Wagon Tracks Volume 21 Issue 4 Wagon Tracks Volume 21, Issue 4 (August Article 1 2007)
2007 Wagon Tracks. Volume 21, Issue 4 (August, 2007) Santa Fe Trail Association
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SANTA FE TRAIL ASSOCIATION QUARTERLY
VOLUME 21 AUGUST 2007 NUMBER4
SFT SYMPOSIUM TRINIDAD, COLORADO SEPTEMBER 27-30,2007
8 WONDERS OF KANSAS NEEDS YOUR VOTE The Kansas Sampler Foundation is sponsoring a contest to select the 8 Wonders of Kansas. This project, de SYMPOSIUM 2007 signed to increase awareness of the many wonders of Kansas and en Willis & Ann Warner and daughters ac TRINIDAD, COLORADO cepting Faye Anderson Award. SEPTEMBER 27-30 courage tourism throughout the state, has received national and in WARNER FAMILY RECEIVES ''Where the Mountain Branch ternational attention. FAYE ANDERSON AWARD crosses the Purgatoire" People any where in the world TOUR ROUTES may vote to choose the 8 Wonders THE WetlDry Routes Chapter pre by Richard Louden from a list of 24 places nominated by sented the Faye Anderson Award to As a help to Symposium visitors it a special committee. Three of these the Warner Family, whose ranch is has been suggested that a bit of de places have a Santa Fe Trail connec located northeast of Dodge City, in tail about the two different tour tion, and all members are urged to February 2007. This award is pre routes would be helpful to potential vote for these in their list of 8 sented annually to some individual tour goers in making decisions about choices: Fort Larned National His or group who has made a significant the tours they might like to take. toric Site, Cimarron National Grass contribution to the propagation and preservation of the Santa Fe Trail. THE MOUNTAIN BRANCH TOUR land, and Cheyenne Bottoms/Qui The award is named in honor of Faye This tour will begin in Trinidad vira National Wildlife Refuge. Selec tion as one of the 8 Wonders will pro Anderson, a charter member of the and head northeast along the Trail chapter. visiting points of interest between vide more publicity and draw more there and La Junta. Points of inter visitors than any amount of money The Warners are descendants of e~t concerning the Trail will be noted could buy. Willis B. Warner who immigrated to in Trinidad and Hoehne area, and Voting will take place until the Ford County in 1884 from the Hud the first discernible ruts, deep end of this year, and the results will son River valley in New York. He enough to require dams to check the be announced by Governor Kathleen purchased 160 acres of a relin erosion, will be visited east of Sebelius on Kansas Day, January quished homestead near the Hoehne. An eroded basin to be 29, 2008. You may vote online (pre Hodgeman-Ford County line along viewed was the Hole-In-The-Prairie, ferred unless you do not have access the Sawlog Creek. In time, that first a water camp on the Trail and the to a computer) by going to quarter section grew to include a site of an 1 866 stage station. About
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PRESIDENT'S COLUMN All matters relating to Wagon WAGON TRACKS (ISSN 1547 Trachs should be directed to SFTA 7703) is the official publication of IN this issue I will write about the Editor Leo E. Oliva, PO Box 31, the Santa Fe Trail Association, a chapters of the Santa Fe Trail Asso Woodston KS 67675. nonprofit organization incorpo ciation. It wasn't long after the for Toll-free Phone: 888-321-7341 rated under the laws of the State of mation of the Santa Fe Trail FAX: 785-425-6865 Colorado. Letters and articles are Association that chapters began ap E-Mail:
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member designated by the vice the same purpose and seek the same is preparing a booklet discussing the president." goals. DAR markers in Pawnee, Edwards, In addition, SFTA has a brochure The chapters of the SFTA have a and Ford counties in Kansas. In of "Chapter Guidelines" that gives long history of performing valuable cluded will be information concern suggestions on how to organize a projects, both for the communities ing the history of the markers, their chapter, the process to become affili they cover and for the Santa Fe Na origin, and placement. The Bent's ated with SFTA, and ideas for chap tional Historic Trail. In addition, Fort Chapter will use the funds to re ter programs. In all of this informa they bring people together for some design and publish a new chapter tion about chapters, there is NO very informative programs. To learn brochure that will highlight Santa stipulation that a chapter has to be more about a chapters projects, pro Fe National Historic Trail sites and formed in proximity to the Santa Fe grams, and meetings you can check area points of interest. In addition, Trail. In fact, as long as a chapter out the "CAMP TALES-Chapter the chapter will host a membership meets the requirements of the by Reports" column in each issue of promotion dinner at Boggsville. The laws, a chapter could be formed any Wagon Tracks. In addition, you can Cimarron Cutoff Chapter will be / where there is a group of people in learn more about each chapter on the handing out information about their terested in forming a chapter. Santa Fe Trail Association website chapter and the Santa Fe Trail Asso At the March 17, 2007, board at
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through your area. You can check tion benefits via possible tax relief, attainable. To do so, however, re out pictures of the trip at the follow loan access, or other perks. The dif quires the local "boots on the ground" ing website:
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TOUR ROUTES A CLAPSADDLE MEDLEY (continued from page 1) [SFTA Ambassador David Clapsad Indians be Bent's Ranch where the Bent July 1864 brothers attempted to establish an dle is president of the Wet/Dry Routes Chapter and a frequent con As the story goes (there are many agricultural venture on the Purga variations), the two nearest places of toire in 1846, which was aborted by tributor to WT. The following four ar ticles were prepared by him during habitation to this point were trading the Indians the following year. Going ranches on the Santa Fe Trail, one on east the tour will cross over the the last few months. Special thanhs to him for sharing his research.} on Cottonwood Creek operated by A. Goodnight-Loving Cattle Trail and A. and Ira Moore, the other 13 miles by some early settlements. South SERENDIPITY IN THE CEMETERY to the southwest on Running Turkey east of the village of Branson at the by David K. Clapsaddle Creek owned by the Eli Waterman gap between the mesas we will inter family. The Waterman's daughter sect the Military Freight Route, IN the February 2007 issue of Nancy, married to A. A. Moore, had Becknell's first route and that of Wagon Trachs, "Another Rut Pre • fallen ill, and eighteen-year-old 'Ed Stephen Long and many other early served" spoke to the single rut which ward Miller had been dispatched to explorers. The tour will then take us bisects the Hillside Cemetery near summon Mrs. Waterman to nurse through Tollgate Canyon and by the Kinsley, Kansas. That cemetery is her daughter. En route, Miller was still standing toll station. Beyond the one ofseveral which preserves physi intercepted by Cheyennes who were village of Folsom, we will go by the cal evidence of the Santa Fe Trail. raiding along the Trail to avenge the famous archaeological dig known as Near the eastern end of the Trail recent killing of a prominent chief, the Folsom Site. On Johnson Mesa is the little burg of Grand Pass, Mis Lean Bear, by soldiers (see next arti we will pass close to the massacre souri. The town derives its name cle). Miller was killed and scalped. site of the Lucien Maxwell party. from the 1819 writings of Major Ste Subsequently a search party found The route will go by the Willow phen H. Long who characterized a the body adjacent to the Trail. Mil~ Springs stop on the Trail and then on strip of prairie now occupied by the ler's remains were buried nearby, over Raton Pass to Uncle Dick Woot little municipality as "Grand Pass," and a cemetery established later, ton's Toll Station and on to Trinidad. at that time a point on the Osage during settlement days, eventually KAW MISSION COUNCILS Trace, a precursor to the Santa Fe surrounded the grave. A DAR Santa Trail between Franklin and Fort Os Fe Trail Marker was placed close to PROGRAM CHANGES age. In the cemetery at the east edge the headstone in 1906. THE Kaw Mission State Historic of town, ruts of pronounced propor Two miles west of Larned, Kan Site in Council Grove has changed tions are easily observed. Over the sas, the cemetery contains multiple the remaining schedule for the 2007 years, a number of graves have been ruts which cut across the southeast Kaw Mission Councils, offering two located in the ruts. Several years ago corner of the grave yard. From this presentations on a Saturday instead a group touring the Trail stopped to point the Trail proceeded southwest of the original one program on walk in the ruts in the Grand Pass for about one mile to the Dry Route Thursday evening. The same pro Cemetery. When town folks saw the crossing of the Pawnee River. There gram will be offered at 3:30 and 7:00 crowd, some assumed it must be a fu an impressive cut-down remains on p.m., giving more people an opportu neral. In a few minutes the mayor the north bank of the stream. The nity to attend. The dates and topics and a few other residents arrived to cemetery ruts have been marked are found in the Trail Calendar sec ask who had died. with a bronze plague mounted on a tion of this issue. These programs Southwest of the celebrated Lost limestone post by the WetlDry are free and open to the public. Spring is the small farming commu Routes Chapter. nity ofTampa, Kansas. The town has DONOR HONOR ROLL By a happy coincidence, these the unusual distinction of three cemeteries have unintentionally pre MANY members have responded to cemeteries: Catholic, Lutheran, and served the above described ruts and various pleas for additional dona one some wag called gentile. From the grave of Edward Miller. Contrib tions to assist SFTA with its many atop the town's grain elevator, one uting, perhaps, to the phenomenon is projects. Most of these were listed in can detect ruts coming from the the rural location of the cemeteries the last issue of Wagon Trachs. Spe northeast toward the Lutheran not bothered by urban sprawl. Re cial thanks is extended to the follow cemetery. In the cemetery, the ruts gardless, Trail enthusiasts can take ing for recent donations and are prominent and protected from heart knowing these few remnants memorial gifts. destruction by cultivation. will have a sanctuary for years to Donation: Two miles east of Canton, Kansas, come. Paul Moreno is the Jones Cemetery. There evi Sources Memorials for Gary Gaines: dence other than ruts remains in the In addition to the author's numer Wilma Berlier form of a black granite headstone in ous visits to the cemeteries, the Emil D. & Jo B. Flynn scribed as follows. following sources were consulted: Hal & Bev Jackson Ed. Miller Gregory M. Franzwa, The Santa Fe Leo & Bonita Oliva Aged 18, yrs. Trail Revisited (St. Louis: The Memorial for H. Denny Davis: Killed By Patrice Press, 1989); Hobart E. Leo & Bonita Oliva Cheyenne Stocking, The Road to Santa Fe (New
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York: Hasting House, Publishers, Salina. and the search for this place has 1971). The story of Ed Miller is a On May 20, Deputy U.S. Marshal continued since that time. composite of several accounts, all H. T. Jones, Lieutenant. Van Ant John Bortz and Fred Galloway, of Claflin, remembered that their undocumented secondary sources. werp and 15 Fort Riley soldiers a!~ng fathers had told them of the time FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS? with a group of Saline Count; Claflin was a relay station for Junc cItIzens rode down the Fort Riley tion City-Larned state line, and with by David K. Clapsaddle Fort Larned Road to find all the their aid the place was located. IN 1863 Lean Bear, a Southern stage stations and trading ranches Walker's remains were unearthed Cheyenne chief, accompanied a between Salina and Walnut Creek Sunday from a knoll near Cow number of Southern Plains repre sacked and deserted. At Cow Creek Creek on the old Galloway place; they buried Walker. two and one-half miles west of sentatives to Washington D.C. There Claflin. It was evidenced that they met with President Abraham The death of Lean Bear and the Walker had been given a suitable Lincoln who presented each chief subsequent killing of Walker ignited burial. His coffin was made a Salina with a bronze medal and a letter at the Indian War of 1864-1865 which from cottonwood lumber. testing to his peaceful intentions. On . resulted in attacks against the The story goes, according to Fa May 16 of the following year, Lean whites along the Santa Fe Trail east ris, that Walker and the Praether ~ear, wearing the medal and carry ward as far as present McPherson boys were attacked by the Indians mg the letter on his person was County ~nd westward beyond pres while in the relay station. Walker killed by members of the First'Colo ent La Junta, Colorado. There were was killed in the fight but the Pra rado Cavalry in an unprovoked at also raids along other trails. Climax ether boys escaped. This fight ac tack fifty miles northwest of Fort ing the war was the November 29, curred in January, 1863, sixty years 1864, attack of the Third Colorado ago. Walker was formerly em- Larned. , ployed by Mr. Faris. . Cavalry under Colonel John Chiv In retaliation, on May 17,) 1864, True, Walker was killed by Indi Cheyennes raided three trading ington on the Cheyenne/Arapaho vil lage on Sand Creek near present ans. True also, the Praether (Prater) ranches in the present Barton brothers escaped. However, other de County, Kansas, area. At the Walnut Chivington, Colorado, and the re- . taliatory raids along the Platte River tails of the newspaper account are Creek Ranche some two miles east of more dubious. (1) Walker was not present- Great Bend, the warriors in the winter of 1865 by a combined force of Cheyennes, Arapahos and killed in January, 1863 but on May drove offlivestock belonging to Char · ' 17,1864 as documented by army rec SlOUX. les Rath, the ranche proprietor, Post ords and other sources including the The story of Walker's death may master John F. Dodds, and the Kan tombstone inscription. (2) Walker sas Stage Company. East of Walnut well have ended at that point were it was not killed at a relay station two Creek, five and one-half miles at the not for the presence of a red granite and a half miles west of Claflin. big bend of the Arkansas River near tombstone in the Claflin, Kansas, Larned was founded in 1873, Claflin present Ellinwood, the Cheyennes cemetery sixteen miles north of in 1887. No such stage line or relay plundered the ranche operated by Great Bend. The inscription reads: station existed at the time of Dick Curtis and Frank Cole. To the S. O. Walker Walker's death. Rather, Walker was north ten miles, they attacked the Killed by Indians May 1864 killed at the Cow Creek station ofthe ON NE -6 16-11 Cow Creek stage station on the Fort Kansas Stage Company ten miles Riley-Fort Larned Road, killing a Removed January 14, 1923 northeast of the Walnut Creek Kansas Stage Company employee, ranche on the Fort Riley-Fort Suel Walker. Also employed at the An account of the re-interment was published in The Ellsworth Re Larned Road. (3) It would be rather station were J. J. and C. L. Prater doubtful that the party dispatched both of whom immediately fled the forter, January 11, 1923. Following IS the article as originally published. from Salina would have taken a cof scen~ following the attack, not even fin to bury Walker. If such a coffin pausmg to bury Walker's remains. RECOVER BODY OF EARLY DAYS were used, the cottonwood would The Prater brothers raced to Sa Claflin-The remains of a victim of an have long since disintegrated by Idian attack that occurred near lina, Kansas, and an unidentified 1923. courier carried the news of Walker's here 60 years ago this month in January 1863, have been un Why then the inconsistencies? death to the Page-Lehman Ranche earthed. Perhaps Mr. Farris, then eighty-four at the Smoky Hill crossing near pres The bones are those of a man years of age, misremembered some ent Kanopolis. Runners were dis named Walker who was in charge facts of the incident. Perhaps also, patched to two other ranches in the of a stage relay station here when Bartz and Galloway experienced area, one operated by Smoky Hill a stage line was run from Larned to some difficulty with their recall. Re Thompson at Thompson Creek five Junction. City. The u.nearthing of gardless, the question remains, ifnot miles southeast of the crossing and .the remains of Wolker IS the result of Suel Walker, who then is buried in an investigation launched by a Mr. the other five miles northeast oper the Claflin cemetery? ated by the Farris brothers. That Faris of Kar:opolis, a man 84 years old. Mr. Fans came to Claflin about Sources night, men from the ranches met at Louise Barry, "The Ranche at Walnut the Lehman store to discuss their three months ago and inquired as to whether or not any of the resi Creek," Kansas Historical Quarterly, 54 situation. At dawn, they packed dents. ofthat community knew the (Summer 1971): 143. their possessions and departed to location of the old relay station David K. Clapsaddle, "Conflict and
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Commerce on the Santa Fe Trail-The censed Indian traders, and United ing are his diary entries for May 23 Fort Riley-Fort Larned Road, 1860 States Army posts. All of the above, 25. 1867," Kansas History, 16 (Summer including Fort Leavenworth, were by May 23 (Thursday) 1993): 129-130. 1841, established in the far eastern Owing to there being no grass at all THE COCK ROBIN end of what is now the state of Kan at the creek, we left as soon as we sas, far removed from the site of the could get breakfast. All day the wind OF ASH CREEK Silver stone. To the west was Bent's blew hard. It has been disagreeable to by David K. Clapsaddle Fort near present La Junta, Colo travel. Buffalo in sight all the time. NORTHWEST of Larned, one mile rado, the anchor of the Bent, St. east of Ash Valley is a six foot con Vrain Company. Licensed to trade No grass all day. Nooned near a stream where a wagon had been crete monument. Encased in the under Charles Bent's name, the com pany controlled all the Indian trade abandoned. Got some of the spokes monument is a sandstone inscribed for stakes. as follows: east of the Rocky Mountains, north to the Platte, and south as far as the At Pawnee Fork the banks were A. D. 1841 steep but the wagons got over without W. D. Texas panhandle. The Silver stone difficulty. Pawnee Fork is the largest SILVER was farther removed from Bent's stream we have crossed since we left DIE Fort to the west then it was from the Verdigris. The course of the road SHOT Fort Leavenworth and the Indian-re has been almost due south for the last five or six hours. At night concluded I WITH lated settlements to the east. Thus, one could conclude that Mr. Silver would finish a letter I had commenced. Below the last word "with" is an Wrote till ten, and then was kept inscription of an arrow. Originally, did not hail from any settlement in present Kansas or adjacent territo awake till twelve by Jack Hildebrand now long gone, a glass pane pro nes. and someone else talking just outside tected the stone from the elements. the tent. Buffalo dung! The little prairie Inscribed at the base of the monu As to the possibility ofan overland dog is doing well. ment is the date 1917. traveler in present Pawnee County, May 24 (Friday) the chances are slim to none. The A 1931 edition ofthe Larned Tiller This stream that we are camped on I Oregon Trail followed the Platte and Toiler credits C. C. Like with the think comes from a spring. It is twelve or River many miles to the north; the discovery of the stone while digging fifteen feet wide on an average, and Santa Fe Trail ran some 11 miles to of the same depth all the way that I post holes previous to the time that the southeast ofthe Silver stone. Itis have been along. It can't be crossed the Arlington and Northern Railway not likely that a Santa Fe-bound but on horses without wading. laid tracks through that part of traveler would have strayed that far Got off from the creek about nine. Pawnee County in 1917. Company from the Trail. Rode still S. Buffaloes constantly in sight. officials ordered the erection of the Buckner killed one but it was poor. monument on the right-of-way one To return to the original question, Nooned at a pond close by the side of mile east of Ely, later named Ash who was W. D. Silver? It appears the road on the left hand. Ducks on it. Valley. that there are two choices, one akin Took a nap under tt':ie wagon. Made to the newspaper speculation cited Who was W. D. Silver? The above about twenty miles. I suppose, we have mentioned newspaper account previously; the other choice, plain no way of measuring distance. speculated: "Just how the murder and simply, is that the story is a Our encampment is now on the hoax. bank of the Arkansas for the first time. came about will always remain a The water is not so dark as it is at Fort mystery. Mayhaps the traveler was a BLACK POOL: REAL OR RUSE? Smith, it about the same color as the member of a covered wagon caravan . by David K. Clapsaddle Rio Grande. It is as warm however, as it surrounded by a tribe of warriors, has anywhere been. The range is still and he was a victim of their on WITH the 1848 discovery of gold in bad. We must be in the middle of the slaught. Or perhaps he traveled only California, thousands of argonauts Great Buffalo Range. Dog towns con with a single companion, who evi raced westward to seek their for tinue. Buffalo dung for fuel. dently escaped the deadly warriors." tune. Among these many gold seek May 25 (Saturday) Such speculation is highly un ers was a group of Cherokees and Permitted our animals to graze for founded. In 1834, seven years before whites from Washington County, Ar sometime before we got off. Our road the date on the stone, the Indian kansas. Departing a point near pres is as ever, but runs almost due south. Trade ap.d Intercourse Act became ent Saline, Oklahoma, in the spring Led Buckner's pack animals to give ) him a chance for a buffalo. Whilst we • law. The law stipulated that Indian of 1850, the party pursued what be came known as the Cherokee Trail were nooning, he, Merrill and some Territory was to consist of all lands others came in with a large supply of belonging to the United States west into present southeast Kansas and meat. Riley Buchanan and myself, after of the Mississippi not within the on to merge with the Santa Fe Trail a hard chase caught a dog in the ---- states of Missouri and Louisiana or at Running Turkey Creek in present of a city. But killed it in the taking. Our the Territory of Arkansas. The law McPherson County, Kansas. From road ran closer to the river bank than it further prohibited white settlement that point, the group followed the has heretofore. Pyeatt, Jo Williams and in Indian Territory with certain ex Santa Fe Trail to the west. myself went over on to an island. Noth ceptions: Christian missionaries Among the gold seekers was Wil ing but a land bank with grass and stunted cottonwood lies on it. Passed a sanctioned by the Department of In liam Minor Quesenbury who kept a large spring some forty yards to the left dian Mfairs, Indian agencies, li- literate diary of the journey. Follow- of the road. A great many names are
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craved on the rock. We learned from names. inscription in the site reads, "Black the inscriptions the ox teqm company In 1954, interest in the so called Pool discovered by E. Pool 1843." He had passed here on the 17th. Black Pool was revisited. Ray Pierce went on to write, "I think that Mr. E. A short distance after passing the of The High Plains Journal in Dodge Pool was possibly engaged in chart spring, two or three Indians came to us. ing the Santa Fe Trail." Perhaps the They were on pafrol. Left the road and City wrote the Kansas State Histori camped about a quarter of a mile cal Society requesting information writer's most fascinating statement from the river for convenience of wa with regard to the Black Pool, in par was, "Last summer I lowered a ter. We still us buffalo dung. The Indians ticular the establishment of a U.S. weighted rope into the pool and camped with us. 1 Army post at that site and the signa found it very, very deep. In fact I was It appears that Quesenbury's ture of Zebulon Pike on the sand unable to find the bottom." Such is party, upon crossing the Pawnee stone. The response was a polite the folklore that pertains to the site. River near present Larned, Kansas, negative on all three inquiries. In Another bit of lore is that the pool followed the Santa Fe Trail to Coon 1955, Pierce wrote the Secretary of is the remains of an ancient volcano. Creek which the diarist character War again requesting information In 1991, staffat the Kansas Heritage izes as "twelve of fifteen feet wide." related to the Black Pool. He mistak Center in Dodge City, contacted the There the party camped one mile enly identified the Black Pool in U.S. Geological Survey with regard southwest of present Garfield, Kan scription as follows, "Black Pool. to the proposition. The respondent sas. On May 24, the men continued U.S. Post 1843 E. EP." He inquired replied that if the site was such, "it to the southwest for some twenty as to the name of T. F. Titus 1811 would rewrite many text books."6 miles, camping that evening on the and Zebulon Pike, the latter on a What then, must be the truth of Arkansas River just south ofpresent large boulder which had fallen into the Black Pool? The answer mightbe Kinsley, Kansas. On the 25th they the pool. Pierce suggested that Titus in another inscription documented pursued the Santa Fe Trail to the might have been the name of a gov some nineteen miles west of the south bend of the Arkansas River ernment surveyor connected .with Black Pool site. On June 5, 1859, and proceeded upstream about three the U.S. survey which he stated was Charles Post confided to his diary, and a half miles to a point where the conducted eleven years before the We concluded to travel until noon Trail left the river valley to pursue a opening of the Santa Fe Trail. Again as we did not have large enough northwestwardly orientation. About the answer was negative. Also in range for our cattle; Quite cool. pleas a mile and a half after leaving the 1955, Pierce wrote the Department ant driving. Our road led up on the high river valley, Quesenbury wrote we ofthe Army requesting similar infor land in consequence of the bluffs run "Passed a large spring some forty mation with particular reference to a ning down to river, which is rarely the yards to the left of the road." He fur U.S. Army post. Once again, the re case on the north side of river. but on sponse was negative. Joining the south side the sand hills for a great por ther states, "A great many names tion of the way lead into river. I was rid are carved on the rock. We learned search was H. F. (Heinie) Schmidt; ing ahead of train and found a beauti from the inscription the ox team pioneer figure of Dodge City. In ful pool in a basin some thirty feet lower company had passed here on the 1954, he wrote the National Archives than the top of bluff with an outlet to 17th."2 and Records Service requesting in the river. I have not yet seen anywhere James Mitchell with the ox team formation concerning the Black Pool an account of this pool. so I named it company led by Captain Edmonson and Col. Titus. The response was Crescent Pool; it is about seventy-five negative on both counts. In turn, miles from Pawnee Fork. I carved my did not reference the spring but did name and address in the rocks, also mention the rock where members of Schmidt contacted a number of "old timers" in the area seeking informa the name of the pool; it is a beautiful the company left their names. This is spot. We encamped at eleven o'clock the same location described by Jo tion about the site. In one letter he for day and night at old Fort Atkinson, seph Gleason on May 13, 1860, in ab identified the Black Pool inscription nothing remains except a bridge with breviated language: "waterfall pond, as "The Black Hole U.S. Patrol four sides showing the outline of walls 10 or 12 ft, I cut my name, date, 1843." Again he made mention of which were of sodJ year."3Gleason's description is some "Colonel Titus 1811" and the boulder A comparison ofthe two sites is in what in keeping with the present ap broken off and fallen down in the structive. (1) The so-called Black pearance of the site. The most sig hole "bearing the names and dates of Pool is located about 49 miles from nificant difference is that Gleason's many old explorers, trappers, and Pawnee Fork. Crescent Pool was signature does not remain but soldiers." The answer to these letters about 68 miles from Pawnee Fork. carved in the sandstone is a rectan were, in the main negative, except (2) The Black Pool inscription is gular border containing Black Pool for a recollection of Pike's name dated 1843. The Crescent Pool in Dis by E. Post 1843. Other names do among those inscribed at the site. scription was carved in 1859. (3) The remain, some too faint to read. Greg However, one respondent did cite the Black Pool inscription speaks to E. ory Franzwa suggested that most of following, "We saw many names Post. The Crescent Pool inscription the names "are from the post-trail Taylor, Price, Harris, and soldiers was the work of Charles Post. era."4 At some time, someone scribed scratched their names and ranks Who then was E. Post and what is the Black Pool inscription to a pro tOO."5 the origin ofthe Black Pool name? As nounced depth and stained the char An interesting article appeared in to the latter, Franzwa speculated acters with a dark material. Resul the February 12, 1968, Dodge City that the pool "has a dark coloration tantly, the inscription is well defined Globe titled "Black Pool Forgotten due to the underlying strata of black in comparison to the other nearby Today." The author stated that the shale."8 As to the identity of E. Post,
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one might surmise that someone such obstructions. The other two detours made Indian dolls and the boys made knowing of the inscription near the were initiated about eight and half miles medicine bags. Medicine bags were a west of present Dodge, and one mile Fort Atkinson site incised the "Black west of present Cimarron, Kansas. David social requirement for Cheyenne Pool" signature with a deceitfully Clapsaddle, comp., A Directory of warriors in which they kept charms similar inscription. Perhaps future Santa Fe Trail Sites (Larned: The Wet/Dry known to some people as good luck research will shine a brighter light Routes Chapter of the Santa Fe Trail As pieces. Both boys and girls ended the sociation, 1999), C-49-C-50; D-7; Hobart on the Black Pool, 1843, and E. Post. E. Stocking, The Road to Santa Fe (New day engaged in games played by The WetlDry Routes Chapter of York: Hastings House, Publishers, 1971), Cheyenne children. All reports are the Santa Fe Trail Association has 146. that the children loved these 3. Patricia K. A. Fletcher, Dr. Jack Earl . experiences at the fort and the placed a limestone marker one half Fletcher, and Lee Whitely, 1850 Another mile west ofthe spring to identify the New Route to the California Gold Fields, village site. Special thanks to' the ruts which traverse the pasture in Vol. 2, Cherokee Trail Diaries (Sequim, Clapsaddles, the staffat Fort Larned which the so called Black Pool is lo WA. 1999),269. NHS, and the Fort Larned Old cated. 4. Gregory M. Franzwa, The Santa Fe Trail Guard for making this possible. Revisited, (St. Louis: The Patrice Press, [Editor's Note: There is another pos 1989),117. CHILCOTT ANNOUNCES END sibility to investigate. If the inscrip 5. Kansas Heritage Center. Black Pool File, tion did say "Black Pool U.S. Post Dodge City, Kansas. The U.S. Survey of OF TRAIL BICYCLE TREKS 1843," as Gregory Franzwa reports, the Santa Fe Trail was conducted in WILLARD Chilcott, Santa Fe, a 1825-1827, fourteen years after the Titus it could have been placed there when 1811 signature and date. longtime SFTA member and head of Captain Philip St. George Cooke led 6. Kansas Heritage Center, Black Pool File. the Santa Fe Trail Bicycle Commit four companies of First Dragoons as 7. "The Arkansas Route: The Diary of Char tee, announced that the wonderful escort to the 1843 spring caravan go les E. Post," in LeRoy R. Hafen, ed.. Over bicycle trips from Santa Fe to New ing to Santa Fe. Some ofthese troops land Ro utes to the Gold Fields 1859 From Franklin have come to an end. The Contemporary Diaries, Vol. XI, The first trip, endorsed by the SFTA, was encamped in the area of the Black Southwest Historical 'Series, (Cleveland: Pool and, on the opposite bank ofthe The Arthur H. Clark Co., 1942), 42. in 1990. The annual treks became bi Arkansas River, captured the Jacob 8. Franzwa, Santa Fe Trail Revisited, 117. ennial a few years ago. Chilcott led Snively force of Texans then in the riders over the Trail 13 times, and area to attack wagon trains along the FORT LARNED SUMMER CAMP this year would have been the 14th. route. There was debate at the time as THE WetlDry Routes Chapter Chilcott said, "Times change. We to whether the Texans were on U.S. joined forces with Fort Larned Na get old. Some of our first group no soil when captured. Perhaps someone tional Historic Site to conduct a day longer 'ride any more. It's the end of with the expedition inscribed the camp for Larned elementary-age an era and we're moving on to other words to show the location was east children on June 5-6 and June 12-13. things." He also expressed thanks to of the 1OOth Meridian. Although a Two separate camps were required SFTA and its members who helped military camp is not an official post, due to the unexpected interest as in make those trips enjoyable and in it was not uncommon to refer to them dicated by a total of 70 applications formative over the years. In return, as such in the 19th century. Given the (of which only 30 were accepted). Fif SFTA thanks Chilcott for organizing date of 1843, Cooke's expedition teen children attended each session and leading these trips. He was pre seems a likely candidate for the in conducted by David and Alice Clap sented a SFTA Award of Merit in scription. Of course, the inscription saddle. 1997. We wish him well in every could have been added at a later The first day of each camp was thing he does. date, and there is no way to deter conducted at Fort Larned. Students EL CAMINO REAL TOUR, mine that today. Regardless of the were instructed from I Heard a Coy validity of this inscription, the Black ote Howl, a booklet recently written AUGUST 23-SEPTEMBER 3 Pool was near the Santa Fe Trail, by David Clapsaddle. The story tells HAL Jackson is offering another was mentioned by other travelers of the Hancock Expedition in 1867 guided tour of El Camino Real, "Fol (some ofwhom carved their names at when the Cheyenne/Sioux village lowing the Footsteps of Juan de the site), and it is still there today. As some thirty miles west of Fort Onate" August 23-September 3. For Franzwa noted, the water appears to Larned was destroyed by order of details, including itinerary, maps, be black when one peers into it from General Hancock. The story is told in photos, and registration informa the surrounding rock ledge, and call first person through the eyes of a tion, go to
August'2007 Wagon Trachs 9
Published by UNM Digital Repository, 2007 9 Wagon Tracks, Vol. 21 [2007], Iss. 4, Art. 1
JOHN R. KERR: AN OLD PLAINSMAN by Beverly Carmichael Ryan [SFTA member Ryan, Lynchburg, with a bodyguard company for Gen diers at the fort celebrated in highly VA, is a descendant of Trail freight eral Sterling Price for several inebriated fashion, the trail men ers and has previously written for months. Kerr claimed to have been dropped cannon balls into a ravine Wagon Tracks. Thanks to her for this responsible for giving General Price full of dry leaves and brush, then item.} his nickname of "Pap" Price. The added burning tinder. The resulting JOHN Roland Kerr was 83 years story is that this occurred one even explosions were stupendous, sound old when he and roughly 20 other ing when the company was in camp ing to Parker as if "the federals and members of the Old Plainsmen Asso on the outskirts of Independence. rebels were having a big fight."7 ciation attended its final reunion on One ofthe men called out, "Where do A day or two after the supplies August 30, 1917. The meeting was we get our living?" Kerr called back, were unloaded, the train began its held in the Better Babies tent at the "From Pap Price, of course." Another homeward crossing. This time there Independence, Missouri, fair shouted, "Who feeds us?" "Why, Pap were great numbers of Indians for gournds, with informal story telling Pnce,·0 fcourse, " was K'err s re- miles along the Trail, and an at 5 and socializing in the morning and sponse. tempt to detour around them five afternoon talks given by Kerr and Kerr's service with General Price miles up the Arkansas River brought several other attendees and officers would have taken place sometime the train right into a very large In of the Association.l Kerr, from Inde between May 1861, when ex dian camp. When the cook called the pendence, was a vigorous man de governor Price was commissioned teamsters to breakfast in the morn scribed as looking like a 50-year-Old major general to reorganize and take ing, 200 menacing Indians moved in when he was 80.2 He would have command of the Missouri State and ate everything, then ordered the been capable of giving an energetic Guard (Confe 10 Wagon Tracks August 2007 https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/wagon_tracks/vol21/iss4/1 10 : Wagon Tracks. Volume 21, Issue 4 (August, 2007) train, was 'camped to the east of Bill ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mathewson's Ranche on the east ~ '~::.": ·"::~<~j.::::@)f;';···:~lainsmen's ~s soriaL;! n' . ~ side of the creek. The main body of ~ :' . ~~ -iP . '." ~ the supply train had formed at Fort ~ : _.._...-~ ::i:i§~'''~~''''"'~'' ~ ~ .. ..-"'"iJ 'GO ;;;..c.!Olf~,:;:r--!5!Y%;Z;""·:3\iif""I:.~" ..' ;\. ,:;.~ Leavenworth, where it was joined by ~ ~ a small group offour ox-drawn trains •... .: ' and one mule-drawn train, the latter consisting of 16 wagons drawn by 96 •. I mules. Fifteen of the mule-train ~. ... " I wagons carried guns and ammuni ~ ~~: ~ .' 'aCbis :mmtill Q1ettlfp, That &L I tion for Fort Union. Kerr, 30 years ~., ~ '0 -:',',ot...... ~. i's-a ·Memberoftbe (;7 _' -..,. ,. 'R~ old and a seasoned trail man, was in <•• < '. ..'. • • charge of the mule train and its ord ~::~F,'~OLD PLAINSlV EN:S ASSOCIATION ~~ , ~ 10 \ nance wagons. ~.,: H~'was ~ ~ .' born : 7. l'lt ,... , ;A. D. 18d¥ .. I" The supply train and the Mexican ~ . He first ..cros~h ~ Great A~nerican Desert" n the year .;A. D. 18 (; !l./, ~ train were surrounded at Cow Creek by large forces of Kiowa, Comanche, ~ ... and made trips afterwards. . .. .: ~ Cheyenne, and Arapaho, who were ~. ]n Ui:e timonp WMIJeno[, We have hereunto set our ~ particularly attracted by Kerr's ;: . ,l hands this 25th daY~f A~,.st, ~ mules. Mules were valued by the In dians for their speed, and the Indi ~ . '. ../ \. ./ , '-. _ P",;d,,,. ~ ans hoped to stampede or force sur . .:-...... S",,"'y.;· ~~ ~. '.' . ~ render of the 96 mules with Kerr's ~ • :: ". • • .:I, • ordnance train. On July 20, the Indi ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~S4~~~~~~ ans attacked the supply train, Mexi at the old Cimarron Crossing of the ing an Old Plainsmen reunion for the can train, and Mathewson's Ranche. Arkansas River, stampeded the end of August. 15 The men of the supply train fought mules over the barricade, and drove Pete Parker and John Kerr both. off the Indians with rifles and plenti them away. In 1929, Kerr related de- attended annual Old Plainsmen re- ful ammunition from the ordnance tails that must have referred to that unions, along with many others who wagons, but a young Mexican herder incident. The sudden yells of the In- had traveled the Plains in any capac- with Kerr's train, who left camp to dians had unsettled the mules and ity. Parker and Kerr were inter- find a mule or to seek a way out, 11 wakened Kerr, who had been asleep viewed by James A. Southern for an was killed on the first or second day in a wagon close to the bell mare. As article about the Plains experiences, of the attack. she bolted with her bell tinkling, which was published in the June 7, Kerr, in a 1929 interview in which· Kerr tried to jump her, but she was 1929, issue of the Independence Ex- he gave no dates of the Plains epi "off like a streak" with the other aminer. John Kerr was nearly 95 sodes he described, told of a 16-year mules following her, just as they had years old, a widower since 1901, and old boy who wanted to go scouting on been conditioned to do at the sound Parker was nearly 89. The article re- Kerr's mule. Kerr agreed, telling the of her bell.l4 flects the two old men's delight in boy to drop the lines if he encoun Fifty years later, on July 20, 1914, reminiscing about their Trail adven- tered Indians, and the mule would three old survivors of the 1864 siege tures so many years before. bring him right back to camp. Mter at Cow Creek-John Kerr (age 80), Kerr was living at the home of his dark, the mule returned with the Ike Gray (age 70), and Thomas daughter, Mrs. Ben Wallace, at 810 boy, but the boy had two arrows in White Carmichael (age 68)-met for a North Main Street in Independence, his back. Kerr said, "He didn't drop reunion at present Lyons, Rice at the time that the article was the lines."12 County, Kansas, and found the site printed. It was there he died, a little Two additional men were killed or of their old camp near the Cow Creek over six months later, on December died as a result of going out to find Crossing, Their accounts of the bat- 16, 1929. He was survived by four water, which was running out in the tIe and siege, supplemented by de- children in addition to Mrs. Wallace, camp. Several days into the siege, tails in Ike Gray's 1864 diary, were and by his old friend, Pete Parker. the men of the supply train dug suc reported extensively by the two Ly- Kerr's obituary, printed in the Ex- cessfully for water. Troops were on ons newspapers. Before Kerr left Ly- aminer on December 17, 1929, noted the way, and the Indians left. The ons, he stopped at the office of the that Pete was especially grieved at Mexican train had lost stock but no Daily News to thank the newspaper the passing of his good friend. John men, and the only casualties at and the citizens of Rice County for Kerr's death further' reduced the Mathewson's Ranche were Indians their interest and kind reception. dwindling numbers ofthose who had who had charged across his bridge in The greatest honor, he said, "belongs. crossed the Plains on the Santa Fe the face of fire from his two-pound to you old settlers, who came after us Trail. It must have been doubly sad howitzer.13 and fought to establish homes in a for Peter Parker and the others who The Indians still wanted Kerr's homeless and apparently hopeless had lived this unique chapter of the mules. Ten days or so after the siege, country. You have a great and won- national experience and now lived it Indians made a· night raid on the derful country." Kerr returned to In- only in memory. The Examiner in- supply train which was then camped dependence, where he was organiz- cluded in Kerr's obituary several of August 2007 Wagon Tracks 11 Published by UNM Digital Repository, 2007 11 Wagon Tracks, Vol. 21 [2007], Iss. 4, Art. 1 the colorful stories that he and Copy-A statement to Mr. R. D. Rus where they are difficult to take. Parker had told in their interview sell-Sept. 8, 1871. The number of robes collected at with James Southern. It was a fit By Thatcher Brothers and Co. Bent's Fort this year is said to be ting memorial to the life of an old Owned by J. A. Thatcher, M. D. about one third in amount of the plainsman of another era. Thatcher and F. M. Bloom, whole quantity usually collected. This is Notes sale and retail dealers in dry goods, the largest trading post in that sec 1. Donald R. Hale (Mark L. Gardner. ed.), groceries, liquor, hardware, farm tion, and the quantity that may be "The Old Plainsmen's Association," ing implements, queensware, clo expected from that point will not Wagon Tracks, 14 (May 2000): 15-17. exceed 200 packs; in former sea 2. "Plainsmen Visit Old Battleground," Lyons thing, hats, boots and shoes. Republican, July 21, 1914. 3 sacks of flour @ $4.50 $13.50 sons as high as 800 packs have 3. Hale, "Old Plainsmen's Association," 15 50 Ibs. Coffee @ 241t 12.00 been brought in from that post. 17; Old Plainsmen's Association mem 100 Ibs sugar @ 18 1f2 c 18.50 When Mr. T. left, the Fort Bent's bership certificate for John R. Kerr, copy 5 gals. Syrup @ $1.50 : 7.50 company was preparing to start in; • at National Frontier Trails Museum, Inde it will in all probability arrive with pendence, MO, in Box D 10.00 - Series: 1 box soap $7.00 V2 box candles NFTC -Subseries; Old Plainsmen Material, $4.00 11.00 Owing's company from Santa Fe, File D 10.00 - F7. 60 Ibs. lard @ 22 1/2 c 13.50 which is expected to arrive at the 4. James A. Southern, "P. P. Parker and John 5 Ibs. butter $5.00 5 Ibs tea fort about the lOth of this month, R. Kerr Tell of Trips Across the Plains," In $7.00 12.00 and will reach Independence dependence Examiner, June 7, 1929; about the 1st of June.- "Death of John R. Kerr," Independence 50 Ibs. Beans $2.00 1 shovel Examiner, December 17, 1929; Certifi $2.00 4.00 cate of Death for John Roland Kerr, De 1 Ib salt 50c 6 Ibs shot $1.20.. 7.70 1Pft,··($.: ~ ~ cember 18, 1929, Missouri State Board of 1 skimmer 25c 1 strainer 50c ... .75 J"; Health, File No. 40501, Reg. No. 428. John - - ,- 1 comb 50c 12 yds flannel @ Kerr's Old Plainsmen's Association mem bership certificate gives Green County, 50c 6.50 KY, as his birth place, but Southern's arti 1lb. Pepper 50c 2 boxes blacking CONVERSE OF THE cle, Kerr's obituary, and his death certifi @ 50c 1.50 PRAIRIES cate all give Campbell County, KY, as 10 yds jean $9.004 yds flannel his birth place. $2.60 11.60 .-BOOK NOTICES- 5. Independence Examiner, June 7 & De _.. 4 pro Hose 1.33 4 pr hose cember 17,1929. $1.00 ...... 2.33 Arlan Dean, The Santa Fe Trail: 6. Richard S. Brownlee, Gray Ghosts of the horse[?] 25c matches 30c .... .55 From Independence, Missouri, to Confederacy - Guerrilla Warfare in the Santa Fe, New Mexico. New York: West, 1861-1865 (Baton Rouge: Louisi toys $1 .06 12 yds calico $1.62. 2.68 ana State University Press, 1958), 14, 28 door locks $1.00 gloves 75c 1.75 Rosen Publishing PowerKids Press, 29. tobacco $2.00 bucket 75c 2.75 2003. Pp. 24. Map, illustrations, 7. Independence Examiner, June 7, 1929. hinges and screws .40 glossary, resources, index. Cloth, 8. Ibid. $22.00 postpaid from Last Chance 9. Ibid.; Independence Examiner, Decem TRAIL NEWS, 1845 Store. ber 17, 1929. The following item regarding Ryan P. Randolph, The Santa Fe 10. Independence Examiner, June 7, 1929; Bent's Fort and the Trail appeared Trail. New York: Rosen Publising "Plainsmen Change Date," Lyons Re in the New York Herald, June 8, publican, July 17,1914; "After Half A PowerKids Press, 2003. Pp. 24. Map, Century," Lyons Daily News, July 21, 1845, p. 1, taken from the St. Louis illustrations, glossary, sources, in 1914; T. W. Carmichael, "At Cow Creek," Era, May 28, 1845. dex. Cloth, $24.00 postpaid from from the Odessa, MO, Democrat in the INTELLIGENCE FROM THE WEST.- . Lyons Republican, August 11, 1914; Bev Last Chance Store. erly Carmichael Ryan, "Under Siege at Mr. Tharp and several other per These two children's books are ex the Cow Creek Crossing, July 1864," sons arrived here [St. Louis] yester pensive because of high quality li Wagon Tracks, 14 (August 2000): 5-9; day, on the steamer Nimrod from Beverly Carmichael Ryan, "Under Siege brary binding, but they are beauti at the Walnut and Cow Creek Trail the Missouri; they are from the fully illustrated and quite well done. Crossings, July 1864," Wagon Tracks, 18 head waters of the Arkansas, and The illustrations alone are worth the (August 2004): 5-9. came in by the way of Bent's Fort, price. The reading level in each is 11. Lyons Daily News, July 21, 1914. taking from thence the Santa Fe third grade. They are designed to 12. Independence Examiner, June 7,1929. trail to west port. Six wagons came help students learn to read. There is 13. Ryan, Wagon Tracks, 14 (Aug 2000): 5-9, in company, bringing 187 packs of less text in the Dean book, much 18 (Aug 2004): 5-9. furs and Buffalo robes. We learn 14. Lyons Daily News, July 21, 1914; Inde more in the Randolph volume. Every pendence Examiner, June 7, 1929. from Mr. Tharp that the weather elementary school library should 15. Lyons Daily News, July 21, 1914.· had been unusually mild during the have these on the shelf. past winter, and no snow of conse The Trail information in each of COUNCIL TROVE quence had fallen on the moun these has been carefully researched. tains; in consequence of the mild Dean includes material on Becknell, -DOCUMENTS ness of the winter the trade with the two major routes, wagon trains, Indi RUSSELL STATEMENT, 1871 Indians had not been very profit ans, forts, and railroads. Randolph Richard Louden found the follow able, and but few robes compara provides more detail on these topics ing statement in the Russell papers, tively speaking have been taken and others, including the Army of and it is of interest for the prices of by them. The buffalos have con the West, people on the Trail, and items. fined themselves to the plains, life on the road. 12 Wagon Tracks August 2007 https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/wagon_tracks/vol21/iss4/1 12 : Wagon Tracks. Volume 21, Issue 4 (August, 2007) REPORT OF TRIP INTO NEW MEXICO, 1875 by Albert Alonzo Robinson, Civil Engineer [In 1875A. A. Robinson, an engineer, dren; the mass of the people are no government of any potency. visited southern Colorado and New ignorant and very superstitious. From this state of affairs you will' Mexico at the request of Atchison, . All of their modes of life are primi~ see that any attempt at system in Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Presi tive, but few innovations have gathering statistical information as dent Thomas Nickerson to determine been introduced by the Ameri to resources of this county is futile. I the feasibility of the railroad build cans. The wooden plow is still used, have had therefore to resort to se ing into the region. His report, dated and the ass, as a pack animal, fur curing the opinions of the best in April 20, 1875, is printed here. It in nishes the favorite means of trans formed citizens, and upon these cludes information about the region portation. and my own observations to base " traversed by the Mountain Route of With this people it is sacrilegious my estimate of the country. I will the Santa Fe Trail. Mike Olsen ob to depart from the usages of their speak in detail of the counties tained a copy of this document from grandfathers. which are of the most importance the Manuscripts Department, Kan With this state of society you will and soonest reached by your road sas State Historical Society, Topeka, readily see that most of the officers, and of the others in a general way. and it is published here with permis local and territorial, best be na Las Animas County in Colorado sion of the Society. Harry Myers tives, where the elective franchise which Trinidad is the county seat, typed this into his computer. Special is the right of all. has a population of about 9,000 thanks to Robinson, Olsen, Myers, Besides this, affecting the gov people, 1800 of whom are Ameri and the Kansas State Historical So ernments, it must be remembered cans; has an area of about ciety for this informative document.} that this people have not long 2,600,000 acres of land of consider able diversity. The range in altitude Report of Trip into New Mexico, been citizens of the U.S., they were Jan. Feb. and March 1875 subjects of revolutionary Mexico above sea I.evel is between 5,000 and 10,000 feet. Thos. Nickerson Esq. until 1848, when by the treaty of The county embraces within its President Guadalupe Hidalgo, the major borders about one half of the Ra A.T. & S.F.R.R. Co. portion of N.M was ceded to the U.S. ton Mts., the Purgatory, part of the Boston Mass. Dry Cimarron, and lateral canons; Dear Sir: Even after this treaty a territorial government was not erected until also the Mesa de Mayo, virtually an Agreeable to instruction con extension into the plains of the ele tained in your letter of 8th Jan. I 1851; society was in a constant tur moil; and war may be said to have vated mesa or table land which is started soon as the snow blockade called the Raton Mountains. would allow, on 22nd Jan., on trip been the occupation of the peo of inquiry through Southern Colo ple, until the close of our Rebellion. The arable land in the Co. will not exceed 45,000 acres when rado and New Mexico. From the cession of this territory best use is made of present water In order that you may not be dis until this time, this people were supply. appointed in the amount and fighting Indians or Texans, or fac tions were fighting among them The cultivated land is probably quality of the exact information, I ~ have been able to gather, it is nec selves, in accordance with the cus not far from 30,000 acres on 11 essary to prepare my report with a toms of their generati<:ms. townships of six miles square. The few remarks on the condition of so The present generation is unused soil is exceedingly fertile and only ciety and the totally unreliable to the customs of the U.S. Govern needs water to make it produce character of the statistical data ment and of civil life. They were not bountiful a yield of 30 bushels per that can be obtained from the lo subjected to taxation, except in acre of wheat and 60 of corn is an cal governments of these territo form of fines and licenses, until average for a well cultivated field. ries, especially in N.M. 1870. All of the remainder of the The people of N.M. and of Las At this time owing partly to pre county may be classed as pasture .. Animas County in Colorado are vious customs and a law exempt land. largely Mexicans. ing $500 to head of each family, The value of this land may be ex pressed in the number of sheep it , Of a population of 124,000 peo which is liberally interpreted, and t. will sustain. From the experience of tJ~ ple, N.M. has not more than 9,000 partly, to false swearing, only from Americans, or whites, as distin 5% to 10% of the actual property of sheep raising in California, three guishedfrom the New Mexicans or the territory is assessed for taxation. acres is taken as the average Natives. This 9,000 is made up from The assessments are still more unre amount of land necessary to sus all nationalities, among whom the liable from the fact that nine tenths tain one sheep. If this county will do Jews largely predominate. The na of all property is personal and can one half as well it will sustain about tives are all Roman Catholics, ex be moved at will so as to avoid 420,000 head. cepting one community, the town taxation. . The valuable coal land which of Tome, in the Rio Grande valley, Lincoln County, although pos lies in vicinity of Trinidad, underlying which is Protestant in faith. sessing a wealth of at least, the Raton Mts., has an area of-15 or Only the wealthy class of the na $2,000,000 in cattle, sheep, and 20 townships in the Co" or from tives are able to educate their chil- real estate, pays no taxes and has 350,000 to 450,000 acres. Of the August 2007 Wagon Tracks 13 Published by UNM Digital Repository, 2007 13 Wagon Tracks, Vol. 21 [2007], Iss. 4, Art. 1 several veins, the second from the zens who have been over the County; it is hard to say what stand bottom is the most accessible and ground believe such a road would this "ring" will take. The D. and R.G. the one which will be first worked. I be expensive to build. Ry will oppose bonds, to avoid have measured openings in this Compared with Pueblo the dis taxation, if possible, on their large vein of from 7! to 9 feetin thickness tance from Trinidad by the existing amount of real estate and other of good coal. road to this country is at least 30 property which they express to The iron deposits which I saw, miles shorter: the two roads are have in the Co. however rich in quality, cannot be common over the mountain by the If a bond proposition is proposed very abundant. The ore exists in Sangre de Christo Pass from a by your Co. The K.P. will hustle to as pockets or boulders as pennystone place known as Hamilton Bros. sure the people they are going to ore in the shale accompanying the Ranch.. build immediately without bonds; r lower veins of coal. I am informed I went over the route which a or to substitute a similar proposition. the outcrops seen are a fair expo R.R. would take in coming from the NEW MEXICO nent of the iron deposits its thus far direction of the Cimarron Pass \ In speaking of this territory, shall 'I discovered. If this is the case I have along the northern base of the Ra in all cases refer to Mosley's Map. doubts of the development of im ton Mts. to Trinidad, and do not New Mexico has an area of portant iron interests here. hesitate to say that here is a practi about 77,000,000 acres, is divided I went through the timber land cal route with maximum grades of into 13 counties of which Santa Fe on the north side of the Purgatory 70 feet per mile. Co. is the smallest. River, west of Trinidad, where There is no R.R. pass over the Ra Colfax County, of which Cimar nearly all the available timber in ton Mts. between the Cimarron ron is the county seat, has a popu the Co. lies. I estimate that there Pass and Long Canon Route. lation of about 4,000 people, one are about 55,000 acres which will Trinidad is located on the Purga half of whom. are Mexicans; has cut 2,000 feet, board measure, per tory River, near where it comes into about 3,600,000 acres land, and acre or a total of 110,000,000 feet, the plains; has about 1,200 inhabi has an elevation ranging from which can be reoched from Trini tants; is the business center of a 4,800 to 12,000 feet above sea dad with a haul, by wagon, of 20 to large scope of country; has some level: the eastern and northern por 35 miles: this lumber although not well established mercantile houses, tions are rugged and broken; these equal to Michigan lumber, is still which do business with Citizens 60 on the mountain districts. very good for ordinary purposes. to 80 miles to south and east. The arable land that can be util Besides the lumber, about 200 The town site is covered by what ized by present water supply does cross ties can be cut per acre on is known as the Leitengdorfer [Leit not exceed 60,000 acres, unless we the land specified or 11,000,000 ensdorfer] claim now represented include the mountain parks, where ties: the gorges and ravines in the by John Hallum, attorney at law, re it is claimed good crops are raised higher altitudes produce a spruce siding at Trinidad, to whom I re without irrigation, in which case the tree, which has durable wood, spectfully refer you for further infor arable land would amount to good for ties or telegraph poles. mation on this subject. 100,000 to 120,000 acres. Lumber is now hauled to Trinidad The Maxwell Land Grant claims The land under cultivation does from mill 20 miles distant for $5 to $6 12,000 acres of the southwestern not exceed 25,000 acres. per ml. portion of this Co. All of the land in the Co. may be . Mr. Geo. R. Swallow of the firm of The D. and R.G.Ry. [Denver and classed as grazing land: the moun Terry & Swallow, Bankers, told me Rio Grande Railway] has secured tains and most elevated plateaus he could now contract for title to large tracts of coal land in vi are Immense pastures while the less' 1,000,000 feet, delivered at Trini cinity of Trinidad by what are elevated areas furnish the best win dad, for ·$13 per mi. claimed to be fraudulent means. ter ranges: the eastern part of the The usual price at Trinidad is $20 This Co. has endeavored to se Co. has the best grazing and is rap to $24 per mi. cure all the coal frontage on the idly filling with stock. If there was a good market, think Rivers and Mts., with the view, it An extension of the Trinidad coal it could be delivered there for an would seem, to control the coal field covers about 500,000 acres of average price of $18 per mi. business. this Co. The Cimarron River so far as Aside from the lumber district, The total valuation for purposes known is the southern border of this there is a large area covered with of taxation as shown by records in field. l cedar and pinon trees, the latter of county office is $1,186,482.- 34,000 The coal nearest to Cimarron is 2 which makes excellent fuel. cattle are assessed for $395,000 miles distant. I visited an outcrop 4 There are at least 200,000 acres 76,000 sheep are assessed for miles distant and measured three of wood land which will yield 5 76,000. veins within limits of 80 feet verti cords per acre or 1,000,000 cords of The tax levy for 1874 was 18/100 cally, these measured taken in or wood: the cedar, where large cents. der from the bottom are 4' 3" - l' enough, makes good fence posts. The intelligent portion of com 2' 5". I could learn nothing definite as munity would be in favor of giving Iron same as described in Las to wagon road to the San Juan aid in bonds to secure a R.R. to the Animas County, accompanies this County via the Purgatory River and county, the Mexican vote is con coal field throughout. the Costilla Pass: well informed citi- trolled by a "ring" which "runs" the The Gold Mines of the Moreno 14 Wagon Tracks August 2007 https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/wagon_tracks/vol21/iss4/1 14 : Wagon Tracks. Volume 21, Issue 4 (August, 2007) Valley in vicinity of Elizabethtown feet higher than Taos Pass. Jure of blankets has been erected were discovered in 1867. These This road at Taos is barred from at La Junta: it is idle most of the mines are now worked to a limited construction west by the Canon of time. extent. The yield for 1874 was the Rio Grande. To reach the San The people I think would give all about $120,000 judging from best Juan country from Taos, which is the aid they could to secure a R.R. estimates I could get. Mr. H. M. Por near the middle of the canon, you The Mora, La Junta, and Nolan ter, of Cimarron, forwarded about have to go around this canon to Grants are the only ones in the $40,000 gold taken from the mines north or south; Cimarron City is lo county: the first two are community of Thos. Lowthian in 1874, and says cated on the Cimarron River, near grants. S. B. Elkins and Thos. Catron, this is not more than one forth of the where it comes from the foot hills of of Santa Fe; claim to own large in yield. the Mts.; has a population of 200 terests in the Mora, and say a lib Meatt Lynch, Banker, ofTrinidad, people. I do not see that this is nec eral interest as R.R. aid would be ,I owns a large interest in these mines essarilya commercial center: some donated: this grant covers nearly and ships through his bank while other place could be formed all the valuable arable and timber many other ship direct to parties equally advantageous if the econ land in this Co. east. omy of R.R. construction required it. Mr. Kronig, one of the largest A measurement of the. pit at the The valuation of this County for owners of the La Junta, also a com mine (placer) of Thos. Lowthian taxation in 1874 was $1,120,861, on munity grant, assures me an inter where $150,000. has been taken which a levy of 1% was made. est in this grant can besecured. out shows that the earth contained By territorial law of 1872, bonds The Nolan Grant has one of the $113/100 per cubic yard. to aid public enterprises cannot ex most undisputed titles of any of the Mr. Porter says the Azteck Mines ceed in amount 5% of the assessed grants: it having been given in con turned out $650,000. in 1869: this he valuation: this county could vote sideration for military services; it is a knows to be a fact as he handled aid then to amount of $55,000. good grant for stock purposes; most of the bullion. The Maxwell Land Grant is the think it would not be available for Copper Mines are known to ex only one in the county. R.R. aid. It is bonded by the heirs of ist, but are undeveloped. Mora County, of which Mora is Nolan to T. F. Chapman, of Las Ve There are about 300,000 acres of the county seat, has a population gas, formerly of California; he is timber land in this county Which will of 9,000 or 10,000 people about now trying to sell it to California yield at least 600,000,000 feet of 1000 of whom are Americans. stock men. lumber. Railroad ties in large num Ft. Union in the valley of the Mora J: B. Collin [Collier] who lives bers and some spruce telegraph River is in this county. about twelve miles north of Ft. Un .poles can be had. . Owing to the demand, at Ft. Un ion has about 60,000 pine trees The wood land has more than ion, for forage and provisions, all tapped in the Turkey Mountains, double the area of the timber land. the land in the county that can be from these trees he makes about Nearly all of the timber land is on cultivated with present water sup 25,000 pounds of resin and 800 the Maxwell Land grant. ply is under cultivation. Gals. of turpentine each year: the If the title to this grant is con At La Junta [present Watrous] latter he sells to the Govt. at Ft. Un firmed the grant will afford much Mr. Kroning [William Kroenig] has ion for $1 .25 per Gal.; the former he the best field for the lumber busi reservoir for storing water, for irriga uses in the manufacture of soap. ness. Besides having the best body tion. With the experience he has now of timber in this country from which The amount of land under culti had says he can produce the tur to select it also has the exclusive vation is about 45,000 acres. pentine for 601t to 751t per gal. use of all the land and can con The Govt. contracted for 1,500 San Miguel Co., of which Las Ve duct this business on a much more tons of hay for this year; this is sup gas is the county seat, is one of the economical and larger basis than plied mostly by Mora Co.; the sur largest and wealthiest counties in other parties. plus grain raised this year is about the territory; it has a population of In the vicinity of Trinidad those 3,000,000 pounds, which has been 17,000 people of whom about 250 owning timber land will soon object sold at Ft. Union at an average are Americans; it has a range in to having timber taken from Govt. price of 28/1001t per pound. elevation from 4,000 feet, on the Canadian River, in the eastern por land, t~us spoiling the sale of 'their The grazing land is of the quality tion of the Co., to 10,000 in the own timber, for which they will mentioned in Colfax Co, and is mountains on its western bound want stumpage at rate of $2 to $2 largely occupied by sheep and ary. 50/100 per mi. cattle owned in other counties. The arable and cultivated lands There is a good wagon road Copper has been discovered are distributed along the little val from Cimarron to Taos over the Mts. but is undeveloped. through Taos Pass. leys that lie in foot hills of the Span The foot hills at the base of the ish Range of Mts; the quantity is un In winter this road is sometimes Mts. in the western portion of the known. impassable on account of snow. A county are covered with wood The pasture lands are similar to road from Trinidad over the mts. via and timber land. those already described but most Costilla Pass would no doubt have Lumber is delivered .at Ft. Union same fault as it is further north and valuable on account of the for $18. pr M. greater abundance of water has an elevation of 9,500 feet, - 600 A woolen mill for the manufac- August 2007 Wagon Tracks 15 Published by UNM Digital Repository, 2007 15 Wagon Tracks, Vol. 21 [2007], Iss. 4, Art. 1 ( along the Canadian and Pecos sheep that could be pastured in Valley, is the county seat of Taos Rivers and tributaries. the territory. county the northwest county of the The timber and wood land is all With the 500,000 head of cattle territory. It is on the middle or mesa in the western portion of the Co. and the 2,500,000 head of sheep ground which lies between the among the foot hills of the main already claimed for the territory it is mountains and the breaks of the range; there is considerable of it hard to see how the stock of N.M. Rio Grande Canon. The Taos Valley but not so much or as easy of ac can be increased tenfold as I have enjoys quite a notoriety for the su cess, as in Colfax Co. been often assured it could be. perior quality of the flour which it Las Vegas has a population of No doubt with artesian wells or produces. There are raised here 3,000 people; is in the Gallinas Val other means of making all the land about 120,000 bushels surplus grain. ley, five miles from where this creek available a much larger stock inter Near Taos is the Taos Pueblo or comes from the foot hills. It is the est could be created. Pueblo Indian town, which is said to most thriving business place in THE RIO GRAND VALLEY. be the oldest town in the territory or northern N.M.; is the center of the . on the continent. The bottom land of this valley ., wool trade east of the Spanish from the southern boundary of These Pueblos have 19 towns in Range of Mts. This county alone N.M. to La Joya in Rio Arriba Co, the territory and number about owns 600,000 head of sheep, while where the main Canon of the Rio 10,000 souls they are a peaceable a large number owned in Bernalillo Grande del Norte begins, I do not industrious people who live by and Valencia counties are held in think can exceed 290 miles in stock raising and agricultural pur San Miguel, Mora, and Colfax length after deducting a canon suits. They are in all respects equal Counties, and the wool shipped ten or twelve miles long opposite and in many superior to the Mexi from this place. Santa Fe. cans. From my observation I do not be The width of the arable bottom Thirty miles southwest of Taos are lieve this town is located on the di land easily irrigated cannot ex the Ojos Calientes or hot springs rect route of a R.R. to the Rio ceed two miles in width for this dis which are noted for their wonderful Grande Valley. tance. cures of venereal and other dis eases. If the law permitted it I think the The area of arable land then people would give liberal aid in would be 580 square miles or 16 Coal is found in the Rio Grande bonds to secure the construction of townships equal to 371 ,200 acres of Valley at several places viz: on the a R.R. into their county. land an area not quite one half Galesteo, Tijeras, Puerco, Rio The Grants within the Co., ex that of Reno Co. Kan. Grande (near Ft. Craig), and in sev eral other places. I visited two cept the Montoya, which is too far The extent of the arable land will, openings in the Galesteo coal. from the proper route to be avail however, depend on the amount which are accessible to a rail road able, are community grants, and of water in the River at time when down the Galesteo Creek. have not the elements of unity nec needed; as the uplands can be essary'to make them of any value covered with water if .the supply is This coal is of fine quality and for R.R. aid. This element of unity ample. The tributary valleys, which claimed to be anthracite. I am sat could, I think, be enacted by are cultivated when there is water, isfied the character of the coal is proper legislation. are probably one fifth that of the changed by igneous action; the Excepting the Rio Grande valley valley or have about 60,000 acres whole vicinity is cut by dykes and and some small tributary valleys, of arable land. One half of these much tilted. the remainder of N.M., so far as bottoms are very sandy, all pro Ithink the coal Isaw in one open known, is a pastoral country of high duce well under irrigation. Aside ing is anthracite, but believe it exists plains and broken Mts. from the bottom land of the Rio only locally where the heat from Generally the quantity of timber Grande, the most valuable part of the dykes has been intense, and and wood diminishes as we go which lies south of the mouth of the has metamorphosed the coal from southward: by far the most abun Galesteo, the slopes of the valley bituminous to anthracite. dant, most accessible and, there to the mesas are very poor and un Measurements taken were as fore, most valuable timber land lies inviting; do not furnish feed or fuel. follows: in Colfax, Mora and San Miguel The principal products are corn, (at an elevation of 6,090 feet) Counties. wheat, vegetables, and fruit: the Top 1st Thick sandstone All of the pastoral Country of wine product for 1874 was nearly 2nd Bands of shale, with pen- N.M. produces the nutritious grama 65,000 gallons. nystone are, alternating with bands \ grass so much prized for stock. With ready means of transporta of sand stone 8' thick If we say New Mexico is to be tion I have no doubt this valley 3rd Coal 1' 2" thick come a vast sheep pasture I do not would become noted for its fruit 4th Shale 1'10" thick think, owing to scarcity of water, it and wine. 5th Coal 2' 4" thick would be safe to assume that more North of La Joya the Rio Grande The second opening was at an than one sheep to each ten acres follows a deep and rugged Canon elevation of 5,920 feet, 1! miles could be subsisted, after including for 60 miles, to the northern bound from the first; this measured 4' 7" in with the total area the mountain, ary of the territory. This Canon is thickness. timber, and arable land. This gives from 500 to 1,200 feet deep. 7,500,000 as the total number of . I visited the old and the New Taos is situated in the Taos Creek Placers; the dirt is said to be very 16 Wagon Tracks August 2007 https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/wagon_tracks/vol21/iss4/1 16 : Wagon Tracks. Volume 21, Issue 4 (August, 2007) rich: scarcity of water is the draw tirely undeveloped as mines. consumed by these interests and back to extensive mining. Saw min James Hartwick of Eliza- the Govt.: when the product is ers at work with rockers, said they bethtown discovered the anti greater than the demand, prices were making $2. to $3. per day. mony in 1874; at the time supposed are lowered and the surplus can There are stamp mills for quartz min it to be silver; analysis showed it to not be sold, learning this by experi ing at both the Placers. be antimony. ence, the people raise just enough There are cOpper mines at the The resources of this Territory in to be a little short of the demand, New Places and at Tijeras. John coal are large: I have great faith in so as to have prices regulated by Dold of Las Vegas shipped two lots other valuable mineral develop what comes from abroad. If there of ore from the Tijeras mine in 1873 ments: indeed I think here is to be was a demand at least f.our times 4 on the first he made; on the sec found the great wealth of New the present products could be ond he lost. E. Andrews of Santa Fe Mexico; but these sources of raised with available water and is going to work at Tijeras this sea wealth are not capable of esti ground. son. mate, time and capital are neces Leaving the San Juan Country I spent a day at the Socorro sary to show them to the world. out of the question, I am satisfied Mines in the Magdalena Mts. These . The previously unsettled state of the proper route for a R.R. into N.M. mines were discovered in 1868; society, the uncertainty of titles, the lies on the east side of the Spanish Many of the lead mines are hostile Indians, the expense of trav Range of Mts. to Anton Chico; opened; the fissures are very irregu elling, and distance from cheap thence by Canon Blanco and the lar, varying from a few inches to ten transportation have conspired to Galesteo to the Rio Grande; this feet in width. The are is found in keep capital out of this country. strikes high enough in this valley to limestone and shale of the car Santa Fe, the Capital of the Terri secure nearly all that is of any bonifcious age. The are exists as tory and county seat of Santa Fe value. Above this place, in a dis carbonate arid as sulphate or ga Co., has a population of 5000 or tance of 100 miles to the northern lena; it carries a small percentage 6000 people: has an elevation boundary of the territory, there are of silver. Mr. Kronig of La Junta has above sea level of 6,850 feet. It is a only 215 miles of the valley that is here erected a temporary reduc place of no commercial impor not a canon. ing furnace with capacity of two tance . geographically: it is sus By this route we avoid the severe tons or a little more, per day: it costs tained by territorial and Govt. pa trouble from snow, which we must $30 to $50. per ton to reduce the tronage. Aside from this the county encounter by either pass nearer lead: it sells for 3 to 3~¢ per pound has less resources than any county the head of the Rio Grande Valley; at the mine; is shipped to Granada in N.M. secure a line with much the easiest or West Las Animas for 1~ to 2¢ per A rail-road will never be built grades and lightest work; and pass ~ pound: is worth 6¢ to 6~¢ in St. Louis. there until people have money to through the country giving the Silver and gold mines are found squander. most local business. here which are believed to be rich; The disbursements in cash to offi The qoestion remaining to be but little has been done with them. cers and otherwise by the Paymas decided is whether to go over the { A. Wild and H. C. Justice, who ter of the Govt., amounts in N.M. to Raton Range of Mts. at the Cimar represent themselves as capitalists, $750,000 annually. The expenses of ron Pass, or by Long's Canon at say they are going to put up reduc the Govt. are upwards of Trinidad. ing works here with capacity of 30 $2,000,000. annually, for salaries, This can only be decided by sur tons per day of lead: they may mail-service, public land surveys, veys and a comparison of the in have good intentions, but I am quarter-master and commissary creased expense and increased skeptical as to results. stores. grades of the Long's Canon Route, The remains of old reducing Thos. Catron U.S. Dist. Attorney with.the advantages to be gained works and mines are found in sev for N.M., who with Han. S. B. Elkins, in local businesses. eral places in the silver district. Delegate to Congress, have great The business of an extension to Coal and fire clay are found 15 influence in the political affairs of Trinidad may be taken somewhat to 20 miles from these mines. the territory, says the odious law in as follows, unless something un I can say little of the mines in regard to bond limits could be forseen arises. Grant Co. near Silver City. Mr. H. M. changed at the next session of the .Supposing equal qualities of lum Porter of Cimarron shipped up legislature. ber are worth in Atchison $17. and wards of $110,000 in silver bullion Interest in grants in the Rio in Trinidad $20. per M.; and taking through the 1st National of Santa Grande Valley would be difficult to transportation at 1~¢ per ton per Fe as I learned from the cashier of get, they are generally community mile for 100 miles west of Atchison that bank. Most parties ship direct grants and amity on the part of the and i ¢ per ton per mile for remain by express. The best judges say that heirs would be hard to secure. ing distances; there will be, judging $350,000 to $400,000. in bullion left I think the people will be willing from the shipments of 1874, lumber Grant Co. in 1874. to give aid when the R.R. is. near business eastward from Trinidad to The remains of old mines are enough to ask it. Garfield and intermediate points of found in the Pueblo Mts. near Taos: Stock and minerals are now truly 1,779,700 pounds. gold, copper, and antimony' are the only resources of the territory, Allowing for natural develop known to exist there, but are en- all the agricultural products are ment of the Arkansas Valley on ac- August 2007 Wagon Tracks 17 Published by UNM Digital Repository, 2007 17 Wagon Tracks, Vol. 21 [2007], Iss. 4, Art. 1 count of connection with the be at least two and one half times burden of taxation sure to follow. mountain Dists. and for other rea as great as for 1874 at Granado Indeed we would have here sons, I think we can safely assume Station, this will give earnings for ex seen on experience similar to what that the lumber business would tension of $114,749.25 at some rate we are now witnessing in some of amount 2,700,000 Ibs. or 135 cars per mile as on 480 miles now oper our Southern States. for the first year with large increase ated. As a territory sufficient intelli for each succeeding year while The total earnings will be gence can be introduced to overt the supply lasts. This will give earn $136, J91 .22. this danger before another oppor ings at the rate specified on 150 This would be the earnings for tunity arises for it to become a miles of $2,025. . Trinidad Station for 150 miles of state. The Osage coolon the line of road. I inclose two public documents , your rood costs about 131t per If the rood is built to Pueblo this of the territory of N.M. and maps of bushel or $325/100 per ton on cars. will give $90,794. J5 for the earnings Colo. and N.M. I think the Trinidad cool can be of a branch 100 miles long from the Respectfully submitted \, worked with equal profit at 41t or Arkansas Valley to Trinidad. AA Robinson C.E. $1.00 per ton on cars. Supposing this business passes April 20th 1875 The Trinidad cool is undoubtedly over 400 miles of the AT.&S.F. R.R. worth one and one half times as and it gives a rebate of J0% of its HISTORIC TRAIL RANCHES much as the Osage cool or 11/2 earnings from this source to this FOR SALE tons of Osage cool equal to 1 ton branch rood for a limited number of Trinidad cool. of years. Two historic ranches containing Taking same rates of transporta segments of the Santa Fe Trail are The earnings of the branch will for sale. tion os our lumber, the Osage cool, then be $127,1 J1.8 J, a surplus of per car, at Newton will cost $7,000 nearly over interest on cost WOOTTON RANCH, 6,570 acres $44.60/100 and the Trinidad coal at $1,500,000 at 8%. The Wootton Ranch, located ap $55.00: but to get some results we Owing to travel, immigration proximately 11 miles south of Trini have to toke 1~ tons of Osage cool. and the impetus given to mining dad, CO, at Raton Pass, offers 930 Fifty five dollars worth of Trinidad and other interests, capitol will flow acres in Colorado and 5,640 acres in coal is therefore equal to $66.90 into this territory to seek the rare in New Mexico. This ranch was the site worth of Osage cool. struments, here offered. of Dick Wootton's Santa Fe Trail Toll I think with this margin of $11.90 in Every industry established will not Road Crossing at Raton Pass. Asking favor of Trinidad coal, it is safe to only odd its direct earnings to the price is $6 million. assume that all of the cool business receipts of the road, but will, like Historically operated as a cow-calf at Newton and points west will be the cool mining interests as an ex ranch, the current emphasis is on big done from Trinidad: for special pur ample, call for shipments of sup game hunting. Elk, deer, turkey, poses then will probably be 5% of plies in the opposite direction, black bear, and mountain lion in the cool used east of Newton on which will bear high rates of trans habit the property. The Wootton the road taken from Trinidad. This portation. Ranch borders the famous 400,000 will give, on basis of coal shipments In view of all these circum acre Vermejo Park Ranch owned by for 1874, a business to Newton and stances. I think a candid man who Ted Turner. Hunting rights and lim points east and west of 17,547 tons: examines this subject carefUlly will ited grazing are leased for $50,000 Add to this for local business and soy that the business of the road will per year. Improvements include two consumption of 150 miles of new at least double in three or four double-wide mobile homes, adobe road 230 tons are over half the dis years the statement of earnings barn, corrals, and shop. tance or 115 tons over whole dis here given. Contact Edward Tergeson at 970 tance and we have for transporta This would give good returns on tion 17,662 tons. For same reasons 352-6821. the investment and secure the ad DOS RIOS RANCH, 9,069 acres as mentioned in connection with vantages indicated in my report on the lumber business the cool ship the route to the Son Juan Country. This ranch, located east of Sprin ments must increase at least 10% ger, NM, along U.S. Hwy 56, con In conclusion, will soy that I con within first year after completion of tains over 9,000 acres. Asking price the Trinidad extension, with large sider it very fortunate for a com pany wishing to extend its road into is $8 million. percentages of increase for each The ranch includes two miles of ., year following. N.M. that the "State Bill" for N.M. was not passed. the Cimarron River, five miles ofthe This will give 19,417 tons cool for With the mass of ignorance this Canadian River, several miles of the the business of the road for first year territory possesses I think a State Santa Fe Trail (including the famous after completion: showing earn Govt. would have been "run" by Rock Crossing of the Canadian), ings of $19,41 7. unscrupulous men in their own in grave sites from Trail days, and all Considering that the business of terest, that the state would have the facilities of a working ranch, in N.M. and Southern Colo. is now di been brought to ruin, and made to cluding house and other buildings. vided between Granado, West Las be shunned by capitol on account Good hunting and fishing available. Animas and Pueblo, I think it may of the load of indebtness, it would Contact the owners: Sue and Joe be safe to soy earnings outside of have created and the consequent Knowles at 505-483-5957. the cool and lumber business will 18 Wagon Tracks August 2007 https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/wagon_tracks/vol21/iss4/1 18 : Wagon Tracks. Volume 21, Issue 4 (August, 2007) HOOF PRINTS There are many maps and images .org of the Santa Fe Trail, including links • Open Wednesday-Friday, 10 a:m. -TRAIL TIDBITS- to numerous sites, on the Internet at 5 p.m.; Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Group • • • • the following lengthy address: tours available by reservation. One of the oval signs placed on Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site Published by UNM Digital Repository, 2007 19 Wagon Tracks, Vol. 21 [2007], Iss. 4, Art. 1 E-mail: [email protected] PO Box 909 (300 E Oklahoma) schedule tours October-May. o Call for off-season events. Ulysses, KS 67880 o Prairie Quilters Show: September Coronado Quivira Museum Telephone: 620-356-3009 28-29. Rice County Historical Society E-mail: [email protected] o October 13: 15th Annual Chuck 105 West Lyon o Open Monday-Friday 10:00-5:00 Wagon Bean Supper, 5:00-8:00. Lyons KS 67554 and Saturday & Sunday 1:00-5:00. Beans and beef stew. Dance to the Telephone: 620-257-3941 Closed holidays. music of Lloyd Hall Family Western E-mail: [email protected] Band. Jefferson Nat. Expansion Memorial o Open Monday-Saturday 9:00-5:00, o Bent's Fort Chapter meetings: No Sunday 1 to 5, closed major holidays. 11 N Fourth Street vember 3 for monthly meeting,'Janu Friends of Arrow Rock St. Louis, MO 63102 ary 3 for annual meeting. 309 Main Telephone: 314-655-1631 Santa Fe Trail Center Museum &Library Arrow Rock MO 65320 E-mail: [email protected] 1349 K-156 Telephone: 660-837-3231 Website: www.nps.govjjeff Larned, KS 67550 E-mail: [email protected] o Visit the Gateway Arch, Museum Telephone: 620-285-2054 of Westward Expansion, and the Old Websites: www.friendsar.org; www.ar E-mail: museum@santafetrailcen I rowrock.org; www.lyceumetheatre. Courthouse. This National Park ter.org Website: www.santafetrailcen '. org Service site commemorates St. ter.org o Louis's role in westward expansion Call for hours and events. o Santa Fe Trail Center: Open Fort Union National Monument during the 1800s and honors indi Daily, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Closed Mon PO Box 127 viduals such as Dred and Harriet days after Labor Day. Watrous NM 87753 Scott who sued for their freedom in . Santa Fe Trail Tired Iron Show: Telephone: 505-425-8025 the Old Courthouse. October 13-14. Antique tractors, gas E-mail: [email protected] o All ranger-led and special mu engines, classic and antique cars. Website: www.nps.govjfoun seum programs are free of charge. Wheat threshing, anvil shooting, o Open Monday-Sunday except for Fees charged for the tram ride to the and more. major holidays. Fall and winter top of the Gateway Arch and films South Platte Valley Historical Society hours are 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Lo shown in the visitor center. PO Box 633 cated 8 miles north of Interstate 25 o Through September 23: "Lewis Fort Lupton CO 80621 at the end of NM Highway 161. and Clark: Remaking the American Telephone: 303-857-2123 o Self-guided interpretive trails (1.6 West, 1808-1838" features period ar Website: www.spvhs.org mile and .5 mile) through the ruins. tifacts, books, documents, and a re . Call ahead to visit the Donelson Guided tours by request; groups of creation of a portion of William Homestead House, 1875 Independ ten or more people need advance res Clark's Indian Gallery and Council ence School, and the Fort Lupton ervations. Chamber. Museum. Call for addresses and Gas and Historical Museum Koshare Museum hours. Stevens County-Historical Society Otero State Junior College o Visitor Center open 10:00 - 3:00 PO Box 87 115 West 18th Street Wednesday-Sunday. Hugoton KS 67951 La Junta, CO 81050 o Trapper Days Rendezvous begins Telephone: 620-544-8751 Telephone: 719-385-4411 September 8. E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Trinidad History Museum Website: www.koshare.org o Call for hours and events. (Colorado Historical Society) Grant County Chamber of Commerce o Call for hours and events.. 312 E Main (PO Box 377) 113-B South Main . Trading Post: online at koshare. Trinidad CO 81082 Ulysses KS 67880 Organization Telephone: 719-846-7217 Telephone: 620-356-4700 Las Vegas Museum E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.ulysseschamber.org 727 Grand Ave Website: www.coloradohistory.orgj Las Vegas NM 87701 o Grant County Home Products Din hisCsitesjtrinidad Telephone: 505-454-1401, ext. 248 ner: September 18, 7:00 p.m. Cele o Trinidad History Museum fea E-mail: [email protected] brating 45 years of serving food from tures the Baca House, Bloom Man local farms. Featuring nationally o Call for hours and events. sion, Santa Fe Trail Museum, Baca Morton County Hist. Society Museum Bloom Gardens, Bookstore, and the known magician and juggler Robert Trinidad and Byways Information Strong. Only $5 per person. Proceeds 370 E Highway 56 (PO Box 1248) Elkhart KS 67950 Center. benefit the Grant County Scholar Telephone: 620-697-2833 o Open Monday-Sunday, including ship foundation. Sponsored by BP E-mail: [email protected] Labor Day, 10 am.. -4 p.m, through Ulysses Operations, Southern Star, Website: www.mtcoks.comjmuseum September 30. Call for off-season Praxair, Pioneer Communications, o Open Tuesday-Friday 1:00-5:00, hours. Pioneer Natural Resources, and Pio weekends by appointment. o September 27: The opening recep neer Electric. Art work by Jeanie o A Santa Fe National Historic Trail tion of the 2007 Santa Fe Trail Sym Gustafson. official interpretive facility. Otero Museum posium will be in the Baca courtyard, Herzstein Memorial Museum 3-6 p.m. Union County Historical Society 706 'if. Third St. PO Box 75 (2nd & Walnut Sts.) La Junta, CO 81050 o September 28: "Harvesting His Clayton NM 88415 Telephone: 719-384-7406 tory" Kids Camp held at the Baca Telephone: 505-374-2977 Cell phone: 719-980-3193 House and Santa Fe Trail Museum E-mail: [email protected]. E-mail: [email protected] in conjunction with the Symposium. o o Call for hours and events. Hours 1:00-5:00 Monday-Satur For fourth graders, free, call to'regis Historic Adobe Museum day through September 30. Call to ter. 20 Wagon Tracks August 2007 https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/wagon_tracks/vol21/iss4/1 20 : Wagon Tracks. Volume 21, Issue 4 (August, 2007) ,, I , >" I Came on to the Saint Mark in the the afternoon came on ten miles, and morning-in the afternoon came on passed a creek which in high water is rI , 15 miles further, but was late, owing • nearly impassable four miles. Over to our having taken the wrong road. flows swamps, ponds, &c. Encamped I Distance 30 miles. about one mile on this side on high 1 15th June, Monday.-Marched 20 land to the right of the road. Met the I I • miles in the morning to a small pond, mail, Indians and others. Distance I which is dry in a dry season, where 30 miles. f we halted. Here commenced the oak 20th June, Saturday.-Came on 16 timber, it having been musqueet miles in the morning-passed several , I [mesquite] in general from Saint An herds of mustangs or wild horses, tonio. Prairie like the Indiana terri good land, ponds and small dry tory. In the afternoon came on six creeks, prairie and woods alter miles further to a creek; where we nately. It rained considerably. We encamped early. Distance 26 miles. halted to dry our baggage long before 16th June, Tuesday.-'Marched ear. night. Distance 20 miles. ly, and at eight o'clock arrived at Red 21st June, Sunday.-Came on to the river. Here was a small Spanish sta river Trinity by eight o'clock. Here tion and several lodges of Tancards was stationed two captains, two lieu- [Tonkawas], tall, handsome men, o tenants and three ensigns, with PIKE'S COLUMN but the most naked savages I ever nearly 100 men, all sick, one scarcely yet saw without exception. They able to assist the other. Met a [This special column on Pike's South complained much of their situation. number of runaway negroes, some west Expedition was planned to con In the afternoon passed over hilly, French and Irishmen. Received in clude with this issue, commemorat stony land; occasionally saw pine formation of lieutenant Wilkinson's ing the end of the expedition on July timber. Encamped on a small run. safe arrival. Crossed with all our 1, 1807. The last segment ofthe jour Distance 26 miles. Killed one deer. horses and baggage with much diffi nal is presented here. Craig Crease culty. Distance 20 miles. has promised an article for next issue 17th June, Wednesday.-Came on by on Dr. John Hamilton Robinson, the nine o'clock to a large encampment of 22d June, Monday.-Marched the mysterious civilian surgeon who was Tancards, more than 40 lodges. mules and horses in the forenoon, sent by General James Wilkinson to Their poverty was as remarkable as 0 but did not depart ourselves until accompany Pike. If anyone else has their independence. Immense herds three o'clock, P. M. Father Jose An an article for this column, it will be of horses, &. I gave a Camanche and gel Cabaso, separated from us at this included in the next issue. Tancard, each a silk handkerchief, place for the post of where he and a recommendation to the com was destined. Passed thick woods The final segment ofthe journal is mandant at Natchitoches. In the af and a few small prairies with high printed here. Please note that maps of ternoon came on three hours and en rich grass. Sent a dispatch to Nacog Pike's route are available on the web camped on a hill, at a creek on the doches. Distance 22 miles. site August 2007 Wagon Tracks 21 Published by UNM Digital Repository, 2007 21 Wagon Tracks, Vol. 21 [2007], Iss. 4, Art. 1 uel] Davenport's, where were three had crossed the line with his family, tents of my different friends and ac of our lost horses-one mile further and a French family in his place. quaintances. Distance 28 miles. found two more of our horses where When we began conversing with 1st July, Wednesday.-Finding we halted for dinner. Marched at them they were much alarmed that a horse of doctor Robinson's four o'clock, and at halfpast eight ar thinking we had come to examine which had come all the way from rived at Nacogdoches-were politely them, and expressed great attach Chihuahua, could not proceed, was received by the adjutant and inspec ment to the Spanish government, obliged to leave him here. Yesterday tor, and captain Herrara, Davenport, but was somewhat astonished to find and to day passed many Choctaws, &c. This part of the country is well I was an American officer, and on my whose. clothing, furniture, &c. evi watered, but sandy; hilly soil-pine, companions stepping out, expressed dently marked the superiority of scrub oak, &c. Distance 37 miles. themselves in strong terms of hatred their situation ofthose who bordered , 25th June, Thursday.-Spent in to the Spanish nation. I excused on our frontiers, to those of the na reading a gazette from the United them for their weakness, and gave ked, half starved wretches whom we States, &c. A large party at the adju them a caution. Fine land, well wa found hanging round the Spanish tant and inspector's to dinner. 1st tered and timbered, hickory, oak, settlements. Came on and passed a \. toast, "The President of the United sugar-tree, &c. Distance 40 miles. string ofhuts, supposed to be built by States." 2nd. "The King of Spain." 3d. 29th June, Monday.-Our baggage our troops, and at a small run a forti "Governors Herrara and Cordero." and horses came up about ten fied camp but a half mile from the 26th June, Friday.-Made prepara o'clock, when we dispatched them hill, where anciently stood the vil tions to march the next day. Saw an on. Marched ourselves at two o'clock, lage of Adyes [Los Adaes]. old acquaintance, also Lorrimier's and arrived at the river Sabine by We proceeded on to a spring where son-in-law from the district of cape five. Here we saw the cantonment of we halted for our loads, and finding Jerardeau. Dined with the comman the Spanish troops, when com the horses much fatigued, and not dant, and spent the evening at Dav manded by colonel Herrara, on the able to proceed, left them and bag enport's. late affair between the two govern gage and proceeded on, when we ar 27th June, Saturday.-Marched af ments. Crossed the Sabine river rived at Natchitoches about four ter dinner and came only 12 miles. [boundary between Texas and Lou o'clock, P. M. Was escorted by lieutenant Guodi isiana] and came about one league Language cannot express the gai ana and a military party. Mr. Daven on this side to a little prairie, where ety in my heart, when I once more be port's brother-in-law who was taking we camped. Parted with lieutenant held the standard of my country in some money also accompanied us.· Guodiana and our Spanish escort. waved aloft!-"All hail cried I, the And here I think proper to bear testi Don Francis Viana, adjutant and ever sacred name of country, in mony to the politeness, civility and which is embraced that of kindred, inspector of the Internal provinces, attention of all the officers, who at who commanded at Nacogdoches, is friends and every other tie which is different periods and in different dear to the soul of man!!" Was affec an old and veteran officer, and was provinces commanded [sic] my es one of those who came to America at tionately received by colonel [Con cort, (but in a particular manner, to stant] Freeman, captains [Elijah] the same time with colonel Cordero; Malgares and Barelo, who appeared but possessing a mind of frankness, Strong and [Charles] Woolstoncraft, studious to please and accommodate, lieutenant [Thomas] Smith, and all he unfortunately spoke his opinions all that lay in their power) also the too freely in some instances, which the officers of the post. obliging, mild dispositions evinced in Z. M. Pike finding their way to court, prevented all instances by their rank and file. his promotion. But he is highly re On this side of the Sabine I went up . CAMP TALES spected by his superiors, and looked to a house where I found 10 or 15 up to as a model of military conduct Americans hovering near the line, in -CHAPTER REPORTS by his inferiors. He unfortunately order to embrace an opportunity of Cimarron Cutoff does not possess flexibility sufficient carrying on some illicit commerce President D. Ray Blakeley to be useful in the present state of with the Spaniards, who on their PO Box 222 the Spanish kingdoms. He is the offi side were equally eager. Here we Clayton NM 88415 cer who caused major [Richard] found Tharp and Sea, who had been (505) 374-2555 " Sparks and Mr. [Thomas] Freeman old sergeants in general Wayne's The chapter met at Clayton on to return from their expedition on army. Distance 15 miles. July and looked at upcoming events the Red river. 30th June, Tuesday.-Marched along the Trail. The next meeting 28th June, Sunday.-Marched early early and came on to a house at a will be at Boise City on October 27. and at nine o'clock crossed the little small creek 15 miles, where lived a Texas Panhandle river called , from whence we Dutch family named Faulk, where Inactive. pushed on in order to arrive at the we left a small roan horse which had Wagon Bed Spring house of , a Frenchman, - given out. Marched twelve miles fur miles distant from the Sabine. We President Edward Dowell ther to a large bayou, where had He 1 Box 3B stopped at a house on the road, been an encampment of our troops, Hugoton KS 67951 where the lieutenant informed me which I recognized by its form, and (620) 544-2383 an American by the name of Johnson took pleasure in imagining the posi 22 Wagon Tracks August 2007 https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/wagon_tracks/vol21/iss4/1 22 : Wagon Tracks. Volume 21, Issue 4 (August, 2007) Heart of the Flint Hills was a Topographical Engineer with with a program by SFTA V-P John President Carol L. Retzer General Kearny's Army of the West. Atkinson, "The Santa Fe Trail Lives 4215 E 245th St Onward and upward, we came to On: Once a Highway Between Na Lyndon KS 66451 the Charette Lakes-beautiful sur tions, Now a Historic Treasure." (785) 828-3739 prises on that vulcan mesa. A Great August 2007 Wagon Trachs 23 Published by UNM Digital Repository, 2007 23 .. _------'------_Wagon Tracks, Vol. 21 [2007], Iss. 4, Art. 1 tion to the army's proposed takeover McPherson KS 67460 ner Junction Trail Development Pro of more land for the Pinon Canyon Valerie Dietterich, 924 N Wilson St, ject, at Junction Park 1~ miles west Maneuver Site; for more information Ulysses KS 67880 of Gardner, KS, 3:00 p.m. see Santa Fe Trail Association •• • •• \.- ,...... J NONPROFIT ORGANllAnON PO Box 31 U.S. POSTAGE Woodston, KS 67675 v ~rT!v PAID PERM/TNO.2 Change Service Requested WOODSTON KS 67675 24 Wagon Trachs August 2007 https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/wagon_tracks/vol21/iss4/1 24