The Santa Fe Trail
2021 was the 200th Anniversary of the Santa Fe Trail. This was a freight route that extended from the Kansas City area to Santa Fe, New Mexico following ancient trade routes that Native Americans had used for millennia. I have lived much of my life near this and my father and grandfather both worked on the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway which roughly followed this route and was the death of the freight wagon era.
I have photographed various areas on the historical trail route and present them here.
West of Dodge City is this pull off where you are able to see the actual swales formed from the wagons crossing the prairie. Each of these little bridges is a wagon track. The freight wagons would travel in columns three or four wagons wide.
West of Dodge City is this pull off where you are able to see the actual swales formed from the wagons crossing the prairie. Each of these little bridges is a wagon track. The freight wagons would travel in columns three or four wagons wide.
West of Dodge City is this pull off where you are able to see the actual swales formed from the wagons crossing the prairie. Each of these little bridges is a wagon track. The freight wagons would travel in columns three or four wagons wide.
West of Dodge City is this pull off where you are able to see the actual swales formed from the wagons crossing the prairie. Each of these little bridges is a wagon track. The freight wagons would travel in columns three or four wagons wide.