| Santa Fe Trail Site
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Description
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Diamond Spring (NRHP)
19K
 |
Diamond Spring is near the headquarters of the Diamond Spring
Ranch, southeast of Herington and southwest of Council Grove. This site was a
campsite favored by Santa Fe Trails travelers because of the high-quality
spring water. It was known during the Trail era as the "Diamond of the Plains." A
stage station and small settlement grew up here prior to the Civil War, but
these were destroyed in a raid by Missouri bushwhackers. Diamond Spring
continued to be a valuable water source and popular campsite as long as the
Trail was active in this vicinity. |
Six Mile Crossing and Stage Station
35K
 |
The Six Mile Stage Station Site is on the road that runs south from
US Highway 56 toward the town of Burdick, Kansas, just south of the bridge over
Six Mile Creek. It was given its name because it was 6 miles from Diamond
Spring. There are good trail ruts coming into the crossing site from the east,
but the actual crossing is no longer visible. The stage station was built about
1863, after the Diamond Spring station was destroyed. It was in use until 1866
or 1867 and served as a ranch house until after the turn of the century. Today,
only the basement walls and some debris from the upper stories can be seen, with
some trail ruts nearby. |
Lost Spring (NRHP)
37K
 |
Located 2.3 miles west of the town of Lost Springs on the north
side of a paved road, the spring was a valuable source of water for Trail
travelers. It was also used as a trading ranch, a stage station and a
campground. The spring still flows today and wagon ruts are visible near the
crossing of the small creek on the south side of the paved road. |
| Cottonwood Creek Crossing
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About 1 mile west of the town of Durham, Kansas, this
site was a major campsite on the Santa Fe Trail, but was widely known as
a difficult crossing because of the steep banks and the occasional high
water. There were several instances where wagon trains were caught in blizzards
and both livestock and human lives were lost. This was also the
site of a stage station and the largest trading ranch west of Council Grove.
Today, nothing remains of the crossing or the ranch, but a few wagon ruts
may still be seen northeast of Cottonwood Creek and there is an outstanding
segment of ruts southwest of this stream.
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Logo Indicates
Certified Santa Fe National Historic Trail Sites