Post by Doris McCraw
writing as Angela Raines
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| Near Fort Union - New Mexico Photo property of the author |
Traveling to the West is something many people choose to do today. There is much to recommend, the mountains, the plains, and all those areas encompass. Some stay for a brief time, others will make it a long-term stay. But what about those early days?
One of those early trails was the Santa Fe Trail. Recently, they celebrated the 200th anniversary of the trail. There has been much written about those early days. What some may not realize is the trail split off in mid-Kansas yet the trail came through Colorado in two places. The mountain trail went through what is now Lamar/La Junta and down through Trinidad through Raton Pass. Although longer, there was water along this route, but Raton Pass did create a challenge to traverse.
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| Bent's Fort looking out the Front Gate Photo Property of the Author |
It was along this route that Williams Fort (Bent's Fort) was built. The fort was a major stop and international trading area for sixteen years.
The other route crossed the far southeast corner of Colorado. Although shorter, it also had the challenge of a long stretch without water.
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| Ruins at Fort Union - New Mexico Photo property of the author |
Both routes met at Fort Union and continued on through Las Vegas NM and onto Santa Fe. Today you can still travel the route. One can imagine what life might have been like for the teamsters and other travelers. So much can be learned by visiting sites along the way and reading diaries and books written during and just after that time.
National Park Service - Bent's Fort
Susan Magoffin kept a diary of her time on the Santa Fe Trail. You can learn more about her here: Susan Magoffin
Colorado and Women's History
Interesting. I learned something new about the Santa Fe Trail.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found the information useful. There are so many stories from those trips up and down the trail. Doris
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