001 (Grade 6) Slanted Wayside Panel: Crossing Paths 757 words / Panel Description: 5 minutes
In front of you, is a panel 3 feet wide by 2 feet tall, and about 3 feet off the ground, on dark brown painted aluminum posts. In metric, that is about 1 meter wide by a half meter tall, and about 1 meter off the ground. Behind you, to your left, is a small parking lot. A concrete sidewalk runs from the parking lot to a lawn with scattered tress beyond the wayside. About 230 feet, or 70 meters, to your left, is a 2-story brick building. This is the North Building. It is about 3 times longer than it is wide. Along the long side closest to you, there is a 2-story open porch with square wood columns. Behind you and across West 53rd Street, you can find other buildings that are part of the Shawnee Indian Mission State Historic Site.
Across the top of the panel, is a black banner that lists the partner organizations associated with the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California National Historic Trails. The left third of the panel has white text on a brown background:
Crossing Paths. People from many backgrounds met here in the mid-1800s. At the time, this was Shawnee reservation land. The Methodist Church ran an American Indian mission and boarding school here from 1839 to 1862. Children from 22 tribes lived and learned on site. They also worked, as they trained in manual labor skills. Travelers on the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon Trails also passed this way. Traders, trappers, and families camped on the property and purchased supplies. The American Indian students made many of the items they bought. Boys grew and harvested produce. They built furniture, wagon beds, and wheels. Girls made soap, candles, and baked goods. Travelers carried these items with them as they began their journeys west.
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Below the text, is a map. North is toward the top of the panel. The left half of the map shows Indian Territory in 1840. This became Kansas Territory in 1854. The right half is Missouri. The curvy blue Missouri River meanders along the top of the map. You are at the Shawnee Indian Methodist Mission, near the middle of the map, which is in Indian Territory. Westport is to the right, or east, in Missouri. A black dashed line runs from Westport to the bottom left corner and branches off to the west and to the southwest.
Below the map, is a caption:
Trail travelers began their journey in Westport. The Shawnee Indian Mission provided a place to rest and make last preparations. Some continued on to Santa Fe. Others branched off near Gardner, Kansas, for Oregon or California.
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A color illustration fills the right two-thirds of the panel. It shows a bird’s-eye view of the Mission property and the surrounding rural landscape. A creek runs from the bottom of the panel upward, branching in 2 directions. 1 branch continues upward to the left. The other meanders upward to the right.
From the bottom left corner, moving counterclockwise, about a dozen buildings of different sizes make up the Mission Site. Many are labeled with white text on brown backgrounds. The wooden Gristmill and Sawmill is 1 of the larger buildings. Lumber is stacked outside the mill, and smoke billows from the chimney stack. Next, 2 smaller wooden buildings: the Blacksmith Shop and the Wagon Shop. To the north, or up, a longer, 2-story wooden building: the Chapel, Boys’ Dormitory, and Classrooms. Near the center, are the wooden Store and L-shaped Dining Hall. Finally, near the top, is a 2-story brick building with an open porch. This is the Girls’ Dormitory and Classrooms. Today it is the North Building of the Shawnee Mission State Historic Site, which is up ahead and to the left from where you’re located.
Green trees are scattered around the buildings and in the background. There are individual people at work and groups of people gathered throughout the scene. A dirt trail cuts across the top of the panel. Covered wagons led by oxen travel from right to left. Animals graze in a field in the top right corner. Across the top of the illustration, the fields fade into the purple horizon line with clouds above.
Near the top of the illustration, is light text:
The Santa Fe, California, and Oregon Trails passed along Mission property a half mile, or 0.8 kilometers, north of here. Travelers rendezvoused there to camp and graze their livestock.
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Near the bottom of the illustration, is light text:
Trail travelers occasionally visited the Mission to purchase produce or flour.
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