Marking the Santa Fe Trail: Part 3

Carol Jenkner

Education Director

 

            Little by little the project to mark the Santa Fe Trail initiated by the Daughters of the American Revolution in Kansas began to move forward. In 1905, January 29, Kansas Day, was designated Trail Day and school superintendents across the state were urged to have students participate in a series of essay contests. Getting schools involved was part of the DAR plan to raise funds as well.

            Also in 1905, the DAR was contacting towns along the route of the Santa Fe Trail, asking them to change the names of streets along portions of the trail to The Old Santa Fe Trail. Not every town was eager to do this, but travelers along portions of the trail today may see streets called Trail Street, Santa Fe Avenue, Santa Fe Trail Street, and etcetera.

            The committee working to create the markers was looking at materials and details to be etched into the monuments. They finally settled on: “Santa Fe Trail 1822-1872 marked by the Daughters of the American Revolution and the State of Kansas”. The material originally proposed for the markers was cement building stone. The final decision was made to create the markers out of red granite from Granite, Oklahoma. Why are all of the red granite markers different shapes and sizes? We will find out next week.

            The Standard History of Kansas, Volume 2 tells the story of a mystery surrounding the markers set across Kansas. The Secretary of the State Historical Society reported in 1908 that the DAR raised funds for and set 89 markers. An additional six markers were paid for and set by special interest groups. That adds up to 95 markers and yet when one begins to look at each location and its marker the number becomes 96 markers. According to the secretary: “This discrepancy has caused hours and hours of arithmetic and searching, and much exhaustion of temper, without avail.”