The Santa Fe Trail begins on the shoulders
of Route 40 in the former site of Franklin, Missouri
(due to constant flooding, the entire town picked up
and moved to a slightly higher elevation). Just north
of the Boonville bridge across the Missouri River you'll
find a DAR marker (shown at right) noting the location
of Old Franklin and the eastern terminus of the Santa
Fe Trail. The marker in New Franklin claiming to be
the starting point should be disregarded.
The trail to Santa Fe was begun in 1821
by a merchant William Becknell and extended 950 miles
to the Spanish provincial town of Santa Fe. The trail
was important during the Mexican War when large numbers
of troops needed to be moved to the Mexican frontier.
When the railroad appeared, the trail fell into disuse.
William Becknell Expedition to the West, 1822.
1912 map of Boone's Lick Trail and the Santa Fe Trail.
High resolution version of
the map.
Route 40 roughly parallels the Santa
Fe Trail between Boonville and Kansas City, Missouri.
The National Old Trails Road, on the other hand, more
closely parallels the old trail.
Roadside sign in Kansas leading to Santa Fe Trail ruts.
For more information, visit these fine
web sites:
Santa
Fe Trail Association
Interactive
Santa Fe Trail
National
Park Service's Santa Fe Trail Site
Santa
Fe Trail Center
