LOCAL HISTORY OF THE
By Ed Harmison
Before
the Santa Fe Trail was established, the Kansa, Osage and other Indians
used this area. Spain lay claim to this area arid may have been through
here in 1542. The French also claimed the area in 1719. This
was almost 60 years before the birth of the United States in July of 1
776.
W.
T. Coffman and J. B. Fairchild founded overbrook in 1886.
Both men set aside 30 acres for the city. The name Overbrook came from
the foreman on the railroad crew building the line. Overbrook,
Pennsylvania, was his hometown. We were almost Sunflower City or Jasper
City!
Overbrook
was laid out on the old Santa Fe Trail/Road. This
area between 1322 and 1872
saw thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of prairie schooners,
Conestoga wagons and freight wagons pass through. In 1827 this part of the
Santa Fe Trail was called the Ridgeway. For some 20 mites through here
lies a ridge. Water to the north of Santa Fe Trail Street in Overbrook
runs to the Kaw River. South of Santa Fe Trail Street, the water runs into
the Marais de Cygnes River. When these two bodies of water come together
it is hundreds of miles from here just to the east of Jefferson City,
Missouri.
A
look at the area called Ridgeway, beginning east and working to the west:
We
begin coming up onto the great prairie from the, Narrows west of Black
Jack near present day Baldwin City. The first wood watering soot was
called 'Willow Springs (north of Highway 56 about 2'/z miles). From Widow
Springs travel was southwest toward the Hill or later called Simmon's
Point (where the microwave tower now stands east of 0verbrook). This
was a stage stop during the later years of the trait. About 1'h miles
on west of Simmon's Point was a major crossing area (just north of Highway
56 about 150 yards). Ruts of both the Santa Fe Trail and other trails can
be seen here. This area was an intersection at which water could be found.
A
little farther west along Highway 56 a Daughter of the American Revolution
(DAR) marker can be found. This marks where the Santa Fe Trail crossed to
the south. About t00 yards west of the marker is a white faun house (north
side of Highway 56) across the road from the house are ruts. .bout
1'/‑2 mile east of Overbrook the trail runs through the old Bryson
farm. Here the Farmhouse faces north in the middle of the section. When
the house was built it faced north onto the trail. About 300 yards west
was a place called Rock Creek Springs # 1. This was a campground and a
watering stop on the Santa Fe Trail. At one time a blacksmith shop,
general store, inn and post office were all located in one building here.
From
this spring the Santa Fe Trail continued west to where the Overbrook
Cemetery now is. Faint outlines of ruts can be seen going toward the
school building‑ Near the 200 block of Ash Street in Overbrook was a
spring used for a watering stop. The trail ran due west through town down
Santa Fe Trail Street. At Sycamore Street it veered to the north a bit and
ran through where the Don Hylton home
is located on Western Heights Drive. It continues through Brookside Manor
Nursing Home location and west through the Ken Banta farm. Ruts can still be seen in this area. The Santa Fe
Trail turned north where the old railroad bridge is located on Highway 56
west of Overbrook. Just west of the bridge (north of the highway) you can
see a windmill. The spring located here was called Flag Spring or Santa Fe
Spring.
About
four miles west of Overbrook on the trail was a place called the Boneyard.
Here a wagon train of traders was caught in a blizzard. They were trying
to make it back to Westport in today's Kansas City. The men were able to
walk to the safety of 1 10‑Mile Crossing, but the oxen perished in
the storm. For years wagons going and coming on the trail used the
bleached bones as a marker. The trail continued west through where the
Santa Fe Trail High School is located. West of the school on the Osage
State Lake Road looking back east toward the school, the depression of the
ruts can still be seen. From here the trail headed southwest.
Just
south of 4‑Corners on Highway 75 another DAR marker is located.
About ', ; mile west of the marker was the ! 10‑Mile Crossing. It
.vas so named because according to the survey of 1825 it was 1 10 miles
from the start of the trail in Missouri. The Fry McGee Tavern/Hotel was
located here as well as a toll bridge. Records show that the crossing
charge was 25¢ per wagon and some days as much as $30.00 was collected. This
was very well known spot on the Santa Fe Trail. Here intersected the
Santa Fe Trail going west, the Fort Scott road from the southeast and the
110‑mile Road toward the north. Also, a trail coiled the Morman T
rail started here and ran
northwest to Fort Riley.
From
110-mile Crossing the Santa Fe Trait ran south of present day Scranton and
on to Burlingame. Burlingame was second only to Council Grove in its
importance as a place to ‑get supplies and blacksmith work done
before going further west.
1996 marks the 175th Anniversary of the Santa Fe Trail. Communities up
and down the trail will hold celebrations to commemorate this event.
