| Santa Fe Trail Site
|
Description
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| Black Pool
|
The Black Pool is about 4 miles east of Ford, Kansas.
It is one mile north on Kansas 154, across the Arkansas River, 3.5 east on the
first gravel road and then 0.5 mile south to a pasture. The well-preserved
pool is about .25 mile into the pasture. It is beside the Santa Fe Trail
wet route. Well-defined trail ruts are nearby.
The Black Pool is a spring; the water appears to be black when viewed
from above because of an underlying shelf of shale. Many inscriptions have
been left in the rock ledge above the pool. |
| Lower Crossing
|
The Lower Crossing of the Arkansas River is near where
Kansas Highway 154 crosses the river, about one mile north of Ford. This
stream crossing was used by some early wagon trains on the Santa Fe Trail
and it was one of several crossings of the Arkansas. The area from here
to the Cimarron River was known as the Cimarron Desert or La Jornada
(The Journey), because there was almost no water. There is evidence that this was an ancient river crossing
used by the Indians in prehistoric times. The Lower Crossing was not used
much after the 1830s. |
Fort Dodge
20K
 |
Fort Dodge is about 2.5 miles east of Dodge City on Kansas Highway
154. The post was founded in 1865 to help protect a long section of the Santa Fe
Trail. The fort site had been previously used as a campsite by Trail travelers
because the wet and dry routes rejoined at this point. A stage station preceded
the fort, but it was burned by Indians. Fort Dodge troops were charged with
protection of stagecoaches, mail and railroad construction crews. The fort was
removed from service in 1872. Although many of the original buildings have been
remodeled, they illustrate army life along the Santa Fe Trail. |
| Fort Mann Site
|
The Fort Mann Site is about one mile west of Dodge
City on US Highway 50. Fort Mann was established in April of 1847 because the
Army needed a post midway between Fort Leavenworth and Santa Fe to repair
wagons and to replace animals. Though not a military post, Fort Mann was defensible
and occasionally occupied by regular troops. It was abandoned in 1848. |
Fort Atkinson Site
23K
 |
The Fort Atkinson site is about 2 miles west of Dodge City on US
Highway 50. It was originally established in 1850 to control Indians and to
protect the Santa Fe Trail. In 1851, a newly built fort was officially
designated at Fort Atkinson and was the first fully garrisoned fort to be
erected along the Santa Fe Trail. Its mission was to protect the Trail from
Indian raids. It was not successful and was abandoned in October of 1854 because
of its inadequate buildings and the difficulty and expense of supplying
it. |
| Santa Fe Trail Ruts (NHL)
|
This excellent set of ruts is 9 miles west of Dodge
City on the north side of Highway 50. It is owned and managed by the Boot
Hill Museum, which permits visitors to walk to the site of the parallel
ruts. The Kansas Highway Department has provided a turnout and a parking area.
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Logo Indicates
Certified Santa Fe National Historic Trail Sites