Along the Santa Fe Trail | God's World News
Along the Santa Fe Trail
Time Machine
Posted: January 04, 2016

THIS JUST IN

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What if the wind could talk? What would it say about the Santa Fe Trail?

It might talk about terrible snowstorms and sandstorms. It might tell stories of men who died on the trail, and cattle that had frozen or starved. Traveling the Santa Fe Trail was certainly no walk in the park. (Unless we’re talking about a park that’s 900 miles long and filled with potential danger!) The trail stretched from Independence, Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico. It took two months to travel the whole thing one way. Travelers on this long journey often grew ill. Their wagons broke down. Some had to go without food and water. The journey was dusty, muddy, and full of mosquitos and gnats. Travelers were glad when they finally saw bison, elk, or antelope. Without those sights, the journey really felt dreary!

To top it all off, travelers on the trail sometimes had fierce opponents to face. They were walking right through the Native Americans’ backyards! The trail was also a favorite hangout spot for the outlaws Sister Blandina met during her lifetime. The rough weather was a worse enemy than either of these. No wonder so many trail travelers were shaking in their boots!

But the Santa Fe trail wasn’t just a place of adventure. It was also a place of business. White traders loaded their wagons with goods. They hauled the goods all the way to Santa Fe. If they survived the journey—and nobody robbed them—they made a great profit. Mexican travelers often did the same thing. They carried Mexican goods on the trail the other way.

Now no wagons have passed along the trail for more than 100 years. New cities and fields have erased much of it. But if you drive down some gravel roads, you can still catch glimpses of the old trail. Just imagine the stories it has to tell!