Boone's Lick Country & the Santa Fe Trail - Boonville, MO - Wagon Roads and Trails on Waymarking.com

County of marker: Cooper County
Location of marker: Lovers' Leap, Harley Park Overlook, W. Spring St. (Santa Fe Trail), Boonville
Erected by: Santa Fe Trail Association; National Park Service, Department of the Interior; Harley Park, City of Boonville

Marker Text:

Boone's Lick Country Look to your left. In the early 1800's, this was the western edge of the American Frontier. American Indians controlled lands "out there." Spanish territory was 440 miles farther, south of the Arkansas River.

Settlers were drawn t the Boone's Lick region by rich farmlands, natural salt springs, and easy access provide by the river. But times were tough -- money was scarce.

In 1821, financial troubles plagued the Boone's Lick area. Virtually bankrupt, local salt works manager William Becknell left to "trade to the West." His party was welcomed in Santa Fe -- desperate for manufactured goods. He returned to Missouri carrying precious silver coins. The next year he repeated his expedition with wagons. One early peddler made $190,000 from the $30,000 investment.

The Boone's Lick became an important crossroads for American and Mexican cargo. A cobblestone street, which still exists under the highway bridge, was used to carry goods to warehouses on Main Street.

Photo Caption: Irish immigrant Major William Harley made a fortune as a trader. Settling in Boonville in the 1840's, he established warehouse for Santa Fe trade goods. He donated this park land to the City.

Photo Caption: Salt springs at Boone's Lick drew settlers as early as 1810. By 1819, Boonville was established. Santa Fe caravans crossed the Missouri on a ferry near Arrow Rock. The white dashed line indicates the route of the trail through the lowlands, just above the river's flood plains

Map Caption: From 1821-1846, the Santa Fe Trail was an international road for American and Mexican traders. In 1848, the Mexican-American War ended, adding New Mexico to the United States. The Trail became an national road for commercial and military freighting, stagecoach travel, and mail service. It was gradually replaced by the railroad which reached Santa Fe in 1880.

Road of Trail Name: Santa Fe Trail State: Missouri County: Cooper 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: Looking for a scenic overlook I was told existed in this park, and found the markers. 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: From the County Courthouse on Main St, go west on E. Spring St., and continue west even when the name changes to Santa Fe Trail. You will come to the entrance to Harley Park, tuner in. (right) go to the "Y" and take the left road. Looks like it is private, but it is not. and as you roll over a small rise you will see the scenic lookout (Lovers' Leap) and the markers.

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.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.