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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

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

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

Collins Library

Collins Library is the Baker University Library but also houses the Methodist Historical Library and two of the nation's top collections - The Quayle Rare Bible Collection and Rev. Coole's Ancient Chinese Coin Collection.

The library also houses an authentic 18

Baldwin City, KS Historic Libraries

Quayle Rare Bible Collection

The Quayle Bible Collection includes over 700 volumes and manuscripts dating from hand-lettered and ornately-decorated Bibles by monks, clay tablets from 2060 BC (the time of Abraham), a synagogue roll from the 12th century made of 13

Baldwin City, KS Collections

Women's Bridge

The native stone and brick bridge over Tauy Creek was erected in 1890 at the request of Baldwin's first female mayor, Lucy Sullivan. Mrs. Sullivan, one of the nation's earliest woman mayors, and her all-female council distinguished themselves with community improvements such as this bridge "

Baldwin City, KS Pioneer Life

Things to do Pioneer Life near Baldwin City, KS