LASR.net Homepage

Menu

Santa Fe Trail Ruts


category : Pioneer Life
Santa Fe Trail Ruts The historic Santa Fe Trail which carried civilization and commerce between the East and the Mexican settlements of the southwest between 1825 and 1875, traversed much of Kansas. Today one of the best sites remaining to see the actual ruts carved into the virgin sod is in the Dr. Ivan Boyd Prairie Preserve. The four deep parallels swales resulted from the parade of heavily-loaded wagons and thousands of oxen, horses and mules turning northwestward on the Santa Fe Trail as it headed for Palmyra, now Baldwin City. The Trail was along the dirt road just south of the park.


The park also offers a unique opportunity to study native grasses and flowers that once grew free throughout eastern Kansas' in the tall-grass prairies.


Address: 3 miles east of Baldwin

Come visit us in Baldwin City, Kansas

Attractions and Upcoming Events

Allen (Depot) Park

Allen Park, Main and High streets in West Baldwin (formerly Media), is privately owned and maintained by the Santa Fe Trail Historical Society. While privately owned, it is open to the public and offers a ball field, play area and shelterhouse with picnic tables, running water and grills.

Baldwin City, KS Parks

Parmenter Hall

Parmenter Hall with its distinguishing tower, is the first building actually built on the Baker University campus and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The cornerstone was laid in June, 1866, but lack of financing delayed completion until 1881

Baldwin City, KS National Register

Signal Oak, Historical Marker

Baldwin City, KS Historical Markers

Area History Mural

The mural depicting area history was painted by local artist, Tom Russell. It is displayed in the Baldwin State Bank.

Baldwin City, KS Arts

Clarice L. Osborne Memorial Chapel

This chapel's history takes a little more than a glance to read, but the story of its transport from a small town in England to its resurrection at Baker University is remarkable.

In 1864, after nearly six decades of meeting in local homes, a small Methodist congregation in Sproxton (

Baldwin City, KS Historic Churches

Things to do Pioneer Life near Baldwin City, KS

Old Schoolhouse/Residence

Lyndon's first school was located in the home on Madison Street shortly after Lyndon was founded in 1870. The house continued...

Women's Bridge

Santa Fe Trail Ruts

Black Jack Log Cabin

Kibbee Cabin