Santa Fe Trail - near Old Franklin, MO
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member YoSam.
N 38° 59.234 W 092° 45.319
15S E 521191 N 4315388
A set of markers about Lewis & Clark, Franklin and the Santa Fe Trail. Franklin, now referred to as "Old Franklin" was washed down the river [1828] after making an indelible mark on history.
Waymark Code: WM15N9P
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 01/26/2022
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member cosninocanines
Views: 3
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County of marker: Howard County
Location of marker: State Hwy 87, roadside turnout, about ½ mile NW of Boonville
Marker Erected By: Santa Fe Trail Association, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, & National Park Service
Date Erected: 2000

Marker Text:
VISIT THE TRAIL

A Look Back in Time

The Santa Fe Trail began here in Old Franklin, Missouri. Pack train quickly gave way to freight wagons lumbering to and from Mexico (now New Mexico). When floods destroyed Franklin, residence established New Franklin. The trailhead moved west to Independence and Westport Landing where riverboats on the Missouri River delivered goods and passengers.

Preserving the Past for the Future
The Santa Fe Trail's designation as a national historic trail has led to increased awareness of, and protection for, trail resources. It has also opened opportunities for visitors to experience the route and related sites. Museums, visitors centers, and tour routes along the trail provide maps, brochures, and other information to assist with your travel plans.

These exhibits are part of a series along the Auto Tour Route to help direct you to local trail sites. Enjoy!

Visiting the Santa Fe National Historic Trail Today

[map]
The Santa Fe Trail had a significant role in the history of the United States, and in 1987 was designated by Congress as a national historic trail. The National Park Service partners with site owners to preserve the trail and to develop opportunities for visitor use and enjoyment.

Look for the Santa Fe National Historic Trail official loge, as well as signing for the Auto Tour Route. This automobile tour route parallels the trail via modern highways and provides directional signing to trail sites.

  "For fifteen years I lived in Missouri and during that time I dwelt in Howard County. I was
  apprenticed to David Workman to learn the saddler's trade, and remained with him two years.
  The business did not suit me and, having heard so many tales of life in the mountains of the West,
  ... I concluded to join the first party that started for the Rocky Mountains."
   Kit Carson Autobiography

Kit Carson was raised in Howard County and was listed as a resident of Fort Hempsteaad, near present day New Franklin during the War of 1812.

 "The overland trade between the United States and the northern provinces of Mexico, seems
  to have no definite origin: having been rather the result of accident then of any organized plan
  of commercial establishment."
   Josiah Gregg in Commerce of the Prairies

Josiah Gregg was raised in Howard County and was at Cooper's Fort, west of Franklin, during the War of 1812. His bool about the Santa Fe trade was published in 1844.

Road of Trail Name: Santa Fe Trail

State: Missouri

County: Howard County

Historical Significance:
"The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century route through central North America that connected Franklin, Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1821 by William Becknell, who departed from the Boonslick region along the Missouri River, the trail served as a vital commercial highway until 1880, when the railroad arrived in Santa Fe. Santa Fe was near the end of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, which carried trade from Mexico City.

"The route skirted the northern edge and crossed the north-western corner of Comancheria, the territory of the Comanche. Realizing the value, they demanded compensation for granting passage to the trail. American traders envisioned them as another market. Comanche raiding farther south in Mexico isolated New Mexico, making it more dependent on the American trade. They raided to gain a steady supply of horses to sell. By the 1840s, trail traffic through the Arkansas Valley was so numerous that bison herds were cut off from important seasonal grazing land. This habitat disruption, on top of overhunting, contributed to the collapse of the species. Comanche power declined in the region when they lost their most important game.

"The American army used the trail route in 1846 to invade New Mexico during the Mexican–American War.

"After the U.S. acquisition of the Southwest that ended the war, the trail was integral to the U.S. opening the region to economic development and settlement. It played a vital role in the westward expansion of the US into these new lands. The road route is commemorated today by the National Park Service as the Santa Fe National Historic Trail. A highway route that roughly follows the trail's path, through the entire length of Kansas, the southeast corner of Colorado and northern New Mexico, has been designated as the Santa Fe Trail National Scenic Byway." ~ Wikipedia



Years in use: 1826-1880

How you discovered it:
I was looking for the ghost town of Franklin, (called now Old Franklin) and found this site with all the historic markers, and one pointing to the town square of Franklin.

Book on Wagon Road or Trial:
The Santa Fe Trail: Its History, Legends, and Lore
by David Dary
University Press of Kansas; Reprint edition (August 23, 2012)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 382 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0700618708
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0700618705

Website Explination:
http://www.southwestdiscovered.com/the-santa-fe-trail-where-it-all-began/

Why?:
Transported manufactured goods to trade for furs and silver.

Directions:
Where the Katy Trail crossed MO State Hwy 87, just north of Boonville, is a rest area (roadside turnout) and this marker is one of the 5 here.
Visit Instructions:
To post a log for this Waymark the poster must have a picture of either themselves, GPSr, or mascot. People in the picture with information about the waymark are preferred. If the waymarker can not be in the picture a picture of their GPSr or mascot will qualify. There are no exceptions to this rule.

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