottawa Daughters,
Miss Jennie Brooks and Miss Meeker, and consisted of
Kansas stories of historic spots, especially the route of
the Old Santa Fe Trail, with songs and poems, all on
the subject of Kansas. This program, with the map of
the Trail across Kansas, filled eight pages of the Kan
sas Educator, published in Hutchinson by Mr. Dayhoff.
(The matter was referred to in Miss Meeker's minutes
of the committee meeting in Wichita, that Mr. Mac-
Donald refused to print the program in the Western
School Journal, published at Topeka. He said that he
could not print it all, as it was so long. Mrs. Harvey
interviewed Mr. MacDonald, who published in his Jan
uary number a part of the program, with the map and
Trail pictures.)
The work of getting these programs to the teachers
of the State and also helping them find the data for the
essay matter for the Trail Day exercises and prizes,
was a great undertaking. Superintendent Dayhoff was
very liberal in his help, and put notices of the Trail
Day in his November and December numbers, and all
of the program and rules for the prize contests in his
January number. He also furnished the secretary
with a list of the superintendents of county and city
schools, and to these she sent copies of the program
and the list of prizes and rules governing them.
One great trouble in regard to the prize essays came
from the fact that so few schools had libraries, outside
of the city schools, and had very little opportunity of

48 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
finding the history of the Trail. Miss Zu Adams sent
from the Historical Society, lists of books containing
reference to the old Trail to any one who applied to
her. The press committee was fortunate in having
Mr. Seewir as an earnest helper. Mr. Seewir printed
the lists of reference books compiled by Miss Adams, as
sisted by Prof. Hodder of Kansas University and sev
eral others, and these were sent to the county news
papers for publication. The students were also urged
to ask help from old settlers for their stories, especially
from those who had been over the Trail in its days of
usefulness as a highway. No one can conceive the
vast amount of letter-writing all this Trail-marking
necessitated. The Executive Committee, the Press
Committee and the committee to purchase the mark
ers must have lived in a perpetual state of pen-hold
ing, for few had the use of the typewriter, at that time.
Professor Crain of the Ottawa University and his class
in stenography gave very valuable help by copying
programs and letters, and in other ways ably assisting
the good work.

'trail day" 49

CHAPTER VI.
TRAIL DAY.
Early in December, 1905, the press committee sent
out the following circular to all school superintendents,
the committee on awards having duly reported and
their plans accepted by the committee, as a whole :
" To the Superintendent : Will you kindly place
in the hands of your teachers this circular, urging them
to encourage their pupils in the grades named, to enter
this contest, not only for the money offered but for
the sake of the knowledge gained from the research
necessary pertaining to the story of their own State.
These prizes are offered by a joint committee made up
of members of the State Historical Society and the
Daughters of the American Revolution.
" The committee also offers a large flag to the school
making the largest collection to the fund, which will
be used in paying for the markers of the Santa Fe
Trail, that collection to be taken on Kansas Day,
which it is requested shall be Trail Day, the moneys to
be sent to Mrs. Clarence S. Hall, State Treasurer of the
Kansas D. A. R. at Lawrence, who will receipt for
them. As each child in the schools is asked to give but
one penny, it is hoped that all may respond.
"Pupils of the seventh and eighth grades are asked
to write essays for prizes. Those of the district schools

Mrs. Clarence S. Hall.

'trail day" 51

upon topics of local history. In the cities of the first
and second class, pupils of the seventh and eighth
grades are asked to write upon 'The Santa F<§ Trail.'
The essays shall not be less than 200 or more than 2,000
words. "Prizes will be awarded as follows : For best essay
on local history, $10.00; for the second best, $7.00;
for the third best, $5.00; for the fourth best, $3.00.
For the best essay upon the Santa Fe Trail, $10.00;
for the second best, $7.00; for the third best, $5.00;
for the fourth best, $3.00.
"The teachers of the district schools are asked to
select the best essay offered and forward to the county
superintendent, who in turn is asked to select the best
and send to Superintendent I. L. Dayhoff, of Topeka,
who is chairman of the committee on awards. Teach
ers in the city schools are asked to select the best Trail
essay and give it to the city superintendent, who is
asked to make the selection and send to Superintendent
Dayhoff." (Signed) Mrs. J. C. Mack, Newton, Mrs. C. C. See
wir, Lawrence, Mrs. Clarence S. Hall, Lawrence, Press
Committee for the D. A. R. of Kansas.
As the State appropriation could be used only for the
purchase of markers, the Trail Committee lacked funds
for postage, printing, etc., so the five dollars given by
Mr. J. R. Mead, of Wichita (the first money given the
Trail-marking fund), was used for postage. Mr. Mead
also paid for the cut of the Trail map and for the pic-

52 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
ture of the Trail in western Kansas. These cuts were
made by the Mail and Breeze printing office, in Topeka.
The map of the Trail across Kansas was traced on a
small map, for the women, by Mr. Marsh, who had
made the large map for them, without any extra charge.
This map was four by eight inches, and on it were the
county lines, rivers, principal cities, and the Trail.
They were used in advertising Trail Day in several
ways. The cut or plate cost $2.95.
Mrs. Hall, of the press committee, tells a pleasing
story of Mrs. Sara T. D. Robinson, of Lawrence, wife
of ex-Governor Robinson, and a charter member of
the Betty Washington Chapter. Mrs. Hall says :
"Mrs. Seewir and I met in the library one day to talk
over plans for the work of the Press Committee. As
we were talking, Mrs. Robinson came in. Knowing
her to be a Daughter, and always interested in any
thing pertaining to Kansas or Kansas history, I went
to her and told her of our plans and how the work for
the trail-marking was progressing. She listened at
tentively a few minutes, and then said, 'I want to
help ;' she opened her purse and took from it three dol
lars, all it contained, as she had been shopping and
was only waiting for her carriage to take her home.
She said, 'Take this, and more will come.' And thus,"
said Mrs. Hall, "the Press Committee got its first help
for postage."
The original plate of the Trail map was sent to Mr.
Dayhoff for his Educator and an electrotype of it was
sent to Mr. MacDonald for the Western School Journal.

'trail day" 53

On December 22nd, Miss Meeker received the fol
lowing letter from Mr. Franklin Hudson, President of
the Board of Park Commissioners in Kansas City, Mo. :
" I am sending you by mail today, a photograph of
the Santa Fe Trail marker as adopted by the Board of
Public Works and the Board of Park Commissioners
of this city. The bas-relief plates completed will be
19x26 inches in size. Mrs. J. K. Hudson, of Topeka,
suggested sending this copy to you, and I trust you
may see your way clear to giving aid to the idea of
adopting this design as a marker in the State of Kan
sas. And any information in regard to the same will
be cheerfully furnished."
This design was accepted by the Board of Park Com
missioners of Kansas City, Mo., and the Trail as it
had crossed Penn Valley Park was marked by a boulder
with this bronze design on it. The City Council paid
Mrs. M. M. Miles, in charge of the art work in their
Manual Training school in that city, $400 for the de
sign. It was found that bronze copies of the design
could be furnished the Kansas Daughters at thirty
dollars each for any number they might desire to use.
Miss Adams in criticising the design said it was "very
suggestive of the Trail, but it seems to me the wagon
should have been the old Pennsylvania Conestoga style,
as that is the wagon pictured by Gregg in his book,
written in the heyday of the Santa Fe Trail in 1844.
The cut through which the wagon is going looks more
like a cut through the Kansas City bluffs, than a Kan-

54 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
sas prairie road." It was suggested that some promi
nent places, such as Council Grove, Burlingame, or
Dodge City, which are directly on the Trail, might
aid in getting this especial marker.

BRONZE PLATE, AND PRIZES 55

CHAPTER VII.
THE BRONZE PLATE, AND PRIZES.
In response to Miss Meeker's requests to the Council
of the several towns which are on the old Trail, asking
that the street might be named Santa Fe Trail, one
from the City Clerk of Burlingame said that their main
street was named Santa F£ Avenue when the town was
first platted, and it was thought best not to add "Trail"
to it. Word from Council Grove said that the matter
would be considered at the next Council meeting.
The map of the Trail made by Mr. Marsh gave the
course of the route and the counties through which it
passed, but did not give the historic spots of special
interest which should be marked, if only enough of
these markers could be purchased. The old pioneers
were called on for these places, and Miss Meeker wrote
to each county seat, asking help to locate these. Sev
eral former Trail followers were found living in other
States, and were written to. Of course there was great
diversity of opinion as to what places should receive
the markers, but probably the greatest controversy was
caused by the design of the Trail-marker used in Kan
sas City. The papers were full of these stories, and
Miss Meeker made a most interesting collection of
them. The following letter to the Kansas City Jour-

56 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
nal under date of December 1st, 1905, by W. A. Ma-
daris, of Hobart, Oklahoma, is convincing :
"A few days ago I saw a note in the Star from Mr.
Beardsley about some criticisms on the proposed tablet
to be used as a marker for the route of the old Santa
Fe Trail. I wrote Mr. Beardsley about it, suggesting
the laughable inaccuracy of such a tablet as published
in the Star of some months ago. The fact appears to
be that the designer of that tablet made a desperate
effort to get as far from being historically correct as
he could, and the adoption of such a tablet by the
Board would make it the laughing-stock of the men
who made the old Trail famous, as well as often no
torious. "The only two teams known on that old Trail were
the six yoke of oxen, attached to a wagon carrying
from 6000 to 7000 pounds of freight ; and the four or
five span of mules attached to a like wagon, the num
ber of span of mules depending on the size of the mules.
This six yoke of oxen were driven by one man from
the left or near side, the driver generally using a whip,
the lash of which was from twelve to sixteen feet long,
weighing from four to six pounds, and attached to a
stock thirty inches long. The mule team was driven
by one man riding on near wheel or tongue mule and
guided by a check-line attached to the rein of the near
lead mule, the off mule being controlled by a jockey-
stick. The driver never rode a horse, and much less
on the off side of the team. The wagon-master rode a

BRONZE PLATE, AND PRIZES 57
horse or mule, but his duty was not to drive the team,
unless it was sometimes when the team doubled up.
His duty was to look out for a camping-place, for wood,
water and grass, etc.
"This is prompted by a suggestion I see in your issue
of the 28th inst., by Judge W. R. Barnard, and when
men who did the bull-whacking act over that old Trail
as I did from 1863 to 1866, see his suggestion, they will
have a good laugh and offer to bet a dollar to a nickel
that he never saw a Mexican train of mules or cattle ;
that he never yoked a pair of steers in his life and
couldn't string out six yoke of cattle in four days, while
an ordinary driver would do it in seven minutes after
he had been on the road two weeks. If that was
the Judge's picture in that design he is welcome to
the notoriety it gives him, but it is a humiliating joke
on the man who made the Trail and a worse one on the
board who adopts such a daub in so worthy an effort
to mark the Trail. I crossed the year the Indians
were on the war-path, and the day we left Cow Creek
our train was 24 miles long. We went three trains
abreast, and the train was then eight miles long. I
know what I am talking about. Respectfully, W. A.
Madaris." This same Mr. Madaris was a great help in locating
famous spots along the trail. He wrote Miss Meeker
that his criticism published in the Journal was more in
the spirit of fun, than to find fault or get his name in
the papers. A very interesting article on his trail ex-

58 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
periences was published in the Topeka Daily Capital,
in January, 1906.
A very few changes had been made in the standing
Trail Committee at the beginning of the year 1906.
Mrs. C. A. McGuire, of Topeka, had been added to
the list, also Mrs. W. C. Smyser, of Sterling, Mrs.
Shaw, of Hiawatha, and Mrs. T. A. Cordry ; the last
two to have the marking of Pawnee Rock under their
especial consideration, Mrs. Cordry being on the Press
Committee. The work for Trail Day was done as tar as the
Daughters could do anything. The sentiment of the
people all over the State was aroused, and many in
quiries were received by teachers and pupils in regard
to the prizes. The January number of the "Kansas Ed
ucator," published at Hutchinson, by Mr. I. L. Dayhoff,
containing the Trail Day program and instructions in
regard to the prizes, was as far as possible sent to all
school teachers in the State. For this the Daughters
agreed to pay Mr. Dayhoff on the basis of five per cent
of total amount received from the penny collection. Mr.
MacDonald of the Western School Journal published
four pages of the Trail Matter and program. This only
went, however, to his regular subscribers. Kansas Birth
day, January 29th, was Trail Day, and in 485 schools
in the State, the day was appropriately observed and
the penny collection to the amount of $698.83 was
realized. This was a rather disappointing amount, considering
the number of school children in the State. Some

BRONZE PLATE, AND PRIZES 59
schools in the State did not observe the Trail Day fea
ture at all, and the Daughters realized that the time
had possibly been too short to interest them in the
historic value to the State, of the movement. Some
said, "Why have a penny collection, when the State
gave you an appropriation of $1,000? " Very few mark
ers would that appropriation alone have purchased.
If the penny collection did not reach the sum which the
Daughters anticipated it would, it at least aroused
public interest in the places where the Trail followed,
and by this interest the citizens aided the Daughters
very much financially, by taking all responsibility in
setting the markers. Many handsome memorials were
placed that would have been omitted if only the cold
figures of the State appropriation backed the under
taking. In reading over the extensive correspondence
of Miss Meeker, the secretary of the Trail Committee ;
Mrs. Harvey, in charge of the program work; Mrs.
Clarence Hall, State Treasurer and a member of the
press committee ; Miss Zu Adams, in charge of select
ing the style of markers ; Mr. George Martin, in charge
of placing the markers ; and Mrs. Stanley, in general
supervision, we are truly surprised at the little the
public at large knew of the tireless, unceasing daily
effort to mark the old Trail through Kansas. And it
all was accomplished with such a unanimity of purpose
that there was no friction anywhere. One woman
writes : " We have no fusses, and the only misunder
standings have come from two persons, men." But
these were only a matter of a few days' worry.

60 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
The committee on awards, Mrs. Prentis, Mrs. Mc
Guire and Superintendent Dayhoff, announced early in
February that the following pupils had received the
prizes for essays :
First prize for Santa Fe Trail essay, $10.00 : Miss
Maida Sheldon, Marysville.
Second prize, $7.00: Miss Carrie Murphy, Ottawa.
Third prize, $5.00: Alfred Hill, Emporia, Lyon
county. Fourth prize, $3.00: Miss Olga Potter, Newton,
Harvey county.
Fifth prize, $1.50: Miss Minnie Newman, Sterling,
Rice County. (This prize was added at the last by
Mrs. C. A. McGuire, of Topeka.)
The following won the prizes for the best essays on
Kansas History :
First prize, $10.00: Miss Esther Curtis, Manley,
Linn county.
Second prize, $7.00: Miss Diddie Gibson, Boicourt,
Linn county.
Third prize, $5.00: Miss Mahala B. Haskell, Pea-
body, Marion county.
Fourth prize, $3.00: Miss Florence Burtis, Rock
Creek, School District No. 8, Allen county.
The collections from the different schools came in so
slowly that it was April before the full amount was
known and only then could the flag to be awarded to
the school having the largest collection, be given. This
was won by the Central School, of Lawrence.
The essays were published in several papers, then

BRONZE PLATE, AND PRIZES 61
with the others, not awarded prizes, were placed under
the care of the State Historical Society.
Mrs. Hall said that she received 376 letters with the
collections, which showed, in every instance, remarkable
interest in the work the Daughters were doing in mark
ing the old Trail. These were of great help, for in
many cases the teachers told of the fact that the Trail
either crossed the school grounds or was near it, and
that they would help in setting the markers. Mrs.
Hall kept a book with the date of receiving the collec
tions, the name of the town, county, school district,
number of pupils, name of teacher, amount donated,
and any remark of interest in regard to the school.
This book is preserved for future reference, by the State
Historian of the Daughters of the American Revolu
tion.

62 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL

CHAPTER VIII.
MARKERS SELECTED.
At the meeting on Kansas Day in Topeka, 1906,
called to organize a "Women's Kansas Day Club,"
Miss Meeker represented the Daughters on the pro
gram, giving an excellent address on the organization
of the National Society of the D. A. R. ; its aims, and
some of the work the order had accomplished. She
told of the marking of the Santa Fe Trail, and asked
the helpful interest of all of the women who lived along
the old Trail, to suitably mark the place in their home
town. Her address, which was of great interest, was
published in several papers over the State, creating
much interest in the work of the Daughters. People
began to see that there was somc'^ing more than the
mere appropriation needed for the work. The Daugh
ters were cultivating the ground, as it were, for the
seed of interest in preserving historic places.
An informal meeting of the members of the Trail
Committee was held at the State House, in the State
Historical Society's rooms, on January 30th, 1906, at
9 : 30 a. m. Samples of the cement blocks to be used
in marking the Trail were shown, together with the in
scription as planned by the committee in charge of the
markers. Suggestions were offered as to possible
changes, but the whole matter was left in charge of the

MARKERS SELECTED 63
committee on purchasing stones, Miss Zu Adams and
Judge Milliken, both of whom were present.
Pawnee Rock matters were discussed, and Mrs. Shaw
of Hiawatha was instructed to write to officers of the
Seventh District Federation of Women's Clubs, and
ask them to take the matter up. Mrs. Prentis also
promised to interest herself in the enterprise and see
what could be done. The owner of the famous old
rock was quarrying it for commercial purposes and
demanded a high price.
It was suggested at this committee meeting that the
only way to get the markers properly set, would be to
find in each county some responsible person who would
receive the stones, and see that they were set in the
places designated. The committee on railroads went
to the Santa F6 offices and later reported that the
Santa Fe Railway Company promised to transport the
markers free of charge. The members of the committee
present were : Mrs. Stanley, chairman ; Miss Meeker,
Secretary ; Mrs. Shaw, Pawnee Rock Member ; Mrs.
A. M. Harvey ; Miss Zu Adams, of the Daughters ;
and Mrs. Prentis and Judge Milliken, of the State His
torical Society. Miss Meeker was given charge of sell
ing the bronze tablets, for the use of those who wanted
to put up something better than the regular marker.
The Franklin Hudson Publishing Company, by Mr.
Hudson himself, had written Miss Meeker of the marker
used in Kansas City, Missouri. In regard to the criti
cisms he said : "It is sufficient simply to say, that the
artist was not seeking to make a realistic picture, but

64 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
to make a picture representing an idea of the primitive
method of crossing the plains on the Santa Fe Trail."
He also suggested that the plates could be set in the
markers and cemented tight. The weight of these
plates are estimated at about twenty to thirty pounds.
Additional lettering could be put on. Also the State
seal of Kansas could take the place of the seal of Kan
sas City, but this of course would have to be taken up
with the designer, Mrs. Maud M. Miles. In reference
to Pawnee Rock, Mr. Hudson said: "It would cer
tainly be too bad if this prominent feature of the Santa
Fe Trail should be destroyed. I published Major
Henry Inman's first book of the Santa Fe Trail, and
one of the prominent stories in this book was of Pawnee
Rock. It has always remained in my mind of especial
interest on the trail, and this should certainly be re
membered with one of these tablets." The cost of these
plates was, 10 plates, $50 each ; an additional 25 plates,
$40 each, and so on as the number ordered increased.
On consulting Mrs. Miles, the designer, Miss Meeker
found that she would change the seals without extra
charge, but the foundry would charge a small sum, as
they would have to make a fresh die. Miss Meeker at
once went to work to find ten places for the tablets,
and by August the order was given for the first ten.
These were to be placed on special markers by citizens
along the trail or by Daughters as a special memorial.
It was Miss Meeker's work, also, to find where mark
ers were wanted, and if the citizens at these places
would help in the expense. The Barton county people

MARKERS SELECTED 65
raised on Trail Day $90, and instead of turning it in
with the penny collection, preferred to keep it, and
with the advice and help of the Daughters, spend that
on especial markers for their county.
Mr. C. R. Aldrich, County Superintendent of Schools
of Barton county, told Miss Adams that they wanted
two markers, one to be at the old Fort Zarah site,
where they hoped to have a monument with a cannon
on top. Speaking of Pawnee Rock, which is in Barton
county, he said : " Why, that is only a hole in the
ground. The projection known as Pawnee Rock has
been cut down 30 or 40 feet. The owner is not willing
to sell a small strip of land lying between the corpora
tion of Pawnee Rock and his quarry (at the rock) ex
cept for a large sum." So the hope of having a marker
on the famous old rock seemed farther and farther
away. In response to a letter from Miss Meeker, Judge
Milliken, of McPherson, wrote as follows : "I am glad
to see the deep interest you manifest in marking the
Santa Fe Trail. Since I saw you I have been in Den
ver several days, and visited the State Historical So
ciety. I found that the Trail traverses the southeast
corner of that State for about thirteen miles. The
custodian promised to write to Secretary Martin and
try to get Colorado in line for marking that section.
I have wanted to put a good marker about four miles
southeast of McPherson, near the Santa Fe school-
house, but a few rods from a branch of Turkey creek
where there stood a stockade and a place known as

SN LOVING

MEMORY OF

1859 ZU ADAMS mn
THAT HER WORK AMONG US
MAY BE CHERISHED
THIS TABLET IS PLACED HERE
BY TOPEKA CHAPTER
DAUGHTERS OF- THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Bronze Tablet in Memorial Building, Topeka, Kansas.

MARKERS SELECTED 67
'Fuller's Ranch.' This point is also at the intersec
tion of Coronado's trail when he went from the mouth
of the Little Arkansas to the Smoky Hill river, five
and one-half miles southwest of Lindsborg, where there
are numerous mounds in which a piece of chain armor
was found. Now it seems to me an appropriate place
to put one of those good markers would be near Mc
Pherson." Mrs. W. C. Smyser, member of the Trail Committee
at Sterling, and Regent of the chapter there, created
an interest in the work. In March, 1906, she wrote
Miss Meeker that while her schools there did not do as
well by the penny collection as she wished, the fund
for their boulder was growing fast. She expected to
want one of the bronze plates for their boulder.
The Pawnee proposition moved very slowly in spite
of the fact that such good workers as Mrs. Prentis and
Mrs. Shaw were in charge. In March, the Trail map
cuts were sent to Mrs. Mack, at Newton, and to the
State Historical Society for preservation.
On May 15th, Miss Adams, chairman of the marker
committee, sent a letter to the State Regent, Mrs.
Stanley, who presented the letter with samples accom
panying it at next meeting of committee :
"Inclosed find two patterns of the Santa Fe Trail
marker, drawn by the Topeka foundry. The first is
shorter than the second, which is the one we planned
to use, and is preferable because of the shortness of the
lines. In the second pattern it is difficult to put the

68 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
words, ' Marked by the Daughters ' in one line with
out coming too near the margin. I also submit two
patterns on the small sheet submitted by Mr. Stanton.
Mr. Forbes offers to make one hundred markers of
cement stone, like sample which I inclose in a separate
package, for four dollars and fifty cents, being one part
cement and three parts sand. The face of the marker
being pressed will have a whitish surface, so that it
will be considerably lighter in appearance than the
sides, which are finished against the mold. This in
cludes the loading of the markers on the freight cars
by the car-load, which will hold in the neighborhood of
sixty, and the furnishing of the cement by himself.
We are to furnish the pattern for the inscription, which
will perhaps be twenty or twenty -five dollars, and the
molds will cost perhaps ten dollars apiece. Mr. Stan
ton says we had better have three molds and perhaps
three plates. Each additional inscription plate will
cost one dollar and twenty-five cents.
"I also send you a sample of the ten-dollar stone
offered by Mr. Maynard, of Kansas City. He offers
to furnish the plate and molds and stone on the car
for ten dollars each. He uses Carthage grit and ce
ment. "You will find inclosed in the package, also, a sample
of granite offered by a Mr. Guild, of Topeka. This
granite comes from Granite, Oklahoma, and is in frag
ments, as it comes from the quarry in all sorts of shapes.
He offers to break it so as to get a surface for a perma
nent foundation, and place on the most available face,

MARKERS SELECTED 69
the inscription on a hammered surface. He says that
the stones will range between six and eight hundred
pounds ; that they will need no foundation, and that
they will wear forever. He will furnish them at $16.80
on the car. Mrs. Harvey thinks we could afford to
put in about eighty stones. Mr. Stanton assures me
that it will be necessary to have a stone foundation on
which to place them, and we can allow an average of
$2.50 for this. He also says the cement of four feet in
length, sunk two feet in the ground, will reach below
frost without danger of settling, and will therefore need
no foundation. (Signed) Zu Adams."
The inscription suggested was: "Santa F6 Trail.
1822—1872. Marked by Kansas and the Daughters
of the American Revolution. 1906." The date of 1872
was the date of the finishing of the Santa Ft* Railroad
through Kansas, and the date of 1880 on the Kansas
City marker was the date of the completion of the rail
road to Santa F£, New Mexico, and the final abandon
ment of the trail as a regular thoroughfare.
Mrs. Stanley called a meeting of the entire Trail
Committee in Topeka, August 28th, 1906, to decide on
the kind of marker to be used. Miss Meeker was too
ill to attend, and Mrs. Hall and Miss Adams reported
the action of the committee to her. Those present
were : Mrs. Stanley, Mrs. Brooks, Mrs. Horton, Mrs.
Smyser, Mrs. Hall, Mrs. Harvey, Mr. Martin, Judge
Milliken, and Miss Adams. The latter, chairman of
the marker committee, reported the offers and prices
she had received on the cement markers, one at $11.50,

70 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
we furnishing the cement, and two at $7.50 each, cement
furnished. Mrs. Harvey then described the granite of
fered by Mr. Guild, of Topeka, fragments running from
800 to 1500 pounds, to be carved with our inscription
on a smooth surface, price to average $16.00 per stone.
On motion of Mrs. Brooks, of Lawrence, it was voted
that we decide to purchase seventy of these granite
stones, and place them at prominent places on the
Trail in each county, more in the eastern half of the
State than in the western half.
Mrs. Stanley appointed Mrs. Harvey and Mrs. Hor
ton to see Mr. Guild and secure a written contract, to
be signed by Mr. Martin and herself. She also asked
Mr. Martin to assist Miss Meeker in securing places
for the markers.
It was also voted to pay the Topeka foundry the
sum of $11.70 for the plate made for the cement mark
ers. Mrs. Smyser, as regent of the Sterling Chapter, was
instructed to place the marker furnished by that chap
ter, at the intersection of the main traveled road be
tween Lyons and Sterling and the old Santa Fe Trail,
which is about a half-mile from Lyons. There had
been some thought of placing it at the Cow Creek Cross
ing, now a little-used thoroughfare.
It was thought that it might cost four dollars to pay
freight, and cost of placing each marker, making the
cost twenty dollars per marker, more markers to be
added if a sufficient balance remain. It was also voted
that the Santa Fe and Rock Island Railroads be asked

MARKERS SELECTED 71
to place markers at their own expense at places where
their roads crossed the old Trail, and for other courte
sies, if possible. They also discussed helping Miss
Meeker dispose of ten bronze plates. The entire com
mittee (with the exception of Miss Adams, who felt
that more could be placed if the cheaper ones were
chosen), voted for the granite markers as being more
durable, and really more of a credit to the Daughters.

72 MARKING THE SANTA fe trail

CHAPTER IX.
CONTRACT AWARDED.
The Topeka, Lawrence, Sterling and Ottawa Chap
ters were very busy all summer planning for their es
pecial markers. The Topeka Chapter was to erect one
at Burlingame in memory of Mrs. Fannie G. Thomp
son, the originator of the Trail-marking. The Law
rence and Ottawa Chapters were planning for a marker
at Baldwin (the "Palmyra" of early history), and the
Sterling Chapter, assisted by the citizens of Sterling
and Rice county, were to be the first to place any of
the markers in Kansas. Mrs. Seewir, Regent of the
Betty Washington Chapter, of Lawrence, reported at
the conference that fall, that she with Mrs. Hall and
Mrs. Brooks had accompanied Mr. Walter, a County
Commissioner of Douglas county, to Willow Springs
and Globe, and had selected the places for the markers
which had been placed. Also, that their share of the
money for the Baldwin marker was ready.
Mrs. Stanley was so unfortunate as to have her home
in Wichita destroyed by fire, early in July, but in spite
of the many difficulties attendant on the restoration of
her home she attended to the many calls on her time
by the Daughters, and proved herself loyal in every
respect to the office she held. She received many let
ters from other States, asking about the Trail-marking
in Kansas, especially from Colorado, where the Daugh-

CONTRACT AWARDED 73
ters wanted to mark the trail as it went through Colo
rado. In Ottawa, Miss Meeker was busy, and at the Ot
tawa Chautauqua in July she had charge of a D. A.
R. hour and talked "Trail" and "Pawnee Rock" to
many interested hearers. She also spoke for the D. A.
R. and the Trail-marking at the Old Settlers' Reunion
at Olathe in September, where their marker was un
veiled. She ordered ten of the bronze plates to be de
livered, half on September 1st and half on October 1st,
and was so fortunate as to have them all placed by
the time for delivery. Mrs. Harvey, Vice Regent, was
also busy. In October, she sent to Mrs. Wheaton,
State Regent of Colorado, a photograph of the granite
markers made by Mr. Guild, and also a copy of the
contract with him.
Mrs. Harvey, as chairman of the contract committee,
felt as though she had completed the work assigned
her when she had the following contract with Mr. Guild
made out, signed and delivered, and she well de
served her release from worry for a while :
CONTRACT.
This Agreement, Made and entered into this 14th day of Sep
tember, A. D. 1906, by and between George W. Martin, Secretary
of the Kansas State Historical Society, and Emma Hills Stanley,
Regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution in the State of
Kansas, parties of the first part, and C. W. Guild, of Topeka, Kansas,
party of the second part,
Witnesseth : That said parties of the first part agree to purchase
from the party of the second part, seventy red granite boulders, to

74 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
be delivered free on board cars at Topeka, Kansas, said boulders to
be substantially as follows :
Each of said boulders shall be at least two feet in height and not
less than sixteen inches in breadth.
The superficial area of the base of each of said boulders shall be
not less than two square feet.
Each of said boulders shall have a pitched bed.
Each of said boulders shall be dressed smooth on one side, and on
this smooth surface shall be cut the following inscription :
SANTA FE TRAIL.
1822—1872.
Marked by
The Daughters
op the
American Revolution
and THE
State of Kansas.
1906.
The lettering of such inscription shall be clear and legible and each
letter shall be painted white.
The dressing and lettering of each boulder shall be done in a good,
workmanlike manner.
The quality of the granite of each boulder shall be equal to that
furnished by the party of the second part to the Topeka Chapter of
the Daughters of the American Revolution as a marker on the Santa
Fe Trail at Burlingame, Kansas.
Each of said boulders shall be free from cracks or other defects.
Each of said boulders shall be crated in such a way that the dressed
surface and lettering shall be protected.
Each boulder shall be subject to inspection by the parties of the
first part before acceptance or delivery.
Said boulders shall be delivered as follows :
Ten on the first day of October, 1906 ;
Fifteen on the first day of November, 1906 ;
Fifteen on the first day of December, 1906 ;

CONTRACT AWARDED 75
Fifteen on the first day of January, 1907;
Fifteen on the first day of February, 1907.
Party of the first part agrees to pay to party of the second part
for each of said red granite boulders when delivered as aforesaid the
sum of sixteen dollars ($16), and payment shall be made at the time
of each delivery, to cover the number so delivered at that time.
Party of the second part agrees to furnish the said red granite
boulders and deliver them as hereinbefore provided, and to have the
entire number delivered on or before the first day of February, 1907;
and in case he shall fail, neglect or refuse to furnish said red granite
boulders as hereinbefore provided, and within the time hereinbefore
stated, then he shall be liable for damages to the parties of the first
part in the liquidated sum of five hundred dollars ($500) ; such dam
ages not to be collectible if the delay is caused by strike, lockouts, or
by any act of God or a public enemy.
In Witness Whereof, The said parties have hereunto signed
their names, the day and year first above written.

Witnesses :

Geo. W. Martin,
Secretary of the Kansas State Historical
Zu Adams. Society.
Mary Burwell Burns. Emma Hills Stanley,
Isabelle Cone Harvey. Regent of the Daughters of the American
Revolution in the State of Kansas,
Parties of the first part.
C. W. Guild,
Party of the second part.

Miss Grace Meeker.

SOME INTERESTING LETTERS 77

CHAPTER X.
SOME INTERESTING LETTERS.
A letter from Mr. J. R. Mead, of Wichita, one of
the Trail-Marking Committee from the State Histor
ical Society, to Miss Meeker, under date of March 10th,
1906, is of interest and worthy of preservation in this
record. He said :
"I am glad to hear from you, and to know that you
are still vigorously engaged in promoting the marking
of the Trail. I hardly know what to advise in relation
to the various embarrassing questions which arise. It
does seem to me that each county and town through
which the Trail passed, should have pride and spirit
enough to attend to their part of it. There is a won
derful amount of history and romance all along the
Old Santa Fe Trail, enough to make volumes of ab
sorbing interest. The Trail is lined with unknown,
unmarked graves, more numerous than the stones you
propose to set. From Cow creek west to the State
line, every mile has its history of battle, attack, am
bush, stampede, burned wagons, murdered or captured
emigrants, all kinds of killings and escapes. Regiments
of cavalry and infantry have traversed the Trail since
the Mexican War period, to recent times. Nearly
every general of note in our civil war, sometime in his
career, passed over the Trail — Sherman, Sheridan,

78 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
Harvey, Hancock, Kearny, Miles, Crook, Sumner, Col.
Leavenworth, Kit Carson, and Col. Bent. These I
either saw on the Trail or was near by when they
passed. Fremont traveled the Trail from Great Bend
to the mountains. Stanley, the African explorer,
spent several weeks at Mathewson's Ranch, on Walnut
creek, about 1865. He was then unknown to fame.
Every creek-crossing and camping-place has its record
of romance and history, mostly unrecorded. These
facts should be enough to create local pride sufficient to
place enduring monuments through every county and
town. I do not live on the Trail, nor near it, and the
men who were living on the trail or traveling over it,
and were a part of its history, are dead, scattered and
gone — nearly all. Their successors can see nothing in
the famous Pawnee Rock, for instance, but a means of
profit to themselves. I saw Pawnee Rock before it
was despoiled of its historic names and forms by the
settlers, who only valued it for the stone it contained.
If the people have not enough pride to preserve this
historic cliff, I suppose it will have to go to build hog
lots, etc.
"While in California, I had a visit with Mr. Charles
F. Lummins, the famous historian of the early Spanish-
American countries, and editor of the 'Out West'
magazine. He has organized a society, which has se
cured the right from the State Legislature to re-locate
and mark, in fact open for travel, the famous ' Camino
Real' (the King's Highway), a great road connecting
all of the old Spanish missions in California, from San

SOME INTERESTING LETTERS 79
Diego to San Francisco, — and there are a great many
of these missions. The road was to California before
its settlement, what the old Trail was to Kansas when
a Territory. The work you have undertaken is distinct
ly a work of, and for, the women of the D. A. R. I am
one of two men here in Wichita who traveled over the
Trail from the spring of 1859. I am pleased to know
that you remembered so much of my conversation with
you, while in Wichita, and that you made such good
use of it and quoted me correctly. One great good
your society is doing is in educating the children of the
State, most of whom know nothing of the Old Santa
Fe Trail.
"Down towards Westport, a merchant returning
from Santa Fe, New Mexico, was waylaid by desper
adoes (this was about 1856), killed, his body tied to a
wagon wheel, rolled into a pond and sunk. He had
$10,000 in specie and the outlaws got it. The Santa
F6 Railway crosses Switzler creek at Burlingame at
almost the exact spot where the Trail crossed it, and
where J. B. Titus's log toll-bridge was, and where I
helped him collect toll in 1859. I made my home with
him for some time. I would suggest that the Santa
Fe1 Railway should erect a notable, conspicuous monu
ment at this point as a historical spot of interest to
tourists and travelers generally. West of the moun
tains all of these historical spots are made the most of,
and prove to be of great interest to travelers."
Another letter of interest was in regard to the essays

80 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
and penny collection of the school children for Trail
Day, and was written by Mrs. C. A. McGuire, of To
peka, one of the committee to award the prizes, and
was received by Miss Meeker, March 19th, 1906. It
is as follows :
"My Dear Miss Meeker : I was very glad to get
your letter of the 14th. I know the interest you have
taken in this matter. I am glad to tell you how much
I was interested in the essays, and you are right when
you say we were compensated for all of our work. I
don't know when I have enjoyed anything more than
the days spent at the State House reading them. They
are with few exceptions, so neatly gotten up, as well as
written. We could see the work the teachers had done
as well as the pupil. There were a few from the far
west part of the State that were very well written —
that is to say, in regard to the matter contained, but
were not so neatly written. The lot from Newton was
beautifully written and well put together. I think,
though, their interest had been stimulated by talks
from Mrs. Prentis. I wish now that I had taken notes
as we went along, for so many things have kept me busy
since then, that there is not much now that I can re
call. The fifth prize was a personal one. I did so
wish that we could recognize in some way all of them,
for all were so good, but the children have gained much
in research. Professor Dayhoff was so busy, that after
knowing what we were doing, he seemed content to
leave the work to Mrs. Prentis and myself. We read

SOME INTERESTING LETTERS 81
for two days to ourselves, and then began to read the
same ones aloud, taking the portions of them to talk
over — making notes as we went along and doing much
outside reading ourselves. After a time, to feel sure
we were doing right and best, we called in Mr. D. 0.
McCray, an old newspaper man, to help us ; and with
out saying just what we thought, had him read and
give us his ideas, and were glad to find they were ex
actly as we had found. Thus we went over every one,
not once but many times, till I dreamed of the Trail
by night and rode over it by day. Mr. McCray became
very much interested, and formed a plan to publish
many of the essays, one or two possibly at a time ;
but it takes time to arrange it all, and I think as yet
he has not perfected his plans.
"We were also greatly interested in the work the
country school teacher did with local Kansas history.
The first prize essay was especially good in many ways.
We also wanted arrangements made for the mention
of many of the essays that were especially well done.
Two, I think, from Wichita were artistically put to
gether and beautifully written, but not just up in com
position. Some were quite original, but went astray
in subject-matter, but all were so very interesting that
I wish we could give them all prizes.
"Yes, the Trail-marking is slow work, and it is hard
to get things started, but it will all come out right, I
think, in the end."
Mrs. McGuire was placed on the committee of

82 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
award in place of Mrs. A. H. Horton, who was com
pelled to resign from that part of the work.
Another letter which gladdened Miss Meeker's heart
was one writtten June 11th, 1906, by Mr. D. Hubbard,
of Olathe. He said :
"In answer to your valued letter of the 3rd, will say
that I called a meeting of the Old Settlers' Association
of the county [Johnson county] here last Saturday,
and laid your letter before them. They agreed to as
sume the placing of the markers in this county, and
the placing of a tablet in the public square, through
which the Old Trail passed. It will be placed on Old
Settlers' Day, the 8th of September, with due cere
monies, and made the principal event on that occasion.
Gardner will probably have one.
"V. R. Ellis, who is president of the association,
lives there. I am treasurer and director. The two
trails united one mile east of Gardner. About five miles
east of Gardner, on the Independence (Mo.) branch,
was a famous camping-ground and watering-point,
where there was a lone elm tree. The neighborhood
about there is now known as Lone Elm, and there is
a school-house and a grange hall. One-third of the
markers can be sent to V. R. Ellis, Gardner, and two-
thirds in my care here at Olathe.
"How many markers will there be for each county?
And at what points as regards the public roads are
they to be put? We would like plans and prices of
the tablets as soon as possible. There may be some
other points where they may be wanted if the cost is

SOME INTERESTING LETTERS 83
not too much. My first home in Kansas was on the
Trail in Douglas county, and my oldest daughter was
born there. She now belongs to the D. A. R. in Den
ver, Colorado."
Several valuable and interesting letters from ex-
Senator George P. Morehouse, then living in Council
Grove, are among the collection ; but as the Historian
has drawn on them for the history of the Trail where
the markers are placed, none will be given here.
A very valuable assistant and correspondent in find
ing places for the markers was Mr. Robert M. Wright,
of Dodge City. He was a member of the Trail Com
mittee from the State Historical Society and his letters
went to Mr. George Martin, and so there are no letters
from him in the Historian's box except those of recent
date. Mr. Wright is the historian of the Trail in west
ern Kansas, and has given the writer a great deal of
help in straightening out tangles about the places there.
He is the author of the book, "Dodge City, the Cowboy
Capital," a thrilling story of those early days which
tried men's souls.
All during the summer of 1906, Miss Meeker was
very busy disposing of the bronze plates and finding
places for the markers. The first of September, Mr.
Martin, who had been appointed at the last committee
meeting to help her, practically took charge of the work
in that direction. He said it was their business to find
some responsible person in each county to take charge
and find places for the markers and to see to the setting

84 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
of the same. The work of placing went on rapidly
when once the interest was aroused. So many were
in a hurry that the stonecutters were rushed. The
Santa Fe Railway took the markers to their destination
free of charge. Mr. Martin requested the Rock Island
to give free transportation to Marion county for two
markers, and was told it would be done if he would
certify that it was a charitable job. Of course, Mr.
Martin would not do that, so paid the freight.
At the State meeting of the Daughters in Parsons,
the first week in November, 1906, the reports from the
Trail-marking were all interesting, but none more so
than the State Treasurer's report of the Trail fund.
It was as follows :
January 2nd, 1906. — Received from Mrs. Sara T. D. Rob
inson  $ 3.00
January 26th to August 3rd, 1906. — From 485 schools in
penny collection  698 . 83
Total  $701 . 83
disbursements.
Feb. 10, 1906. — Paid for circulars to County Superintend
ents  $ 6 . 50
Feb. 10, 1906. — Paid for 500 postal card receipts  5.75
April 30th, 1906. — To Supt. Dayhoff, for publication and
extra copies of "The Educator"  94.25
September 24th, 1906. — To Topeka Foundry, for plate of
Santa Fe Trail marker  11 .70
Total  $118.20
Balance on hand  583 . 63
(Signed) Mrs. Lillian P. Hall, Treasurer.

PLACING THE MARKERS 85

CHAPTER XL
PLACING THE MARKERS.
The work of getting places for the markers was no
easy one, and countless letters were written by Miss
Meeker, Secretary Martin and other members of the
committee. In November, 1906, Mr. J. R. Mead, one
of the committee, tried to interest the Atchison, To
peka & Santa F£ Railway in erecting a monument
where their road crosses Switzler creek near Burlingame.
At this place, where the railroad crosses the creek, is
the identical spot where the Old Trail crossed. Mr.
Mead said that in 1859 there were a number of graves
of early travelers, about one hundred feet north of the
Trail, on the east side of the creek, — graves of those
who gave up their lives for the cause of civilization.
In January Mr. Mead wrote Miss Meeker that he had
received encouragement from President Ripley, of the
Santa Fe Road, as to placing a monument at Switzler
creek, but no monument was ever placed there, to our
knowledge. The first markers were sent to Mrs. W. C. Smyser,
Regent of the Sterling Chapter, Sterling, Rice county,
and were four in number. The first marker set was
the one erected by the Sterling Chapter and the citi
zens and clubs of Rice county. It was placed on the
main road between Sterling and Lyons, where it crosses
the old Trail about one mile south of Lyons. The

Marker between Lyons and Sterling.

PLACING THE MARKERS 87
Daughters were assisted by the various clubs in Lyons
and Sterling. The stone weighs about 5,000 pounds,
and is of granite from Oklahoma. The surface is
smooth, the letters cut deep and painted white. This
marker is about three times as large as the average
marker purchased by the State and Daughters without
the aid of citizens of the county. Rice county thus
had the first marker and paid for it almost entirely
without outside help. Mr. Dan M. Bell drove the
stake, locating the spot upon which the marker is
erected. The Sterling Chapter tried to purchase land
enough for a small park around the marker. The cer
emony of unveiling and dedicating this marker took
place in 1907, and a large crowd witnessed the event.
The second marker to be placed on the Trail and un
veiled with appropriate ceremonies was on the old
town-site of Lanesfield, two and one-half miles north
east of Edgerton, in Johnson county. The marker is
on a corner of the school-ground. The principal ad
dress was by I. 0. Pickering, of Olathe, and there were
many old settlers present who had "teamed" it over
the old Trail in the early days.
To the Topeka Chapter was given the honor of
erecting the special marker in memory of the State
Regent, Mrs. Fannie G. Thompson. As the old Trail
did not pass through where Topeka now stands, they
asked that they might place their marker in Burlin
game, at the intersection of two streets on the old
Trail. This was granted, and here follows an account
of the ceremonies of the unveiling and dedicating the

88 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
Burlingame marker in memory of Mrs. Thompson and
all who had passed along the old Trail :
"On a bright June day in the summer of 1907, the
members of the Topeka Chapter and their friends went
in a special car on an hour's run to Burlingame, on the
Old Santa Fe Trail, — the nearest approach to Topeka.
"At dinner, Mrs. C. S. Oliver welcomed the guests
on behalf of the city of Burlingame, and Mrs. Fred
Bonebrake, of Osage City, and Mrs. Fred Slater, of
Topeka, responded.
"The old Trail dipped down into Switzler creek
crossing, and up the main street of Burlingame, once
known as Council City, and on over the rise west.
Where Topeka avenue crosses Santa Fe avenue, which
was the old Trail at one time, the monumental marker
was erected, and here in the presence of a large crowd
it was unveiled and presented to the city of Burlingame
in memory of Mrs. Thompson. Conspicuous in the
audience were many gray -haired men and women, most
of whom knew the Trail when it was not a mere shadow.
"The Osage Teachers' Institute opened the program
by singing the Star-Spangled Banner. Mrs. J. T.
Pringle presented Mrs. A. H. Horton, Past Regent of
the Topeka Chapter and a Past President of the State
Federation of Women's Clubs, as chairman of the day.
Mrs. Horton then introduced Mrs. Margaret Hill Mc-
Carter, of Topeka, who spoke of the stone and what
it symbolized. Mrs. McCarter said in part :
This Santa Fe Trail marker is the gift of the Topeka Chapter,
alone. You will note that it exceeds the average markers in beauty

PLACING THE MARKERS 89
and cost. It is their tribute to this noble work of history-preserving,
worthy of the exalted notion they hold of their high privilege as
Daughters of the most honorable force that ever, against all odds of
fate, held human liberty dearer than human life. Furthermore, to
day while we trace with granite boulder this historic highway far
across a continent, we would mark with a white stone the memory
of Fannie Geiger Thompson, whose great work this stone commemo
rates. It was she who first saw the opportunity for the Daughters of
the American Revolution in Kansas to do a most worthy work in fol
lowing the Old Santa Fe Trail through Kansas. It is due to her
patriotism and her zeal that this undertaking, now so popular at
both ends of the line — in Missouri and Colorado — had a beginning
and grew into a successful movement. We do honor ourselves when
we honor her memory. And reverently do we lay with this stone,
the spiritual monument more durable than granite — her monument
in our hearts. " The dear Lord's best interpreters
Are humble human souls.
The gospel of a life like hers
Is more than books or scrolls."
"Mrs. H. I. Cook, Regent of the Topeka Chapter,
then formally presented the stone to Burlingame as a
gift from the Topeka Chapter. Mrs. Cook said in part :
Topeka is not so fortunate as to be included in the "Classic
ground," so we turn to Burlingame, our nearest point, feeling that
we are indeed fortunate in securing so desirable a location in which
to place our stone. The Topeka Chapter of the D. A. R. gives into
the keeping of the citizens of Burlingame a marker of the Santa F£
Trail, knowing that they will appreciate the honor conferred. We
appreciate the generous aid given us by the ladies of the Saturday
Afternoon Club and the citizens of Burlingame, and hope the asso
ciation in this work will prove an added bond of friendship between
Burlingame and Topeka.

"A f£ fftAit
M ORrAi rO
famuu TVri rnoMf oh
WHO -.SUCBESTO) WiK -w'trsk.
J.CTHI BY TflPFKACHAfC.
(TERS 'or * :'"'
"INVOLUTION

Memorial at Burlingame.

PLACING THE MARKERS 91
"Dr. Schenck, Mayor of Burlingame, responded, ac
cepting the marker in the name of the city. Mrs. M.
M. Miller, of Topeka, then read a memorial address on
Mrs. Thompson, which was followed by personal rec
ollections of the Trail by Mrs. William P. Deming, of
Burlingame. The singing of 'America' closed the ex
ercises." The marker, which stands in the center of the inter
section of the two streets, is a red granite, irregular,
undressed stone save for the polished eastern face,
which bears the following inscription :
1822—1872.
SANTA FE TRAIL.
Memorial to
Fannie Geiger Thompson,
who suggested this work.
Erected by the Topeka Chapter of the Daughters of the
American Revolution.
1906.
It rests on a limestone foundation given by the Sat
urday Afternoon Club, of Burlingame. Even the
stones in the foundation are historic, having been taken
from the quarries near by, and having been laid for the
foundation of the old Baptist church before the Civil
War. These stones were taken to make a shelter
around the well to guard against rebel attack : then
they were taken for the original purpose and served
forty years as foundation stones. This marker is treble
in value in cost of the average marker, and bravely
tells the story, which is unlike any other story in the
world's history.

MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL

In Mrs. Miller's memorial to Mrs. Thompson she
said :
We think you may well be proud that here stands the stone which
not only marks this most interesting part of the Old Trail, but com
memorates the accomplishment of a purpose most dear to her whose
name it bears. Love and devotion to her memory have been strong
factors in perfecting this great work. We claim for her this dis
tinction — that through the effort begun by her, the attainment of
this work has become possible. Therefore we have placed the name
of Fannie Geiger Thompson upon this stone, as a just tribute to
one who worked for the preservation of Kansas history with an en
thusiasm rarely equaled and never excelled.
After supper on the day of the exercises, the Hon.
George W. Martin, who worked hand in hand with
the Daughters, in the Trail-marking, gave a very in
teresting historical address.
August 10th, 1907, was the date for the ceremonies
dedicating another handsome marker — this one in
Council Grove, about forty feet from the famous "Coun
cil oak." The day was the eighty-second anniversary
of the council of the Commission of the United States
Government and the chiefs of the Great and Little
Osage Indians for the right of way across the Plains for
travel on the Trail. August 10th, 1825, this council was
held in the old oak grove near the Neosho river, in what
is now known as East Council Grove, the largest body
of timber anywhere on the Trail. The large granite
marker stands on the exact spot where this council was
held. The monument is suitably inscribed, having on
one face the usual lettering, on the other the inscrip
tion stating that here was the place where the council

PLACING THE MARKERS 93
was held. The monument is one of the finest on the
Trail, and has a history box in the cement foundation.
The celebration was very elaborate. Prominent histo
rians of Kansas, D. A. R. and representatives of the
Osage Indians, besides a number of old settlers, were
in attendance. Hon. George P. Morehouse, a resident
of Council Grove since the Trail days, made the prin
cipal address.
The markers in Edwards county were set in Septem
ber of the same year. The ceremonies were in charge
of the Kinsley Commerical Club, and the speakers were
Mr. George W. Martin and Col. W. H. Rossington,
of Topeka. The date was the thirty-third anniversary
of the organization of Edwards county.
In Finney county, at Harmony school-house, another
marker was set, with fine exercises, the same September.
In the notes from Secretary Martin's report further on,
each marker is mentioned, and so we will give our at
tention to only those the Daughters were especially
interested in, here.
The Daughters living in Ottawa and Lawrence, mem
bers of the General Edward Hand and Betty Washing
ton chapters, not being on the old Trail, asked and ob
tained permission to place a marker on the trail just a
half-mile north of Baldwin City. The following ac
count is taken from the "Club Member," dated Octo
ber, 1907 :
"On the 11th of October, 1907, the chapters of the
Daughters of the American Revolution of Ottawa and

Marker at Baldwin.

PLACING THE MARKERS 95
Lawrence met at Baldwin for the unveiling and formal
presentation to the city of Baldwin the Santa F6 Trail
marker erected at Baldwin by these chapters. The
members of the chapters were met at the train and
taken to the hotel as guests of Baldwin, and after din
ner all went to the church, where an interesting ad
dress was made by the Hon. G. W. Martin, Secretary of
the State Historical Society, on early Kansas history.
Miss Meeker, of Ottawa, State Secretary of the D. A.
R., told of the work of the society, the preservation of
historic spots, and of the marking of the Santa F6
Trail from one end of the State to the other.
"A procession was then formed to proceed to the
place where the marker had been erected. This is a
small patch of ground one-half mile north of the city of
Baldwin, and was given to the city by the owner, Mr.
Isaiah Stickel. The formal presentation of the marker
was made by Mrs. C. C. Seewir, Regent of the Betty
Washington Chapter, Lawrence. Mayor Mitchener re
sponded. He, with the Council, signed the legal papers
which promised that Baldwin should care for the marker
and grounds. The place shall be known as 'Trail
Park.' The day was perfect and the occasion one long
to be remembered by all who took part." (Signed)
Jtjlia H. Gilmore, Historian of the Lawrence Chapter.
The old name for Baldwin in Trail days was Pal
myra, a prominent stopping-place on the Trail.
Wichita was not on the old Trail, but the Eunice
Sterling Chapter of that city wanted to place a marker

Marker in City Park, Lost Springs.

PLACING THE MARKERS 97
somewhere, and next year Secretary Martin advised
them to put theirs at Lost Springs, the nearest impor
tant spot to Wichita. One marker had already been
placed in Lost Springs by Marion county, near the
Santa Fe Depot, and so the Daughters placed theirs
in the City Park. It is a handsome red granite boulder,
and in its face is set the special bronze tablet design.
The cost was $112. The stone was appropriately dedi
cated by the chapter, and the Vice-President General,
Mrs. W. E. Stanley, former State Regent, was present
on that day. The following is a copy of the program :
FOR DEDICATION OF SANTA FE TRAIL MARKER.
Commencing promptly at 1 o'clock, November 14th, 1908.
Ritual Work.
Acting Regent  Mrs. C. W. Bitting, Wichita.
Chaplain  Mrs. Burrell, Wichita.
Responses  Chapter, Wichita.
Salute to the Flag-
Chapter.
Solo, "Star-Spangled Banner^' (with chorus), Mrs. C. E. Mott, Lost Springs
Address  J. R. Mead, Wichita.
Address  George P. Morehouse, Topeka
Presentation of Marker,
Mrs. W. E. Stanley, Vice-President General D. A. R., Wichita
Response  E. P. Mowrer, Mayor of Lost Springs
Dedication Prayer  Rev. F. E. Gordon
Solo, "My Country, 'tis of Thee"  Mrs. Gordon, Lost Springs

98 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL

CHAPTER XII.
THE END IN SIGHT.
After the money was raised and each county had
been written to many times to find some responsible
person to take the responsibility of the markers, and
see that they were set in the proper place, the work
then sifted down to Secretary Martin and Mrs. A. M.
Harvey, in Topeka, who would examine each marker
before the shipment, to see that all terms of the con
tract with Mr. Guild had been complied with. The
letters received by the Secretary and Regent at this
time were nearly all on the subject of "heard from
So-and-so, and they want so many markers." The en
thusiasm grew all over the route of the Trail, and great
interest was taken in the history gathered from the old
settlers, who were aroused as though from the sleep of
ages to tell of their experiences while traveling the old
Trail. School children eagerly sought to hear these
stories, and the good which the marking of the Trail
has done in reviving the interest in Kansas history, and
urging the children to learn more history, cannot be
estimated. We wish we had space to tell of all the
nice things in this line which were, said and done in the
years of 1906 and 1907.
June 11th, 1907, Secretary Martin reported to Mrs.
Stanley that the balance of the State appropriation,
.89, was drawn out. Mr. Martin had found that

THE END IN SIGHT 99
in nearly every place where the markers were wanted,
they were held for some especial ceremonies, and this
made the setting of them necessarily slow. In July,
1907, Mr. Martin wrote to Mrs. Stanley and sent her
the original order for 70 markers delivered by Mr.
Guild. He had shipped 78 and had enough money left
for ten more. This would leave the Daughters thirty
or forty dollars for an emergency. He had hunted up
the Barton county item of ninety dollars, which was
raised by the school children on Trail Day, and which
had caused considerable writing. He found that Bar
ton county had spent it for a Spanish gun, and had
mounted the gun at old Fort Zarah. This money was
raised at the time the Daughters asked for collections
of a penny a child, but was never turned over to the
Daughters as was done by the other counties. As the
Daughters were the promoters of the marking, planned
the program for the day and asked for the collection,
they really have as much interest in the Old Fort Zarah
marker as Barton county. Secretary Martin let Bar
ton county have four markers. "More requests come
for markers every day," wrote Mr. Martin. "One
thousand dollars spread over 450 miles is thinner than
it ought to be, but it is better than nothing."
On August 14th, 1907, Mr. Martin wrote Mrs. Stan
ley that the final vouchers, amounting to $546.29, were
ready. The treasurer had $584.40 and a balance of
$38.11 would be left. Many markers were held for
celebrations. "It was discovered three weeks ago,"
said Mr. Martin, "that a treaty had been made with

100 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL

the Kaws at a site located in McPherson county. A
special marker should be placed there."
On August 29th, Secretary Martin wrote Mrs. Stan
ley of the final details of the work, and closed his letter
by saying, " It has been an exceedingly interesting job."
Stevens county was the last to be provided with one
of the regular markers, the Trail just touching the
northeast corner of the county.
In February, 1907, the "Employees' Magazine," of
the Santa Fe Railway, had a fine article about the
Trail, written by Mrs. W. E. Stanley. The frontis
piece was a picture of the first marker placed, that of
the Sterling Chapter, aided by the citizens of Rice
county. In the fall of 1907, the Eunice Sterling Chapter,
Wichita, decided to put a marker at some place on the
Trail, and in reply to Mrs. Stanley's query, "Where is
the proper place for one?" Secretary Martin answered
as follows, under date of December 23rd :
"I have your letter of December 22nd. The cuts of
the Council Grove marker can be easily obtained, as
an abundance of photographs were made on that occa
sion. I have never seen a cut of any Johnson county
especial marker, nor of the one at Burlingame. The
Baldwin marker is a very nice one, and is favorably
located. By looking at my report under the head of
'Marion County,* you will see that Lost Springs had
a marker taken care of by a banker named Shirk, and
has a nice location in a little park near the two railroad
depots.

THE END IN SIGHT 101
"I have a map of Kansas on my desk with pencil-
marks indicating each marker from the east to the west
line of the State, as near as I could come by it by the
surveys, and I declare I cannot see where you are going
to get a good prominent place for another. Miss
Adams suggests the Caches, four or five miles west of
Dodge. George P. Morehouse may suggest a good
point. I was thinking of the crossing of the Little
Arkansas, but I see that the Rice county people have
placed one there. Talk to Mr. J. R. Mead about it.
I visited about seven of these markers, driving on the
road, and I want to say they look wonderfully nice.
You certainly ought to find some place for another
marker — some good old camping-ground. I saw a
couple of markers within one hundred feet of the Santa
Fe Railway in plain view of the passengers, and they
attract much attention. Zu [Miss Adams] remarked, to
let her think a few days and perhaps something would
occur to her. A couple of months ago I was in Lin
coln, Neb., and told the story of the Trail-marking
there, and they became wonderfully excited over mark
ing the Oregon trail through their State.
"Some one occasionally bobs up to question the
right of marking the Trail north of the Arkansas river,
but we made another examination of the records and
concluded that that trail was not only the original one
to Las Animas and southwest to the Raton Mountains,
but was altogether the most used. I wouldn't, take- a
good deal for my connection witkthisorrar king job."

102 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL

CHAPTER XIII.
HISTORY ENACTED WHERE THE MARKERS NOW STAND.
We have given the various ways of purchasing and
placing the handsome granite markers along the Old
Santa Fe Trail through our State, and now we will give
in brief some of the history which each stone should
perpetuate in the minds of all who pass that way.
Several of the old-time travelers of the Trail object
to that name, for they say that in reality it was in most
places a broad road about one hundred feet wide and
beaten as hard as a floor. It was wide enough so that
in times of Indian scare, eight wagons could line up
abreast. And in many places the road is too hard to
plow. The earliest use of the Trail was in 1822, when
a caravan left Boonville, Mo., by way of Lexington,
Independence, Westport (now Kansas City, Mo.),
thence in a southwesterly direction across the great
State of Kansas, then only a desert and wilderness, ar.d
on to Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The Santa Fe Railway follows the general direction
of the old Trail across Kansas, crossing it in many
places, and being almost identical with it in the western
part. It was the completion of this road that made
the old Trail an abandoned one as a principal way of
travel to the west.
When going over the old Trail from the east through
Kansas, as many undoubtedly will by automobile or

HISTORY ENACTED 103
otherwise, it is advisable to leave Kansas City, Mo., by
way of Broadway, Westport avenue, and Forty-third
street. The first marker is found at Overland Park,
and from there the road goes south to Olathe, and then
in a general western direction.
When Kansas City had placed markers in prominent
historical parts of old Westport, the Kansas Daughters
put a marker on the part of the old Westport which was
in Kansas. This is now Overland Park, and is just
over the Kansas line from Missouri. Westport was
the outfitting place for the long trip. Its history is an
eventful one, the chief event being the battle of West-
port in 1864. This marker is near the electric line be
tween Kansas City and Olathe. The next marker is
found a mile and a quarter south of Lenexa, Johnson
county, on the top of the divide.
The marker at Lone Elm tells of a famous camping-
ground under an immense elm (which has long since
disappeared), and which marks the dividing point of
the travel toward Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the Cal
ifornia travel. The latter went northwest by way of
Wakarusa and "the Devil's backbone, " where the Uni
versity of Kansas now stands, at Lawrence. The
Olathe Register of November 13th, 1906, had a fine
article about the unveiling of the Lone Elm Camp
Ground marker, unveiled the Friday before. It is one
of the regular markers, set in a marble slab, bearing the
words, "Lone Elm Camp Ground." By the side of the
marker that day were several relics of the past; one
an old ox-bow brought from North Carolina by Dan

1. West of Dodge City.
2. Burdick.

3. Gardner Marker.
4. Olathe Marker.

HISTORY ENACTED 105
Ramey, who drove an ox team all the way to Leaven
worth, Kansas, in 1855. Another curiosity was the
largest pair of elk's horns in the West, owned by Newton
Ainsworth, who came to Lone Elm Camp Ground and
located a claim near by, in 1857. A neat little booklet
published by Mr. Ainsworth, with an account of the
ceremonies, is one of the treasures of the Historian's
box. The school children of Lone Elm and also of
Clare school-house, with their teachers, took an active
part on the program. Among the speakers was Sena
tor Geo. H. Hodges, of Olathe, who since then has been
elected Governor of Kansas. Mrs. J. P. St. John spoke
for the D. A. R. and as others spoke for the State, etc.,
she thought that some praise was due to the Daughters
of the American Revolution in Kansas, who by their
untiring efforts had made possible the occasion they'
then celebrated, by their reclaiming the old Trail from
the past, and leadership in the work of erecting these
markers of the Trail which are at once guide-posts and
monuments. The city of Olathe has a very handsome marker in
the courthouse grounds, which was erected by the citi
zens and the Old Settlers' Association of Johnson
county. The central feature of the marker is the
bronze tablet used by the D. A. R. and the State of
Kansas. Below that is the inscription, "Erected by
Johnson County and the Old Settlers' Association,
1907. " Carved at the top is an old ox-yoke, and the
chain follows back ' of the inscription to the bottom.
This tablet marks the scene of Civil War troubles, as

106 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
Olathe was the rendezvous of the Kansas soldiers dur
ing the Price Raid in 1864.
A marker stands at the school-house grounds at
cross-roads, just half-way between Olathe and Gardner,
set by the D. A. R., and unveiled with appropriate cer
emonies by old settlers and school children, many tell
ing the tales of Border Ruffian days here.
In Gardner, also the scene of Civil War troubles, is
another handsome marker, erected by the Johnson
County Old Settlers' Association, and bearing the
bronze plate.
The Daughters' marker at the next place, Lanesfield,
two and a half miles northeast of Edgerton, marks a
spot that all travelers of the Trail will remember. This
marker has the distinction of being the second one set
in the State. It stands on one corner of the school-
grounds, and was unveiled with appropriate exercises.
I. C. Pickering, of Olathe, and V. R. Ellis, of Gardner,
made addresses, and other speakers were A. B. Dille,
Jonathan Milligan, Florence McCarthy, Jacob Smith,
and Robert Stine, of Franklin County. Mrs. Belle Hill
gave an interesting paper on "The Old Trail."
Black Jack, the historical battle-ground of the John
Brown days, has the next marker on the great highway.
Here John Brown with Captain Shore's company from
Prairie City, the Palmyra force, and Captain Bell's
Black Jack Rangers, reinforced by a dozen men from
Osawatomie, on June 2nd, 1856, whipped Colonel H.
Clay Pate and his Missouri patriots, who had come over
to harass Free-State men in Kansas, and made him sur
render his entire command, consisting of 28 men.

HISTORY ENACTED 107
The handsome marker which marks the old Trail at
Palmyra, now Baldwin, was erected by the Ottawa and
Lawrence Chapters, and stands in a small tract of
ground, a gift to the city, which shall be known as Trail
Park. The history of Palmyra should be written in
full. It was known as the "repair stop" even in the
earliest days, and here many blacksmiths and wagon-
makers were kept busy repairing damages and seeing
that everything was in good order to withstand the
long hard trip. The Bodwell brothers, Ed and Lee,
were the leaders in this work. Here, almost the exact
spot where the marker stands, on June 5th, 1856, the
two armies, — the Free-State leaders and the Missouri
border crowd — met face to face. Governor Shannon
was alarmed and appealed to the Government for
troops. Colonel Sumner responded, sent the belliger
ents home, and released the prisoners that John Brown
had taken in the battle of the 2nd.
Following the trail northwesterly, we find at Brook
lyn a marker, and to the thoughtful it will stand for the
horrors of the retreat from Lawrence of Quantrill after
his memorable raid on Lawrence on the 21st of August,
1863. A few miles on, we find a marker at Willow Springs.
This little town was robbed by Col. Pate and his band
of ruffians, early in 1856, and a few weeks afterward
he returned and burned the town. Its first post
master was appointed in 1855, when the town was called
Davis. The next marker, at Globe, has a similar history be
hind it.

108 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
Half-way between Globe and Overbrook, a marker
was placed at the famous Flag Springs, where canteens
were filled.
A handsome marker is found at Overbrook, and was
unveiled with very impressive ceremonies. They were
in charge of an old settler, S. L. Hebling, and the prin
cipal address was by George P. Morehouse, an old-time
resident of the Trail at Council Grove. Other old set
tlers present were E. E. Gardner, J. Y. Urie, Marshall
Dodder, and John Kinney. Like the Overbrook
marker, those at Scranton and Carbondale mark either
camping-places or crossings. Scranton is near the old
110 Creek crossing, the creek having been thus named
because it is 110 miles from Independence, Mo.
In the center of the town of Burlingame, at the in
tersection of Santa Fe and Topeka avenues, stands the
beautiful monument erected by the Topeka Chapter in
memory of Mrs. Fannie Geiger Thompson.
Burlingame has a very interesting history in connec
tion with the Trail. -One writer said: "Probably no
point on the Trail has seen the rise and fall of so many
boom cities. Council City, as Burlingame was once
called, was mapped out by the American Settlement
Company, but it failed to progress. Then the name
was changed to Burlingame — and this has proved more
successful." In the center of the town was a fine well,
the watering-place for miles around in the dry sea
sons. During the Civil War this well was walled
around, to protect it from attack and ruin.-
Another marker in Osage county is four and one-

HISTORY ENACTED 109
half miles west of Burlingame, and marks the crossing
of Soldier creek or Switzler creek. It was here that
the Daughters wanted the Santa Fe Railway to place
a marker, as the railroad crosses right over the old ford.
Wabaunsee county was crossed only just a little in
one corner by the Trail, but Wilmington was an im
portant point and the citizens of the county had the
monument placed and unveiled with impressive cere
monies. The Leavenworth and Westport roads united
a little east of the town. A stone hotel built in 1858
is near the marker, and the school-house built in 1870
is also near by.
In Lyon county, the three markers, one at Elm creek
crossing, one at the crossing of 142 creek (that distance
from Independence), and one at Agnes City, have his
tories of a more quiet nature than others, but all of
necessary importance to the early traveler.
As the Trail crosses into Morris county there are
places of vital interest. The first marker we find at
Santa Fe schoolhouse grounds, near Rock creek cross
ing. This place was the scene of a dreadful event when
cutthroats from Missouri murdered and robbed two
prominent ranchmen and their families, in 1862.
The marker in Council Grove marks the place of the
council of the Commissioners of our Government with
the Osage Indians, in August, 1825, and where the
treaty was signed for the right of way on the Trail.
There was a settlement at the place, where all cara
vans camped and combined forces to make a more solid
front against the Indians on the western plains, which
trouble began here.

Marker at Council Grove.
Ex-Senator George P. Morehouse, (left.) Secretary George W. Martin, (right.)

HISTORY ENACTED 111
On August 10th, 1907, at the identical spot where 82
years before the treaty with the Osage Indians pro
viding for a right of way, was signed, and close by the
Council Oak, still standing, the handsome marker se
cured by the citizens of Council Grove was unveiled,
and dedicated to the memory of all who "had passed
that way in sorrow or joy," in the days of the old
Trail's usefulness. Besides the regular inscription
which is on all of the markers, this tells to the world
that passes : " Council Grove. On this spot, August
10th, 1825, the treaty was made with the Osage In
dians for the right of way of the Trail." Under this
stone was placed a memorial history box prepared by
Mr. George P. Morehouse, a pioneer settler of the city.
The keys to the box will be kept in the Kansas State
Historical collection at Topeka. Hon. George W.
Martin gave the principal address of the afternoon.
Mr. Morehouse gave a fine talk which interested all
old and new settlers alike, as it bore directly on the
history of the town and surrounding country. Post
master R. M. Armstrong represented the D. A. R.
We would like to give the history of the Grove as told
by Mr. Morehouse, but space forbids. One thing of
special interest told by Mr. Morehouse was that the
Government paid the Indians $500 in money and $300
in merchandise for the "right of way forever." Mr.
Morehouse said to the credit of the Osage Indians they
did live up to their treaty and never bothered the
whites, or preyed on commerce along the way. Be
fore the treaty was signed the place was known as the

The Council Oak, at Council Grove.

HISTORY ENACTED 113
Grove or the Oak Grove. His tribute to the D. A. R.
was : " The Daughters of the American Revolution
and the State Historical Society are doing a worthy
work in so permanently marking the Old Santa Fe
Trail and important spots such as this one. In doing
this they are commemorating the historic and stir
ring events through which Kansas has passed in its
growth from a wilderness to a mighty State ; they
are preserving, by lasting memorials, material for
the writers, historians and poets of the future. And
they are not acting without a precedent, for in the
fourth chapter of Joshua we read : 'And this shall be
a sign among you, that when your children ask their
fathers in the time to come, saying, What mean these
stones? then ye shall answer them that these stones
shall be for a memorial forever.' ' A poem by Mr.
Morehouse. "The Old Council Oak," was a fitting close
to his address.
Five miles west of Council Grove, on the divide, is
another marker, where section lines cross the Trail.
Another is at Wilsey, near the railway station.
The fifth marker in Morris county is at Diamond
Springs, near the head of Diamond creek ; and this
was the end of Anderson's raid in 1862. At the dedi
cation of the marker, on April 25th, 1907, Mr. George
Morehouse was the principal speaker. This place was
called "The Diamond of the Plains." Mr. Morehouse
said that there is evidence that this spring was used by
prehistoric tribes, and was visited by Spanish explorers
in the 16th century, but the first recorded name of the

114 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
spring was in the Government survey of 1825. It was
always a favorite camping-ground. West of here were
the homes of the Indians — Cheyennes, Comanches, Ki-
owas and others. This camp was once a prominent
stage station with several large buildings, all since de
stroyed by outlaws. This famous place is now the
home of a fertile stock ranch owned by the Whitings,
who at the time of the dedication of the marker made
all comers welcome to the celebration.
At Burdick, a town in southwest Morris county, on
a branch of the Santa Fe Railway which runs from
Superior, Neb., to join the main line at Strong City, in
Chase county, another marker was placed, with an all-
day ceremony, on Friday, October 10, 1908. The
marker stands on the old "Six-mile Ranch," one of the
most historic spots in Trail days. The ranch is three
and one-half miles due north of Burdick, at the head
slope of Six-Mile creek, and about five miles south of
Delevan. The deep furrows of the old Trail are still
visible, and will be for many years to come. A sketch
of the life of Charles Atkinson, the oldest settler, was
read at the ceremonies. He was one who witnessed
the raid and robbery of this station in the year 1863 by
600 Cheyenne Indians. The story of the Trail divides
itself into two parts : that of the eastern stops and
camping-grounds having been at the mercy of the
border troubles in the fight for liberty in the Territory
of Kansas ; and that beyond Council Grove to the
west, the invaders being Indians. And here, too, the
travelers began to see the animal life of the prairies,
especially the great herds of buffalo.

HISTORY ENACTED 115
At this marker dedication, ex-Senator George P.
Morehouse gave an address. A box of historical pa
pers, pictures, etc., was placed under the marker. The
marker stands on the farm of J. W. Larsen, now, but
this was the famous old farm of "Old Charley Owens,"
in early days. After the battle of the Kaws and Chey-
ennes, near Council Grove, in 1868, the Cheyennes
when retreating robbed the Owens family of everything
they could carry away.
Crossing over into Marion county, we come to an
other famous spring — Lost Springs. There are many
conflicting statements as to why it was so named. The
place has two markers, one at the railroad park at the
crossing of the Santa Fe and Rock Island railroads,
given by the D. A. R. and the State ; and one which
was erected by the Wichita Chapter D. A. R., in the
City Hall park. At the dedication services of the latter,
November 14th, 1908, Mr. George P. Morehouse (justly
named the historian of the Trail) made an address. He
spoke as follows in regard to the name : " There are sev
eral reasons why this place was called Lost Springs.
Probably it was from the fact that it failed to flow at
times and afterwards burst forth as usual. This might
have happened at some long droughty spell, and persons
who were looking for the spring, which they had pre
viously visited, or heard described, would naturally say
it was lost. Others claim that it was so named for the
reason that it refreshed and saved a party of travelers
or hunters who were lost on the Plains. Some have said
it was covered up or destroyed by Indians so that it

116 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
would not assist the white man crossing the Plains ;
and there was something mysterious about its actions —
running for some and dry for others. There is no doubt
that the name came from the fact that certain Indians
or other travelers across the Plains who had once
camped there were unable to find the spring during
some subsequent trip. Its ancient name given by the
Indians was 'Nee-nee Yol-ly,' meaning 'Good Spring.'
And later some of the tribe reported that ' Nee-nee Oke
pi-yah,' or 'the spring is lost.' " In Mr. Morehouse's
poem, "Lost Spring," he says :
"This plate of bronze depicts an old-time scene,
And set in granite slab so firm is placed
Close by that grand old Trail where it will stand
To tell its simple tale to old and young.
It is a thoughtful gift from Wichita,
Oft known as Peerless Princess of the Plains,
Whose daughters fair, the D. A. R., now come
To offer here a tribute to the past."
The other markers in Marion county are placed as
follows : One at "Moore's Ranch," the site of the first
trading-post and postoffice in Marion county, one mile
east of the town of Waldeck ; and the other at " George
Miller's grave," on the McPherson county line, on land
then belonging to M. M. Jones. This last marker is
on a cement base, at the head of the grave of George
Miller, who was killed at this point by Cheyenne In
dians in 1865. His grave is at the top of a small knoll
by the side of the trail. The grave has been kept in
good shape, and was the starting-point for a country
cemetery.

HISTORY ENACTED 117
Crossing the county line into McPherson county, the
first marker we see is set one mile north of the town of
Canton. Madaris said in his letter about this part of
the trail : "The trail crossed into Marion county about
a mile south of the northeast corner of the county,
thence southwesterly to Antelope hills, going into Mc
Pherson county about the center of Township 19 and
leaving the county near what is now Windom."
The first marker in McPherson county, one mile
north of Canton, is near the Santa Fe Railway to Den
ver. This county has five markers. West of Canton,
one was placed at the southwest corner of Section 9,
and the next one at the southwest corner of Section 10.
The inscription on the next marker shows it to be of
special importance, as it reads: "Sora-Kansas Creek.
Near this spot a council was held with Kaw Indians,
and a treaty made for the right of way of the Santa Fe
Trail." This marker was set with special services, on
Friday, August 23rd, 1907. We are again indebted to
Mr. George Morehouse, who was a member of the trail-
marking committee from the State Historical Society,
for the following about this spot, of which little history
seemed to be known before this. Mr. Morehouse has
lived all of his life on the Trail near Council Grove, and
is an authority on its history. Mr. Morehouse says :
"In looking up the records and surveys of the Trail
and matters regarding the Council Grove council with
the Osages, I ran across the interesting item of history,
that a council was also held with the Kansa (or Kaw)
Indians at a place then called Sora-Kansas creek, about

118 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
seventy miles west of Council Grove. From the maps
and field-notes of the Government survey made in 1825-
27, which I have carefully examined, there can be no
doubt that Sora-Kansas creek is Dry creek, which flows
southward." This marker was placed on this spot, and again the
good work of the D. A. R. was demonstrated, for an
important historical event of as much worth to history
as the council at Council Grove, was thus discovered
and marked. It is easy to locate, as it is three miles
south of the old crossing over Dry Turkey creek and
six miles south of the present town of McPherson.
Sora-Kansas creek has been lost to history by being
called Dry Turkey creek now. Why don't the settlers
there change it to its original name ?
Another marker in this county was placed at Win
dom, almost on the west line of the county.
Passing on, with our interest growing at every
marker, we follow the trail into Rice county. The
large marker half-way between Lyons and Sterling was
the first in the State to be set. The Sterling Chapter
D. A. E., with Mrs. C. W. Smyser as Regent, assisted
by the clubs and other citizens of the county, furnished
this one. But before we reach this one we pass those
at Cow creek crossing, Jarvis creek, Flum Butte (where
a large wagon train was burned and alj.-pf the people
killed or captured by Indians), and the Stone Corral, —
all, as Secretary Martin said, "with their' tales and tra
ditions, legends and lore, embracing humorous, pathetic
and tragical events that should not be forgotten."

HISTORY ENACTED 119
Mr. Dan M. Bell, an old traveler on the Trail, and
who was married on the Trail, drove the stake for the
marker erected by Lyons and Sterling. Mr. Bell says
in a letter : " In reply to your letter will say I was mar
ried to Mary M. Hanks on the evening of April 19th,
1872, by the light of the moon, on horseback, on the
Santa F6 Trail on the banks of Little Cow creek. At
that time the Trail was the only road through the
county east and west. In April, 1871, 1 bought a team
at Lawrence, Kansas, and followed the old Trail to
Rice county. At that time the old Stone Corral at
Little river was in fair condition. After we struck the
trail west of Cottonwood Falls, it was open all the way
through. At that time there was considerable travel
over the Trail."
At Chase stands another marker placed by the State,
the D. A. R., and citizens of the town.
In Barton county we find the first marker at the city
of Ellinwood. And when about two and a half miles
east of Great Bend, travelers will see on a prominent
place not far from the railroad (Santa Fe) an old Span
ish war cannon mounted on a pedestal of stone. This
marker was erected by the citizens of Barton county
to mark the former home of old Fort Zarah, the first of
the western forts. When the D. A. R. had their penny
collection asking each child in the State to contribute
at least one penny to the fund for marking the trail,
the Barton county citizens kept the amount given by
the school children of that county, and, with other con
tributions from their own citizens, erected this marker,
and had it unveiled with elaborate exercises.

120 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
The D. A. R. and State markers are placed one and
a half miles east of Great Bend, and one in Santa Fe
Depot Park in the city of Great Bend. Almost to the
line into Pawnee we find one in the little town of Paw
nee Rock, and just beyond in the distance can be seen
the remains of old Pawnee Rock, the most thrillingly
historic spot on the entire trail.
On the monument on the Rock itself, in Pawnee
county, is a handsome bronze tablet erected by the D.
A. R. and the State of Kansas, and pointing its white
shaft-finger to the sky is the monument erected by the
Women's Kansas Day Club, D. A. R., Women's Relief
Corps, and the Women's Christian Temperance Union.
So much is told in the chapter on "The Marking of
Old Pawnee Rock," that it will not be necessary to
give the history here, only that, rising from a sandy,
wind-swept plain, it was a great camping-place and
lookout for protection from Indians.
Pawnee county is filled with historic places. One of
the regulation size monuments stands between the old
Trail and the Santa Fe Railway in Section 13. The
next we find in the city park in the town of Larned —
a town with a thrilling history. It was the outgrowth
of civilization settling near the protection of the sol
diers at old Fort Larned, where the Government had
stationed soldiers for the protection of travelers along
the Trail, during Indian troubles. Mr. E. C. Campbell,
of Hutchinson, a former paymaster at Fort Larned,
has written a fine account of the early days of the
Fort. "The first fort," says Mr. Campbell, "on the

HISTORY ENACTED 121
Trail after leaving Council Grove was Fort Zarah, on
the Arkansas river, at the mouth of Walnut creek, near
the present town of Great Bend. Thirty -two miles
west, on the Pawnee Fork, and six miles west of its
junction with the Arkansas river, Fort Larned was
located. About fifty-five miles due west, Fort Dodge
was established after the previously built post of Fort
Adkinson was abandoned. Then a stretch of a hun
dred miles, more or less, and the post of Fort Lyons was
built near the old Indian trading-post known as 'Bent's
Fort.' The greatest danger of the whole line from
Indian surprise and attack, lay between Forts Zarah
and Larned, the very heart of the buffalo range."
The marker at Fort Larned stands on the old parade
ground. Besides the usual inscription, it tells a little
of the history of the fort, which was "established in
October, 1859, and was known as Camp on the Pawnee
Fork. Name changed to Camp Alert in 1860, in Feb
ruary, and in June of the same year it received the
present name of Fort Larned. It was abandoned as a
fort in 1884."
The Trail crosses the Pawnee river (or Fork) just
east of the fort. The other markers in this county are
one in the old Fort Larned burying-ground, and the
other in the present town of Garfield, in their city park.
In Edwards county there are two distinct trails, one
called the wet-weather trail, and there are two mark
ers there, while on what was called the river trail, go
ing northwest, there are three. The most prominent
marker is in Kinsley, and this one was dedicated on the

Old Fort Larned Marker.

HISTORY ENACTED 123
thirty-third anniversary of the organization of Edwards
county. On June 18, 1848, at the place where the
marker stands, 800 Comanche Indians attacked 76
Missouri volunteers on their way to Mexico, the latter
armed with breech-loading carbines. It was a desper
ate charge, but sixty-two Indians were buried in the
sand near by. Mr. W. A. Madaris said : "The freight
ers' troubles began at Sandy, grew on them at Fort
Zarah, doubled up at Great Bend, and increased from
there to Fort Bent."
The first of the five markers in Ford county is two
miles west of the east county line, on a hill — about the
only hill around for miles. Another marker stands on
the road from Speareville; another, one mile east of
Kansas Old Soldiers' Home ; a handsome one on the
old Trail is in the center of the city hail square in
Dodge City (formerly Fort Dodge) ; another is on a
high point of rock near the west county line, a favorite
lookout place on the trail.
Robert M. Wright, of Dodge City, is the historian
of the Trail in this county, and as he has lived on the
Trail and traveled it fifty -five years ago, he is compe
tent to tell the truth of the days of long ago. Mr.
Wright, who was a member of the Trail-marking com
mittee from the State Historical Society, has written
a history of Dodge City, which in the early days was
known as "the wicked city of the plains," and his
book, "The Cowboy Capital," is very interesting read
ing. Mr. Wright wrote for us the following story of
the history of the places where the Dodge City markers
stand :

124 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
THE STORY OF TWO TRAIL-MARKERS.
About the first of May, 1866, there was not a pound
of hay or other long feed, and very little grain for the
horses and mules at Fort Dodge ; so it was customary,
early every morning, to turn the Government stock out
to graze. Of course there was always a guard with
them, consisting usually of three soldiers. The morn
ing in question Colonel Thompson's Seventh Cavalry
troop of one hundred horses were put out to graze.
There had not been an Indian seen for a long time, but
when the herd of horses had been grazing a few hours,
a small band of Indians sneaked down the hollow where
the wet and dry routes intersected, just one mile east
of Fort Dodge, and quicker than lightning surrounded
the herd of horses and drove them off. One soldier of
the guard jumped into the Arkansas river, which was
at flood, and was killed ; another swam across the river
and got away.
An Indian shot all his arrows into the back of the
third soldier and then pursued him to the fort, trying
to get possession of his horse. The soldier was mortally
wounded, but managed to keep his seat in the saddle,
and, splendidly mounted, rode straight toward the fort
like the wind. The Indian, on a much inferior horse,
kept as close alongside as possible, beating the soldier
over the head with his bow, in an effort to knock him
off his horse, and frequently spurring up by the side of
the soldier's horse and grabbing at the bridle-rein, try
ing to get a hold upon it. If he had succeeded in doing
this, he could have wheeled and led the horse away, and

HISTORY ENACTED 125
the soldier would have been at his mercy. It was a
splendid horse, and the Indian was taking great chances
to get it, but he did not succeed in reaching the bridle,
and the exciting race continued until the Indian had
chassd the soldier right up to the Fort, across the pa
rade-grounds, and within a hundred yards of the hos
pital, for which place the wounded man was riding.
He succeeded in reaching the door of the hospital, and
was lifted out of his saddle, but died in two hours. I
still have the fatal arrow that killed him. Before his
death he said that he recognized the Indian as Satanta,
but Satanta would never acknowledge the deed.
The guards connected with this Indian foray had
been careless and had left their carbines in their cases
and strapped to the front of their saddles. The dash
of the Indians was so sudden that there was no chance
to get the carbines out of their cases in time for any
defense. Upon the site of this raid is where we placed
one of the Santa Fe trail markers.
Only a very short distance, not a hundred yards,
from this marker near Fort Dodge, is where old Ralph
was killed. One very cloudy morning, when a dense
fog covered the whole Arkansas river bottom, a band
of Indians sneaked down the same hollow already men
tioned, and speared the old man while he was on his
knees, skinning a wolf that he had caught in a steel
trap. They left the poor old gray -haired hunter and
mountaineer stretched out on his back, minus his scalp.
I was on the spot soon after the tragedy occurred, and
it was a horrible-looking sight. At the same place,

Marker and Old-Timers, at Dodge City.
Sitting, from loft to right — Charley Good, John Riney, A. J. Anthony, Brick Bond, Sam Gallagher,
Mayor H. B. Bell, R. M. Wright.

HISTORY ENACTED 127
these Indians crawled into a camp of Government
teams, consisting of several hundreds of wagons and
mules, cut loose about a hundred of the mules from
where they were tied to the wagons by their halters,
and began waving their buffalo robes and blankets and
giving the war-whoop to stampede the rest of the mules.
Almost before the teamsters were aware of anything
wrong, the loose stock was stampeding and the waving
blankets and the yells startled the whole camp, and
made hundreds of the frightened animals that were tied
break loose and join the stampede. The Indians gath
ered up the most of them and got away with them some
time before it could be made known to the troops at the
fort, not more than a mile distant. Two companies of
the Seventh Cavalry put out after the redskins, but
never overtook them. I tell you, that camp was a
bedlam for a few minutes while the Indians were on
the scene. As the teamsters remarked, "There was
h — 1 to pay for certain!" Everything was topsy
turvy; empty wagons were overturned, and the
drivers were panic-stricken, running hither and yon,
worse frightened than the mules, if such a thing could
be. So much for the Trail-marker at the intersection of
the old wet and dry routes, near Fort Dodge. The
second of the two markers forming the subject of this
sketch is placed almost in front of the city hall, right
in the middle of the old Trail, in one of Dodge City's
principal streets. A few hundred yards east of this
marker was a great watering-place, as the river formerly

128 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
swung around and hugged the bank closely. Here, also,
was a great camping-place on the old Trail, which af
forded great grazing for stock. Many times, in cross
ing the Plains, have I stopped and watered here, and
the Santa Fe coach always watered here. (Signed)
Robert M. Wright.
Gray county has four markers, the principal one be
ing in the city of Cimarron, at the intersection of Main
street and Avenue A. It is near the site of a favorite
camping-ground. In the eastern part of Gray county
the trail divided, the oldest and original trail going
north of the Arkansas river. In 1829, a shorter route
was discovered, which crossed the river in Gray county
and went in a southwesterly direction.
In Finney county, on the northern route, were placed
five markers, all on the public highway of today, and
the most of them on or near school-grounds. They
are placed at Pierceville, Harmony, Garden City, Dis
trict No. 51, and Sherlock district. The work of get
ting the markers was in charge of the County Superin
tendent, H.P. Nichols, who said that he thoroughly be
lieved in developing within the minds of the young,
reverence and interest in the reminiscent and historical,
and that his plan for marking the Trail in their county
would do so. The children were so active in aiding
the restorers of the traces of the old Trail, that five
markers instead of the expected three were placed, each
with special ceremonies. At the dedication of the Har
mony school-house marker, Mr. George W. Martin,
Captain E. J. Pyle and C. J. Jones made the addresses.

history enacted 129
In the next county on the northern trail, Kearny,
there are five markers placed at former camping-
grounds or scenes of Indian troubles. They are placed
as follows : Two in the town of Lakin, Deerfield has
one, school-grounds in Section 17, and the other in
Hartland. The last county on the old north trail is Hamilton,
and is on the Colorado line. Here five markers were
sent, and located as follows : One in Kendall ; one in
Syracuse, exactly on the trail at the corner of Main and
Logan streets, where the ruts of the old trail are still
to be seen ; one at Coolidge, near the Santa Fe depot ;
and one near the center of Section 23. No report was
ever given of the fifth marker. Nearly all of the mark
ers on the northern route are visible from the trains on
the main line of the Santa Fe to Denver.
After leaving Gray county on the southern route, we
find in Haskell county four markers, one just north of
the town of Colusa, two north and near the county
seat, Santa Fe, and another near Conductor, at the
west county line. The two near Santa Fe are where
the Trail crosses section lines and are placed diagonally
across from each other. The people in the counties on
the southern trail deserve great credit in placing the
markers, as they had no railroad facilities then, and
the stones made very heavy hauling such a long way
from the railroad.
The two near Santa Fe were set with the usual cere
mony on May 11th, 1907. A history of Haskell county
was placed in the tin box under the cement base of the
stones.

130 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
In Grant county there are three markers, the most
prominent place being Wagonbed Springs, a noted
watering-place and camping-ground. The others are,
one at southeast corner of Section 9 and the other on
the northeast corner of Section 3.
The trail following the Cimarron river is found only
for a few miles in Stevens county, the northwest corner,
and only one marker is there.
To Morton county, the very corner county of the
State, five markers were sent, and as far as known are
located as follows : One as the Trail enters the county
on the east, and one on the State line on the west.
The others occupy central places. Mr. Alex. R. John
son, of Morton county, sends us the following in re
gard to the marker at Point of Rocks, Morton county :
"The marker on Section 12, Township 34, Range 43,
is at ' Point of Rocks ; ' the one on Section 7, Town
ship 34, Range 43, is on the Kansas-Colorado State
line." The marker set at Point of Rocks was the last one
to be set in this county, and probably in the State of
Kansas. Mr. E. M. Dean, of Richfield, writes of re
cent date :
"These markers were sent to Morton county several
years ago, and three of them were placed ; the other
two — that is, the one at Point of Rocks and the one
on the State line — were not placed until last spring
(1914), when myself and a few others in this county
interested ourselves in getting them properly located.

HISTORY enacted 131
The citizens of Morton county who were active in this
matter were : Mayo Thomas, of Elkhart ; Perry Biite,
who lives at Point of Rocks ; Lee Moore, Ernest Wil
son, and John Bartholemew, of Richfield, and myself.
The stone was set on Point of Rocks on the 26th day
of April, 1914. It is placed on a rocky point about
fifty feet above the north bank of the Cimarron river,
and is located five and a half miles from the west line
of the State, being seven and a half miles from the
Oklahoma State line. It is right on the old Trail. On
the cement base are the following inscriptions : ' Mis
souri river, 550 Miles ; Santa Fe, 226 Miles. Surveyed
in September, 1825.' On the cement base, also, is the
Square and Compass, the Masonic emblem, for the
reason that we men who set it are all Masons."
A noted camping-ground near by is a place called
Middle Spring, and the only one in what is now Morton
county. The camping-ground at the base of Point of
Rocks was known to the Mexican freighters as "Mesa
Blanco." In the counties of the southwest the trails are broken
on account of so many creeks, and are probably the
result of the travelers' efforts to keep near water in
the dry season and away from it during flood times.
Morton county had many small creeks and two branches
of the Cimarron river to contend with.
As one looks at the map of Kansas now it would
seem an easy matter to retrace the old trail by coun
ties, but it must be remembered that in the earliest

'^¦SC

Point of Rocks and Old Trail, in Morton County.

history enacted 133
days of travel there were no counties at all, and later
the counties in the western part were very large.
Farms with wheat -fields and corn-fields cover the old
Trail in many places now, so it took infinite patience
and much consulting of local notes of history and the
memories of the old Trail travelers to finally wrest
from almost oblivion, the pathway of the ancient travel.
And the Trail did not only make Kansas history —
it made the connecting link between the settling of the
West by the people of the East. And as those early
travelers prized the old Trail as a road to the future,
we hope the people of years to come will use it and
keep its early history in remembrance.

134 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL

CHAPTER XIV.
SECRETARY MARTIN'S REPORT.
In December, 1907, Secretary George W. Martin in
his annual report of the Kansas State Historical So
ciety had a very complete record of the marking of the
Old Trail, and where the markers are placed. The
Daughters had already received a copy of this report.
The following bill had been approved by the State
Regent, Mrs. Stanley :
The Slate of Kansas, The Kansas Daughters of the American
Revolution, debtors to George W. Marlin, Secretary of the State
Historical Society:
August 7.— To 30 markers for the Santa Fe Trail, at $16 each, $480. 00
August 7. — To the price of three extra markers for the
Council Grove marker  48.00
August 7. — To freight prepaid as follows : Missouri Pa
cific to Admire, $5.04; Council Grove, $5.75; Overbrook,
$2.50  13.29
August 7. — To expense setting special marker in McPherson
County  5.00
Total  $546.29
EXPLANATION.
59 markers were paid for out of the State appropriation of $1,000.
6 special markers placed by the Daughters of the American Revo
lution, individual chapters.
30 markers placed by the Conference of the Kansas D. A. R.
Total, 95 markers placed along the Trail in Kansas.
The Legislature named the counties through which
the Trail should be marked, and all but three — Frark-
lin, Dickinson, and Hodgeman — (neither of these touch-

SECRETARY MARTIN S REPORT 135
ing the trail) received four to six markers each. The
State appropriation was expended as follows :
1906.
Oct. 13. — To ten granite boulders 
•To thirty-five granite boulders 
•To prepaid freight on Rock Island to Marion .
To setting markers in Rice County 

Dec. 18
Dec. 18
Dec. 18
1907.
June 11
June 11
June 11
June 11
June 11
June 11

-To freight on marker to Council Grove . . .
-To freight on marker to Comiskey 
-To setting markers in Lyon County 
-To B. F. Dole, hauling marker, Waldeck.
-To fourteen markers at $16 each 
-To postage 

$ 160

00

560

00

4

11

16

00

2

53

2

50

13

00

4

60

224

00

13

36

Total  $1,000.00
Mr. Martin then gives in his report a list of all of
the markers, the counties, and the names of those who
had charge of the setting of them. As we have covered
most of these matters in the preceding chapter, we will
make but brief mention of them here.
Johnson county has seven markers, five furnished by
the Daughters and two by citizens of the county. The
latter cost $300 each, and Mr. D. Hubbard took charge
of the one at Olathe and Mr. V. R." Ellis the one at
Gardner. Douglas county has five markers, and the expenses
were borne by the County Commissioners. The com
mittee in charge included Mrs. C. C. Seewir, Mrs.
Clarence Hall, and Mrs. Paul R. Brooks, of Lawrence
Chapter. The Black Jack marker was set by Mr. H.
H. Hays ; the Brooklyn marker by Mr. W. A. Pardee ;
Willow Springs by Mr. E. H. VanHoesen ; near Globe,
by Mr. August Hock and Mr. William Featherstone.

136 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
A sixth marker was placed by the Daughters of the
Lawrence and Ottawa Chapters, at Baldwin. Osage
county has five markers, one each at Carbondale,
Scranton and Burlingame, and two at Overbrook. The
Old Settlers' Association paid the expenses, and A. J.
Wilbur, S. L. Heberling, E. M. Gardner, P. W. Robi
son, Mrs. J. T. Pringle, Thomas Black and T. L. Mar
shall were interested and active in the work.
Wabaunsee county is touched but slightly by the
trail in the southeast corner, and the marker at Wil
mington was set about the middle of June, 1907, on a
foundation of rock and cement, upon which was also a
limestone rock. Mr. F. L. Hinshaw, Superintendent
of Public Instruction, had charge of the marker, and the
County Commissioners paid all expenses.
In Lyon county, C. D. Hornbeck, of Admire, re
ceived and cared for the three markers, and located
them as follows : One at the crossing of Elm creek, one
at the crossing of 142 creek, and the other at Agnes
City. Mr. Hornbeck planted an evergreen tree at the
side of each marker. The trail through Lyon county
almost paralleled the north county line, hence there
was little interest in the marking and Mr. Hornbeck
was compelled to write : "As our people here show no
disposition toward placing the markers, I ask if you
will allow the necessary expense of setting them?"
This was done.
In Morris county the six markers were placed under
the direction of Mr. George P. Morehouse, with the
assistance of many local friends. The principal and

SECRETARY MARTIN S REPORT 137
largest is the one at Council Grove, where the famous
council with the Osages was held in 1825.
Marion county has four markers from the State and
Daughters fund, and another placed by the Eunice
Sterling Chapter, of Wichita, at Lost Springs. George
B. Shirk cared for the other marker at Lost Springs.
W. D. Armstrong placed the marker on the site of the
first trading-post and postoffice in Marion county,
known then as Moore's Ranch. M. L. Clark, of Can
ton, placed the marker for Marion county on the line
of that county and McPherson county, — George Mil
ler's grave. The other marker was cared for by B. F.
Dole at Dole's Park, and was placed where the main
road, coming into Waldeck from the east, crosses the
old Trail.
McPherson county has five markers, the expense of
which was assumed by the Women's Relief Corps of
McPherson, and other neighborhood interests. T. O.
Coons received and cared for four of them. One on
the main traveled road from Canton to Newton was
cared for by A. E. Duvall, editor of the Canton "Pilot."
The special marker in this county is at Sora-Kansas
creek crossing. At the unveiling of this one, addresses
were made by A. C. Spilman, A. W. Smith, and Sec
retary Martin. The people of Windom, on the west
side of the county, set the marker on the northwest
corner of Section 20.
The Rice county markers were the first in place, be
ing set in the fall of 1906. These were paid for out of
the State appropriation, and the sites are prominent

138 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
points on the old Trail. The usual number, five, was
allowed, and the citizens of Chase wanted one. This
marker was cared for by William Kenton and the citi
zens of Chase paid the expense of setting. The largest
marker in this county was erected by the Sterling Chap
ter and the clubs and citizens of Sterling and Lyons,
and the marker is half-way between these two places.
The amount of sixteen dollars was allowed from the
State fund for expenses.
Barton has had the Trail marked by four stones and
an old Spanish cannon. The county itself erected the
cannon, using the ninety dollars the county children
raised on Trail Day. The cannon and the freight from
Florida amounted to over $200. Local friends set the
markers sent them, with Senator G. L. Chapman and
C. R. Aldrich aiding in the work.
Pawnee county received five markers, which were
taken care of by E. E. Frizell, A. A. Thorp, and J. D.
McConnaughay, the County Commissioners paying ex
penses. Of Edwards county's five markers, three are on the
river trail and two on the hill trail. The County
Commissioners paid the expense of the setting, and
D. D. Baxter and J. M. Lewis looked after the busi
ness. The principal marker adjoins the city of Kinsley.
Ford county has five markers, which were taken
charge of by Chalk M. Beeson, A. J. Anthony, Andy
Johnson, and Robert M. Wright. Mr. Wright wrote :
" We found very suitable places — they all came in
nicely. The west stone we placed on a very high point

SECRETARY MARTIN'S REPORT 139
of rock. The trail hugged this rock closely ; you can
almost jump from the rock and strike the trail. The
point overlooks the whole country around. One we
placed in front of our city hall [Dodge City], right in
the center of the old Trail. One on a beautiful high
point one mile west of the Soldiers' Home, where the
river and dry route intersected. One on the main road
to Speareville — a conspicuous place, and the last one
on a high hill, two miles west of our east county line.
This is the only hill in this part of the country — it
overlooks the great sandhills in the big bend of the
Arkansas river, and on a clear day you can see from
its top, Fort Larned, over thirty-five miles in the dis
tance. We had no trouble in following the trail even
through the plowed lands and wheat-fields ; in many
places it was very distinct. Many times did I think,
the two days we were out, that here my footprints had
been forty-eight years ago, because the first time I
crossed the Plains I walked and drove a bull-team
every step of the way. A. H. Anthony was a messen
ger on the Barlow, Sanderson & Co. stage line from
1863 to 1869. C. M. Beeson first struck the trail in
1868 and Andy Johnson in 1870. So you see we were
all old-timers."
Gray county has four markers, and these were looked
after by Charles G. Isely, of Cimarron, and D. W.
Barton, of Ingalls.
Finney county's markers, five in number, were cared
for by H. P. Nichols, County Superintendent of Schools.
The Trail divided in Gray county east of Finney county.

140 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
The original Trail was north of the Arkansas river, but
in 1829 a shorter route was discovered, leaving the
valley and crossing the river a short distance west of
Dodge, or in Gray county. The people in Finney
county think of adding a line in the inscription on their
markers to indicate the fact that there were two
roads, and that the one north of the river was the orig
inal one.
Kearny county has five markers. The County Com
missioners paid for the expense of setting them and F.
L. Pierce, County Clerk, gave prompt and efficient at
tention to the task.
Hamilton county, the last county on the northern
route, has five markers, which were shipped to Henry
Block, of Syracuse. The marker there was set in a
concrete base, and dedicated on July 4th, 1907. One
marker was not heard from.
Haskell county, the third county from the west State
line on the south trail, received four markers. They
were looked after by A. J. Hedger, County Superin
tendent of Schools. Mr. Hedger recently received a
gold medal and $3600 from the Carnegie fund for res
cuing a man from a caved-in well.
Grant county has three markers, which were shipped
to E. F. Towler, of Ulysses. One was marked for Wag
onbed Springs. Ulysses is about twenty -five miles
from the railroad, and the friends out there are entitled
to admiration for the extra trouble and expense they
assumed. The County Commissioners paid the bills.
Stevens county has but one marker, as the Trail f ol-

SECRETARY MARTIN'S REPORT 141
lowed the Cimarron river across one corner. Mr. R.
T. Beaty, one of the County Commissioners, assumed
the expense of hauling this marker from the railroad at
Lakin, and setting it.
Morton county has five markers. The County Com
missioners assumed the expense of transporting the
stones from the railroad and setting them. Fred G.
Glen, County Clerk, gave prompt assistance. The
Trail for the first twelve miles in this county is alto
gether, except for a short distance, about five miles
from the east line of the county, where there is a short
branch of the Cimarron river, for water. For the re
mainder of the distance across the county there are
practically two trails, one following the river-bottom,
or close to it, and the other keeping parallel to the river
at a distance of two miles or so. There are connecting
roads everywhere, and appearances indicate the main
trail for the last one-third of the way across the county
to be the river-bottom one. The people of Morton
county, being far from the railroad, had about sixty
miles of hauling to do, which speaks well for their in
terest in the work.
Mr. Martin said in his report that: "It will be ob
served that in Kansas both Trails are marked, the orig
inal Trail along the north bank of the Arkansas river,
and the cut-off from Cimarron southwest and through
Morton county. The Daughters of the American Rev
olution in Colorado secured from their Legislature an
appropriation of $2000 to mark the Trail and they have
continued our line of markers. The contention is made

142 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
in that State that there was practically no trail at all
north of the Arkansas, west of Cimarron, and that the
Trail proper was over the Cimarron river route, cross
ing the Arkansas river in Gray county. To justify the
action of Kansas in marking the route north of the
river, I deemed it necessary to examine two witnesses,
and with all Kansans they will be sufficient. Mr. Rob
ert M. Wright, of Ford county, is one, and Patrick
Sherman, depot-master for the Santa Fe in Topeka
and once a teamster and wagon-master on the Trail
from 1858 to 1866, the other."
Mr. Martin closed his final report with the statement :
"The task has been a most inspiring one. The mark
ers have excited an historical interest never before
reached. It is said that in some neighborhoods people
drive miles out of their way to see the markers. They
have prompted local history. The best money the
Legislature expends is that given to the purpose of per
petuating heroic incident, inculcating patriotism, and
local and State pride, resulting in an interested and
enthusiastic citizenship."
To the Daughters of the American Revolution in
Kansas, alone, is due the marking of the Santa Fe
Trail, not only in Kansas but in the sister States, Col
orado and Missouri, who marked the Trail in those
State after Kansas had completed hers.
Now when all of the States are telling of their old
trails and planning for them to be a part of the ocean-
to-ocean road, due credit must always be given to the
hard, determined efforts of the Kansas Daughters, for

SECRETARY MARTIN'S REPORT 143
they were the pioneers in the movement of honoring
the old trails, and the people who passed their way.
It is the regret of the present Historian, that in the
year 1912, six years after the marking of the Trail, she
writes the history of the Daughters' work, compiling as
best she could from old and often faded letters, reports
and minutes of Conference and Chapter meetings, —
the story she has told here. There were very few
typewritten letters then, and the women had not learned
to be businesslike in their letters, and the reading of
the vast amount of correspondence often yielded few
data necessary to the story. If there are mistakes, or
if there are things omitted, blame only the source of
her knowledge. She has tried to make everything ac
curate, proving all dates and names by Kansas history
and State Historical reports, and it was a task almost
equal to the real marking of the Trail.
To the State Historical Society, the Daughters give
boundless gratitude for its loyal help in the trail-mark
ing, and to the State of Kansas they will ever give the
true loyal help in caring for the State's treasures of
history, that the State gave them to make this grand
work the success it is.

Old Sod House.
Last House on Trail in Morton County.

THE SAVING OF OLD PAWNEE ROCK 145

CHAPTER XV.
THE SAVING OF OLD PAWNEE ROCK.
When the Daughters of the American Revolution of
Kansas began talking of marking the Old Santa Fe
Trail through Kansas, and plans were being made to
trace the correct route, a cry went up to the Regent
and State Historical Society, " Save Old Pawnee Rock ! "
Long before the white man came to live upon the sunny
plains of Kansas, the Indian tribes had made use of the
rock rising abruptly from the plains in Barton county
(only there were no counties out there then), as a place
for signal-fires and an advantageous look-out to keep
watch for friend or foe. At its base, bloody battles
were fought between the tribes, one memorable one
giving it the name it now bears — from the tribe which
won — the Pawnees. Later, the Santa Fe" Trail wound
its way at the base of the rock, and it became a veri
table "Rock of Ages" to many a train of pioneers.
Soldiers and settlers carved their names on the Rock,
and names illustrious in history today were left there
to tell of their owners' visits. Soon, as civilization
reached the rock, the owner of the farm on which it
stands found it was good building material, — and, re
gardless of its historic memories, began quarrying it
away, and even had a rock-crusher there in order to
turn the old landmark into dollars. And so the carved

146 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
names were lost. A town has been built not far from
it, and is named Pawnee Rock.
A press clipping says : "Pawnee Rock is one single
cliff of rock, which the red man could climb upon and
view the country for miles over the Arkansas, Ash,
and Walnut valleys, and see the white man approach
ing. It was through this region, hugging the margin
of the silent Arkansas, and running under the very
shadow of Pawnee Rock, that the old Santa Fe Trail
wound its way. In those days this was considered the
most dangerous point along the trail. It was here that
Kit Carson shot his mule for an Indian, and here
"Buffalo Bill" was once captured. It was the battle
that followed the next two days, between the whites
and the Pawnee Indians, after Carson shot his mule,
that gave the Rock its name." [A mistake, as the
Rock was named for the Indian battle, which took
place earlier. — Historian.] "It would have been a
very interesting scene to witness, if one could have
stood on the rock and watched the Indians in their
many conflicts and their chases after buffalo."
The following letter to Governor Hoch, who once
lived near the old Rock, under date of July 23, 1905,
from the town of Pawnee, is one of many received by
Mrs. Stanley, State Regent, and Miss Meeker, State
Secretary, in regard to the preservation of the old Rock.
The letter from T. H. Brewer is as follows :
"The prevailing sentiment now seems to be to pre
serve historical spots, especially along the Old Santa

THE SAVING OF OLD PAWNEE ROCK 147
F£ Trail. Some of the most noted landmarks are be
ing destroyed through the avarice and unpatriotic,
graspirig covetousness of the present day. One of the
most noted old landmarks of the Old Santa Fe Trail is
Pawnee Rock, in the southwest corner of Barton county,
close to the town of the same name. But it, as a land
mark, is fast being obliterated. Hundreds of names
have already been blotted away, though there are quite
a few left yet. But it will not be long until they are
all gone, at the present rate of destruction now prac
ticed by the owner. I see that the State (or I am under
such an impression) has made an appropriation to
mark the Trail. If so, don't you think it would be ad
visable to buy this old Rock as one of the most promi
nent marks of said Trail? You have seen it in about
its original shape, and know something of how it looked.
Inman's history of the Santa Fe Trail mentioned Paw
nee Rock as one of the special landmarks. It was close
here, after a fight held around the Rock, that two men
were captured by Indians, and their lives were spared
by the younger of the two ' running the gauntlet ' and
coming out without a scratch. They were allowed to
proceed on their way unmolested. Now if the State
has made an appropriation for preserving the old land
marks, we think that the remainder of this rock should
be preserved." (Signed) T. H. Brewer, Pawnee
Rock. Miss Meeker wrote in reply to this letter, which was
sent to her after the Regent had read it, telling Mr.

148 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
Brewer how small the appropriation was, and how they
hoped to increase it. She suggested that if his county
could raise the money to buy the rock, there would be
no objection to putting a tablet on it and using it for
a monument. She also suggested that it might be pos
sible to put the fund to be raised by the children in his
county, into such an enterprise. She offered to lay any
plans and suggestions he might offer, before the com
mittee, and also asked him to write out any incidents
in regard to the rock he might know to help the school
children in their essays.
Mrs. Carrie G. Shaw, of Hiawatha, was appointed
on the D. A. R. section of the Trail Committee in the
fall of 1905, her special work being to do something to
save Pawnee Rock. The owner of the rock asked too
much for it and five acres for a driveway to it, and
the Daughters knew they did not have sufficient funds
to buy it. The Committee almost despaired, though
many plans were devised and discussed. Still came the
cry, "Save the old Rock!" Under date of December
28th, 1905, Mrs. Shaw received the following letter
from Dr. Edward K. Laurence, of Pawnee Rock :
"Mrs. Shaw, Hiawatha, Kansas — Dear Madam: I
received your letter of recent date, and assure you I
was glad to hear from you. From the little I know of
the Society you are representing, it is engaged in a
laudable undertaking and should be encouraged in ev
ery way. Now about Pawnee Rock : it is in the middle
of a wheat-field, about one-fourth mile north of the

THE SAVING OF OLD PAWNEE ROCK 149
town. From what I have heard, it has already been
cut off from the top about forty feet. The stone is
used for building material, though it is not of much
good. It is now owned by Mr. Benjamin P. Unruh,
and a man is at work nearly every day, breaking it up.
The work of destruction has been going on for over
twenty years, which leaves the rock now only about
forty feet high on the highest face. Should the mem
bers of your society desire to do anything to preserve
it, I am sure they may depend on the hearty coopera
tion of the Commercial Club of this place." (Signed)
Edward K. Laurence, Pawnee Rock.
Mrs. Shaw then tried to interest the club women in
the Seventh District, where the rock is located, in the
hope that they would in some way help purchase the
Rock. In March, 1906, Mrs. T. A. Cordry, of Parsons,
was appointed on the State Press Committee of the D.
A. R., with the special work of creating a sentiment for
Pawnee Rock. In Miss Meeker's letter telling her of
her appointment, she gives a resume of the situation,
part of which follows (the other has already been given) :
"Mrs. Noble L. Prentis is a member of the Trail
Committee from the State Historical Society, and has
sent out inquiries as to the exact state of things in and
around the Rock. Dr. E. K. Laurence, of Pawnee
Rock, had written Mrs. Shaw that the Commercial
Club of Pawnee Rock had tried to buy five acres,
which would include the Rock and a driveway to
it. They were prepared to pay $100 an acre, but

Mrs. T. A. Cordry,
State Historian.

THE SAVING OF OLD PAWNEE ROCK 151
the owner, Mr. Unruh, refused this sum, and would
not consider less than $3000 for the five acres.
Dr. Laurence suggested that the only way to get
hold of it, is for the State to condemn it, or get
a cement plant to locate in Pawnee Rock, so there
would be no demand for the stone. A letter from Miss
Zu Adams, under date of February 21st, states that
Prof. C. R. Aldrich, County Superintendent of Barton
county, was in her office, and she told him of our ef
forts to buy Pawnee Rock. He said, 'Why, that is
only a hole in the ground.' He also said that the pro
jection known as Pawnee Rock has been cut off thirty
or forty feet, and a pit is where it used to be — that
the bluff back of the Rock stands devoid of any but a
fresh surface, — no names, a rock quarry of considerable
value to its owner."
Mrs. Cordry worked faithfully for the Rock, and
wrote to many newspapers over the State to have the
work noticed, hoping to induce some one to aid in
purchasing the old landmark.
Mrs. A. H. Horton, of Topeka, was another Daugh
ter very much interested in the saving of old Pawnee
Rock, and at the State Conference held in Parsons in
November, 1906, asked the Conference if they were
willing to undertake the purchasing and improving of
the Rock. The Conference decided that as the Santa
Fe Trail-marking was not completed, they could not
undertake it.
At the meeting of the Women's Kansas Day Club

152 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
in Topeka, in January, 1907, Mrs. Horton proposed
the saving of old Pawnee Rock, and told what the D.
A. R. of Kansas had already done, and how the Trail-
marking was not near enough to completion to enable
them to take any more heavy work at present.
On motion of Mrs. Noble L. Prentis, the club then de
cided to adopt this as their work, and began by appoint
ing a committee to see what the expense would be, and
also plan for the raising of the money. Mrs. H. O.
Garvey, of Topeka, moved that other women's organi
zations of the State be asked to help in the work. The
motion carried, and the Women's Relief Corps, the
Club women, and the W. C. T. U. were asked to help.
They all responded nobly. The matter was taken out
of the hands of the Daughters of the American Revo
lution as far as management was concerned, but a com
mittee was appointed in the State D. A. R. to coop
erate with the leaders in the movement. Mrs. W. C.
Smyser, of Sterling, was the chairman of that committee,
and the other members were Miss Grace Meeker, of
Ottawa, and Mrs. T. A. Cordry, of Parsons.
The two committees and a committee from the town
of Pawnee Rock comprised the Board of Management.
Mrs. Smyser wrote to Miss Meeker, under date of
May 25th, 1908, as follows :
"This rock has been the dream of many years — to
have it beautified and preserved as an old historic spot
on the Santa F<§ Trail. The Board of Managers visited
the Rock on the 28th of April. It is indeed a beautiful
place, even as it now appears, just at the head of the

THE SAVING OF OLD PAWNEE ROCK 153
main street of the town. We fully expected to com
plete the arrangements at this time, but the owner had
tacked on several items to the original contract, and
we felt that we could not agree to them. We meet
again after the return of Mrs. Simmons (Mrs. John
Simmons, of Hutchinson, President of the Woman's
Kansas Day Club) from the State Federation meeting ;
so at this time there is nothing settled. I would be
very glad to know how much the D. A. R. could raise
or the amount each chapter ought to furnish for the
Pawnee Rock fund. I took the picture of the bronze
tablet with me to the meeting. Mrs. Morgan, our
chairman, was much pleased with it, and thought it
should be inserted in the Rock."
A meeting of all the members of the committees at
Kansas City, Kansas, was called in 1907, when the
State Federation of Women's Clubs met there. Mrs.
Cordry was the only member present, and went there
with five dollars from her home chapter, Parsons, to
give to the Pawnee Rock fund. This was the first cash
donation to the fund for purchasing the old Rock.
Mrs. Smyser sent circular letters to all of the chap
ters (nine in number, then) in the fall of 1908, asking
for help for the fund, to report before the State Con
ference to be held in Independence. She wished that
the D. A. R. should have a bronze tablet in the face of
the Rock. As Mrs. Smyser was not present at the
Conference, Mrs. C. W. Bitting, of Wichita, a vice-
president of the W. K. D. C, gave a report of the work

154 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
and made an earnest plea for the Daughters to aid in
this work. She also showed the booklet, "Echoes of
Pawnee Rock," which had been compiled for the rais
ing of funds. Mrs. A. H. Horton distributed a circu
lar, telling of the work accomplished. Miss Meeker
reported having written a sketch of the Trail-marking
for the booklet. The book sold for fifty cents, and
proved a valuable help in getting the money needed.
The treasurer reported the first five dollars to the fund
was given by Hannah Jameson Chapter D. A. R., of
Parsons. Topeka had given $15, Ottawa $10, Wichita
$25, and Sterling $10. Other sums were given later.
By consent of the executive board and the different
chapters, the balance left from the Trail-marking fund,
$23.83, was given to the Pawnee Rock fund. At the
suggestion of Mrs. Cordry, the W. K. D. C. had post
card pictures of the Rock made, and these were sold
to help the fund. The club women and D. A. R. all
over the State sold post-cards, and so, of course, did
the members of the W. K. D. C, whose dues also went
for the fund.
In 1908 the W. K. D. C. contracted with Benjamin
P. Unruh, of Pawnee Rock, to raise $3000 to improve
Pawnee Rock and Mr. Unruh was to deed about five
acres to the State for a public park, to be open at all
times. The monument which Mr. Unruh insisted
should be placed on the Rock was to cost not less than
$1,500. Mrs. Smyser wrote thus under date of De
cember 21st, 1908: "I presume Mrs. Simmons told
you all about our trip to Pawnee, and the securing of

THE SAVING OF OLD PAWNEE ROCK 155
the deed and the five acres of land including the Rock, —
and how happy we felt over the purchase. I have
been clapping my hands with joy ever since the 20th
of November — the day of the final settlement with Mr.
Unruh, the owner of the Rock."
Quite a number of Daughters were present at the
meeting of the W. K. D. C. in Topeka, January 29th,
1909. Mrs. Smyser wrote at that time that the D. A.
R. had more than enough to purchase a bronze tablet
and have it set in the face of the Rock. She stated
they had about $130 in all.
Mr. Unruh's proposition to the W. K. D. C. was
this : He would deed the five acres surrounding the
Rock and including the Rock, to the State of Kansas
as a gift, if the women of Kansas would place thereon
improvements to the value of $3,000. These improve
ments would include a monument, to cost not less
than $1,500 ; an avenue 100 feet long, leading from the
town of Pawnee Rock to the Rock ; a woven- wire fence
fifty inches high surrounding the entire property ; a
well, and a windmill. The avenue on either side and
the park of four acres were to be set with shade trees
and otherwise beautified, a four-foot cement walk must
be laid, leading from the Rock to the town. The face
of the Rock, which has been mutilated to some extent,
must be restored in mason-work as nearly as possible.
He also inserted the condition that the State spend at
least one hundred dollars a year on its maintenance or
the entire property would revert to him or his heirs.
The citizens of Pawnee Rock added an extra $1,000

mm km

Monument on Pawnee Rock.

THE SAVING OF OLD PAWNEE ROCK 157
improvement. This would make the property when
completed, worth about $7,200.
The work was thoroughly organized, and in 1909 the
donation was made to the State of Kansas by the
women of Kansas and the Legislature accepted it, and,
as a public park, will keep it in repair. The Legisla
ture authorized the Governor to appoint a Board of
Management to have charge of the improvements, and
see that the monument was duly erected. Mrs. W. C.
Smyser, of Sterling, represented the D. A. R. on that
board, until the final completion and dedication of the
park and monument released her. The entire expense
was $4,700, and the citizens of Pawnee Rock raised
$1,500 of this amount. This was all paid by May 24,
1912, and the dedication was one never to be forgotten.
The Daughters' bronze tablet, like all of the special
markers, was placed on the face of the Rock.
The monument, of Barre granite, stands about thirty
feet high, and is placed on the top of the Rock. The
modeling was done by the Italian sculptor, Silvestro
Caro, in the employ of C. W. Guild, of Topeka. On a
marble base which rests on a rock, is a smaller square
which bears the inscriptions. On one side is the name
of the former owner of the Rock, Benjamin P. Unruh.
On the side facing the town is the dedication : "Pre
sented to the State of Kansas by the Women's Kansas
Day Club, the Daughters of the American Revolution,
the Women's Relief Corps, and the Women's Chris
tian Temperance Union." On this block is raised the
shaft, and the genius of the Old World has expressed

158 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
in stone the Western ideals. The design is that of Mr.
C. W. Guild, of Topeka. On one side of the shaft is
carved the head of a mighty buffalo gazing out over
the endless plains with melancholy eyes. The design
is a medallion, carved in intaglio. On the other side
of the shaft is carved a magnificent Indian head in pro
file. No other emblems would have been appropriate
for Old Pawnee Rock, the Guardian of the Trail.
At the dedication ceremonies on May 24, 1912, the
D. A. R. were represented by the State Secretary, Mrs.
Milo McKee, of Newton. There was an immense
crowd present. The State Federation of Women's
clubs had been meeting in Larned, and adjourned to
the dedication. Mrs. McKee's address was as follows :
"I bring to you today the greetings of more than
fifteen hundred Kansas Daughters of the American
Revolution who have had their small share in bringing
about this memorable occasion. We speak in praise
of Massachusetts, who cherishes so tenderly Plymouth
Rock, the Minute Men, and Bunker Hill ; of Virginia,
who has marked so many of her historic spots : but to
my mind the winners of the far West fought a more
strenuous battle, and the Trail, where Kansas has set
up her 'signs' at the cross-roads, with her chain of
stones marking the way from border to border, becomes
a real battle-field from one end to the other with its
unnumbered dead telling the ghastly story. History
does not record a battle-field where was shown greater
courage, or one which has wrought greater historic

THE SAVING OF OLD PAWNEE ROCK 159
changes to a nation, than this spot upon which we now
stand ; and its memory should be preserved as one of
our great landmarks, that future generations may know
of the great struggle to advance our National boundary
to the Pacific. 'Count not the cost of honors to the dead.
These monuments to mankind, brave and high,
Do more than forts or battle-ship
To keep our dear-bought liberty.'
"It is told of Henry James, that during one of his
visits to England he was asked the question, by an
English lady, a member of the nobility : 'Mr. James, if
you were not an American, to what nationality would
you wish to belong ? ' With true loyalty to his country
and much to the lady's surprise, he replied, ' Madame,
if I were not an American, I would wish to be one.'
I would supplement that, somewhat, by saying 'If I
were not a Kansan, I would wish to be one.'
"To those particularly interested, the task of mark
ing this spot has been a most inspiring one. This
beautiful monument will excite an historical interest
never before reached. It will promote the study of
local history, as the marking of the Old Santa Fd Trail
has done.
" The best money a state or organization can expend
is that given to the purpose of perpetuating heroic in
cidents; inculcating patriotism, and local and state
•pride, resulting in an interested and enthusiastic citi
zenship : and I am proud to be one of this band of
women who have helped in this noble work, trusting

160 MARKING THE SANTA FE TRAIL
that in the years to come it may bring to mind, not
only the early struggle of Kansas, but that body of
men now passed beyond, to whose voices these plains
reecho —
" 'Lest we forget, lest we forget.' "
And no more fitting close can the Historian give to
the story of the marking of the Old Santa F£ Trail
through Kansas, than to say, it is finished,
" 'Lest we forget, lest we forget.' "

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MAP i'i
TBiiJpLD -SANTA FE TRAIL
Compiled-for Cal. Henry In'tnan
' 1896
W.C.HILTB.DLT.
The above map, appearing in Inman's "Old Santa F6 Trail," furnished by the courtesy of the publishers, Crane & Company, Ti|eka, Kansas.
LIST OF MARKERS PLACED ON THE
OLD SANTA FE TRAIL THROUGH KANSAS
BY THE STATE OF KANSAS
AND THE
DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION,
AND COUNTY CITIZENS.
1906-1908.
Entering the State from the east :
1. At Overland Park, Johnson County.
2. One and a quarter miles south of Lenexa, Johnson County.
3. Lone Elm cross-roads and Grange Hall and school-house.
4. Court House grounds at Olathe, Johnson County.
5. School House, midway between Olathe and Gardner, Johnson
County.
6. Gardner.
7. Lanesfield, two and a half miles northeast of Edgerton, Johnson
County.
8. Black Jack, Douglas County.
9. Baldwin, Douglas County.
10. Near Baldwin, northwest quarter of Section 2.
11. Brooklyn, Douglas County.
12. Willow Springs, Douglas County.
13. One mile north of Globe, Douglas County.
14. Northwest quarter of Section 2, equidistant between Globe and
Overbrook, Osage County.
15. Overbrook.
16. Scranton, Osage County.
17. Carbondale, Osage County. [161]

162 LIST OF MARKERS PLACED
18. Intersection Santa F6 and Topeka Avenues, Burlingame, Osage
County.
19. Southwest quarter of Section 12, or four and one-half miles west
of Burlingame.
20. Wilmington, Osage County.
21. Elm Creek Crossing, Osage County.
22. Crossing of 142 Creek, Osage County.
23. Agnes City, Lyon County.
24. Santa Fe school-grounds, District 49.
25. Council Grove, Morris County.
26. Five miles west of Council Grove.
27. Wilsey, Morris County.
28. Diamond Springs, Morris County.
29. Six miles west of Diamond Springs. North of Burdick, three
miles.
30. Lost Springs, Marion County, in park near Rock Island and
Santa Fe depots.
31. Lost Springs, in City Park.
32. Moore's Ranch.
33. East of Waldeck.
34. George Miller's grave.
35. One mile south of Canton, McPherson County.
36. Southwest quarter of Section 9.
37. Northwest corner of southwest quarter of Section 10.
38. Dry Turkey Creek, six miles south of McPherson; Sora-Kansas
Creek.
39. Windom, McPherson County.
40. Northeast quarter of Section 23, Rice County.
41. Northwest quarter of Section 17.
42. Northeast quarter of Section 9.
43. Southeast quarter of Section 2.
44. Northwest quarter of Section 32.
45. One mile south of Lyons, Rice County.
46. Chase, Rice County.
47. City of Ellinwood, Barton County.
Cannon at old Fort Zarah : by Barton County.

LIST OF MARKERS PLACED 163
48. A half-mile east of Grea,t Bend, Barton County.
49. At Santa Fe Depot Park, Great Bend.
50. At northwest corner Block 25, city of Pawnee, Barton County.
51. On Pawnee Rock, Barton County. .
52. Northwest quarter of Section 13 between Trail and Santa F6
Railroad.
53. Larned City Park, Pawnee County.
54. Northwest quarter of Section 36, near cemetery.
55. Center of grounds at old Fort Larned.
56. Garfield City Park, Pawnee County.
57. Southwest quarter of Section 27, hill trail.
58. Southwest quarter of Section 3, hill trail.
59. Northwest quarter of Section 5', river trail.
60. Kinsley, Edwards County.
61. Southeast quarter of Section 35.
62. Northwest quarter of Section 26, Ford County.
63. Speareville, Ford County.
64. State Soldiers' Home, Dodge City, Ford County.
65. Dodge City.
66. High Rock.
67. Southeast quarter of Section 8, about four miles east of Cimar
ron, Gray County.
68. Cimarron.
69. Northeast quarter of Section 2, Gray County.
70. Southeast quarter of Section 23.
71. County line between Gray and Finney Counties, Pierceville,
north route.
72. Harmony school grounds, Finney County.
73. Garden City, Finney County.
74. School District No. 51.
75. School District No. 2, Sherlock, Finney County.
76. Deerfield, Kearny County.
77. School-house grounds, Section 17.
78. Court-house grounds, Lakin, Kearny County.
79. School-house grounds, Lakin.
80. Hartland, Kearny County.

164 LIST OF MARKERS PLACED
81. Kendall, Hamilton County.
82. Syracuse, Hamilton County.
83. Coolidge, Hamilton County.
84. Near center of Section 23.
85. County line between Gray and Haskell Counties.
86. Southwest corner of Section 6.
87. Santa Fe, Haskell County.
88. County line, Haskell and Grant Counties.
89. Southeast quarter of Section 9.
90. Northwest quarter of Section 3.
91. Wagonbed Springs, Grant County.
92. Southwest quarter of Section 10, in Stevens County.
93. Northwest quarter of Section 16, county line of Morton and
Stevens Counties.
94. Southwest quarter of Section 33.
95. Northwest quarter of Section 12, Point of Rocks, Kansas-Colo
rado State Line.
96. Northeast quarter of Section 7, Kansas-Colorado State Line.