Some Kansas women are hitting the Santa Fe Trail to celebrate the 200th anniversary of that famed route.
It’s actually not the first time that they’ve done so. Back in 1906, the Kansas Daughters of the American Revolution raised money and placed 89 granite markers along the trail throughout the state. As a result, Kansas has more trail markers than any other state.
Now members of the Little Arkansas Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution plan to visit, photograph and document the location of all the markers. So far, they’ve made it to about one-third of them. In addition to Karen Lundblade and Linda McFarland (seen at left visiting the marker at Mule Head Hill in Ford County), DAR members Pam Brilhart, Patty Robidou, Ramon Alvarez and Vickie Strelow are taking part. The documentation will be sent to national DAR headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The Santa Fe Trail was an 800-mile trade route started in 1821 by William Becknell which ran from Independence, Mo., to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Three of the local DAR members also belong to the Santa Fe Trail Association, “which makes it extra special for us,” Strelow said.
