| Santa Fe Trail Site
|
Description
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Jackson County Courthouse (NRHP)
14K
 |
The square in Independence has had a brick courthouse
since 1829. The present courthouse dates from a 1933
remodeling and expansion. It contains elements of an
1836 courthouse and parts of six later remodeling and
expansions. Trading caravans forming to leave Independence
for Santa Fe would sometimes nearly encircle the courthouse
on the square's four streets before heading south on Liberty Street.
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Jackson County Log Courthouse
51K
 |
Located at 107 West Kansas in Independence, this structure was
built in l827 as temporary quarters for the Jackson County government. Santa Fe
trader Samuel C. Owens was a county clerk here. This structure was moved to this
site in 1916, and altered to its present appearance in the 1920s.
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| Kritser
House (NRHP)
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The Martin O. Kritser house at 115 W. Walnut was
built in 1847. Kritser made at least one trip to Santa Fe in 1844. It is
typical of the average middle class home in Independence, during its heyday
as the eastern terminus of the Santa Fe Trail.
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Ferril-Henley
House
16K
 |
The William Ferril-Alonzo F. Henley House is at 3940 South Crysler
in Independence. William Ferril built the house around 1830. After a series of
owners, Alonzo Henley bought the house in 1856. Henley was active in The Santa
Fe trade. |
Lewis-Webb
House (NRHP)
23K
 |
The Lewis-Webb House at 302 West Mill in Independence, was built
in 1834; an addition was made in 1853. John Lewis was a saddler and a Santa Fe
freighter. |
| Noland House
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Located at 1024 South Forest, the Noland House was built in 1831. The large, two-story
brick front section was built for Smallwood Noland, proprietor of the Washington
House, a well known hostelry on the square and one frequented by Santa Fe
traders and travelers.
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205 North Main
13K
 |
This commercial structure is probably one of the oldest intact
commercial buildings in the Independence Square area.
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206-208 North Main
26K
 |
Like the Independence Courthouse, this building is a good example
of the evolutionary nature of buildings on Independence Square. Portions of
Smallwood Noland's 1846 hotel can be seen from the back courtyard. The building
has suffered numerous fires and has been rebuilt, but it was never completely
torn down. Although various missing parts make interpretation difficult, the structure
remains important to the history of the square.
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207-209 North Main
27K
 |
This commercial building was built about 1850 and remodeled about
1920. Most of the building is probably the structure that housed the 1850 Kenton
House Hotel.
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| Woodlawn Cemetery
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Woodlawn Cemetery is on Noland Road. It was first used as a burial ground before
1845. Dozens of people who were important to the Santa Fe Trail story are
buried here, including John Lewis, Smallwood Noland and Hiram Young.
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| Lewis Jones House
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The Lewis Jones House is on the corner of Main and Elizabeth. Jones was a wagon maker
and the owner of the Nebraska House Hotel in Independence. As a Santa Fe trader,
merchant and financial backer for other merchants and traders, Jones was
an unusually successful businessman.
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| Santa Fe Trail Ruts
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These ruts are visible about 450 feet south of 31st Street and
about 500 feet east of Santa Fe Road.
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Lewis-Bingham- Waggoner House
23K
 |
Located at 313 West Pacific, this 19-acre tract is along the route
of the Trail as it left the square area on Osage Street. Osage Street, which
borders the tract on the east, was part of the Trail alignment before 1835. The
width of the trail has not changed since that time. The house was built in the
1850s and was extensively remodeled in the 1890s. It is now a house
museum.
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National Frontier Trails Center
31K
 |
Located at 318 West Pacific, the National Frontier Trails Center
contains exhibits on the Santa Fe, Oregon and California Trails. It houses the
Merrill J. Mattes Research Library, which has the nation's largest public
collection of rare books, documents and diaries about the Trails.
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| Public Spring Site
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This site is on a plot of land north of the National Frontier
Trails Center. It was from this spring that Santa Fe bound travelers could
fill their wagon barrels before heading out to the train on Osage Street.
The Spring was buried in the l970s.
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Overfelt-Johnston House
23K
 |
This house at 305 S. Pleasant was built about 1850 by John
Overfelt. He owned and operated the Independence city mills at the public spring
on the Santa Fe Trail.
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| William McCoy House
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William McCoy was the first mayor of Independence.
He was a Santa Fe trader and a backer of other Santa Fe traders, as well
as a banker, a merchant, a contract freighter for the army, and a partner
in early stagecoach operations of the Santa Fe Trail.
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| Santa Fe Trail Park Ruts
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The Trail is visible as a swale, at the creek crossing,
in this Independence city park, near Santa Fe Road and 29th Street.
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