(see photos)
We are spending he day today exploring around Kansas City. We first head a little east to Independence where we first spot the train station which is a good introduction to this area that was so important to the westward movement of thousands - tens of thousands - of people in the Nineteenth Century. From Lewis and Clark in 1803 to adventurous men and families headed for a better life in Oregon 25 years later, the fortune seekers headed to California to see the elephant (and find the gold) in 1849, to the homesteaders starting new lives in the midwest, and then, with the coming of the railroad, people spreading northwest, southwest and straight across the continent.
All of these stories are represented in the National Frontier Trails Museum in Independence. The icon of the expansion of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, is represented by a bust near the entrance. The icon of exploration of the Western half of the continent, Jim Bridger, is featured as a bronze statue in a niche in the exterior wall of the museum Stories and interpretive panels in the museum tell about the enthusiasm of the prospect and progress of westward expansion, the dangers and difficulties, the triumphs and tragedies, the conflicts and compromises (which some might call conquests). For trappers and mountain men, American traders and Mexican merchants, Oregon farmers and California argonauts, rural farmers and railroad barons the trails, roads and rails were vital to their successes.
Our next stop was the Harry S. Truman library and museum. While the trails museum seemed a long time ago and a long way away, the Truman library and museum seemed like yesterday. Mostly devoted to Truman's life once he succeeded Franklin Roosevelt int he White House, the events and activities described seemed very contemporary. His description on April 13, 1945, the he "felt like the the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me" certainly seemed to be a prescient expression of his 7 years in office. Exhibits of Life Magazine from his presidential term, as well as newspaper headlines, seem like a staggering load for a haberdasher from Kansas.
The museum is divided into three parts - the recreation of the White House oval office, his post-presidential office where he spent his time after he left Washington, and the museum itself. There is also a library in the building, but one needs a reason and a proposal to go in there. I suppose every presidential library is designed to show the subject in the best light possible - attempting to convince the visitor that this president had the most responsibility, the most difficult decisions, the most recalcitrant opposition, the most successful legislative agenda, the greatest compassion, the most farsightedness, and the friendliest demeanor of any president before or after. The Truman museum makes a convincing argument for President Truman's case in each of those areas.
After leaving the Truman Museum we head for one of the original River crossing a few miles away called Upper Independence. Once common route of travel for westward bound travelers was to take a steamboat up the Missouri then proceed overland to wherever they were head to the west. This site was one of the earliest landing area where steamboat passengers would disembark and manage to get there belongings up the step cliffs to start their overland journey. At one point some enterprising businessmen developed a horse drawn rail system to get the passengers and their luggage up the steep cliffs. This business did not prove to be successful, and the landing area was moved slightly up river to a more convenient location.
The final stop of the day is the Jackson County Historic Truman Courthouse. It is called the Truman Courthouse because Judge Harry S. Truman had a courtroom and office in the building. His career as a judge apparently was more concerned with civic development activities - more like a elected county government official than a trial court judge. The courthouse in under renovation at present, so we did not get to go inside, but there are a number of informative signs and monuments around the building. A bronze statue of Andrew Jackson (presented to the people of Jackson County by President Truman) adorns the front entrance, monuments marking the Oregon Trail and the Santa Fe Trail signify the importance of the city, and there is a plaque with information about the Civil War Battle of Independence - a Confederate victory, but a costly one. Losses of several Confederate military leaders turned out to be a critical loss for the Confederacy as the war played out. The three colonels, two majors, three captains, and two lieutenants lost in the Battle of Independence we significant losses that could not be easily replaced.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Day 16 - Topeka to Kansas City - Wednesday, June 12, 2013
See photos
The landscape of Kansas is not all that different than the landscape of Nebraska. It seems a bit more varied than the oceans of cornfields and the cities of silos that seemed to define Nebraska, and as we approach the Missouri River the variety of the trails increases. In Nebraska most of the trails follow along one side or the other of the Platte River all the way into southeast Wyoming. The exception is the South Platte Trail which follows the route of the South Platte River rather than the route of the North Platte which was more popular. Also, the Pony Express Trail starts at Independence, Missouri, and connects with the other trails at Fort Kearny in Nebraska.
The trails in Kansas look more like a plate of spaghetti in the northeast section of the state. That is not too surprising since there were several different crossing points of the Missouri and once across the Missouri the trails take alternative routes to the same destination - the Platte. There are frequent markers along the roads we are on that which point out where the three major immigrant trails crossed the current paved road.
In Topeka we visit the Kansas History Center. This site houses two buildings of interest: The Kansas State History Museum and the Potawatomi Baptist Mission. The museum is a large building with exhibits detailing the history of the state. Of particular interest to me was the large doll house with amazing detail in the furnishings and decorations, and a train, consisting of the locomotive, tender car, and several passenger cars. The coal-burning locomotive is beautifully restored and looks like it is ready to join the frequent rail traffic we have seen on the plains of Wyoming, Nebraska and Kansas.
The Baptist Mission is a large stone building which served as a school house where the missionaries were trying to teach the Potawatomi children the ways of western cultures. A remnant of that effort is a native plant garden which seems to have fallen into disuse. The Museum has a lot of exhibits detailing the conflicts between the natives and the newly arriving settlers. IT was one thing for the immigrants heading west to pass through the areas where natives were living (perhaps relocated from areas tot he east), it was another for them to try to settle and claim land in the areas that the Natives Americans had either been given, or had which had been their historical hoe. One of the exhibits describes the efforts by General William Tecumseh Sherman, of Civil War and California fame, to move the Potawatomi tribe to Florida. Sherman was in charge of the army west of the Missouri after the Civil War. While he thought that the Native Americans were a serious threat, he also thought that many of the companies and settlers in the area were taking advantage of the presence of the Indians to try to make a profit by supplying the military protection they were asking for, but did not really need. At the same times, companies like Wells Fargo that held various government contracts for roads of other services were claiming, falsely according to Sherman, that the threats posed by the Indians were interfering with their ability to satisfy their contractual obligations. Sherman was trying to manage this complicated situation while, at the same time, making sure that the potential of conflicts with the Native Americans did not occur.
A quote attributed to Sherman in one of the displays is to the effect that it would be necessary to force the Potawatomies to move to Florida to teach them a lesson.
Our first stop as we leave Topeka in Olathe - the first stop of the pioneers as they crossed the Missouri to begin the trek west. The river crossing may have been arduous, but the first night looks to have been relaxing in a nice area with a single tree - an elm tree hence the name of the Lone Elm campground. A story we have seen suggests that not too long after the first crossing of the river in this location the lone elm was chopped down by travelers looking for a little fuel. So there is no longer a lone elm, but more trees and probably a nicer spot for camping that is was for most of the 1850s, at least.
We then proceed south on Interstate 35 to Gardner's Junction - where the Santa Fe and Oregon trails separate. The Santa Fe trail heads southwest through the western tip of the Oklahoma panhandle and on into New Mexico. The Oregon trail heads northwest toward the Platte. Or course, by the early days of the Oregon Trail, 1840 or so, the Santa Fe trail was well worn by traders who had traveled to and from Mexico beginning ion the 1820s after Mexico won its independence from Spain and trade restriction between the U.S. and Mexico were relaxed. As we were taking pictures at the marker for Gardner's Junction this huge piece of farm equipment was doing something in the surrounding field. I don't know if it was planting, tilling, plowing, or what. The field did not look much different to this city-boy's eye after the machine had passed over a section of the field that before.
We proceed from St. Mary's on in to Kansas City, Missouri. The trail guide book leads us to a city park in where there is now a swimming pool that is well populated on the warm June afternoon we are there. We wander around the area where a stone bridge crosses the river. We walked along the tail on the river bank and observed on the other side a residential neighborhood with yards with children's play sets and mowed lawns. I wonder of the people living there can image a line of wagons queued up to cross the river at that same location?
The landscape of Kansas is not all that different than the landscape of Nebraska. It seems a bit more varied than the oceans of cornfields and the cities of silos that seemed to define Nebraska, and as we approach the Missouri River the variety of the trails increases. In Nebraska most of the trails follow along one side or the other of the Platte River all the way into southeast Wyoming. The exception is the South Platte Trail which follows the route of the South Platte River rather than the route of the North Platte which was more popular. Also, the Pony Express Trail starts at Independence, Missouri, and connects with the other trails at Fort Kearny in Nebraska.
The trails in Kansas look more like a plate of spaghetti in the northeast section of the state. That is not too surprising since there were several different crossing points of the Missouri and once across the Missouri the trails take alternative routes to the same destination - the Platte. There are frequent markers along the roads we are on that which point out where the three major immigrant trails crossed the current paved road.
In Topeka we visit the Kansas History Center. This site houses two buildings of interest: The Kansas State History Museum and the Potawatomi Baptist Mission. The museum is a large building with exhibits detailing the history of the state. Of particular interest to me was the large doll house with amazing detail in the furnishings and decorations, and a train, consisting of the locomotive, tender car, and several passenger cars. The coal-burning locomotive is beautifully restored and looks like it is ready to join the frequent rail traffic we have seen on the plains of Wyoming, Nebraska and Kansas.
The Baptist Mission is a large stone building which served as a school house where the missionaries were trying to teach the Potawatomi children the ways of western cultures. A remnant of that effort is a native plant garden which seems to have fallen into disuse. The Museum has a lot of exhibits detailing the conflicts between the natives and the newly arriving settlers. IT was one thing for the immigrants heading west to pass through the areas where natives were living (perhaps relocated from areas tot he east), it was another for them to try to settle and claim land in the areas that the Natives Americans had either been given, or had which had been their historical hoe. One of the exhibits describes the efforts by General William Tecumseh Sherman, of Civil War and California fame, to move the Potawatomi tribe to Florida. Sherman was in charge of the army west of the Missouri after the Civil War. While he thought that the Native Americans were a serious threat, he also thought that many of the companies and settlers in the area were taking advantage of the presence of the Indians to try to make a profit by supplying the military protection they were asking for, but did not really need. At the same times, companies like Wells Fargo that held various government contracts for roads of other services were claiming, falsely according to Sherman, that the threats posed by the Indians were interfering with their ability to satisfy their contractual obligations. Sherman was trying to manage this complicated situation while, at the same time, making sure that the potential of conflicts with the Native Americans did not occur.
A quote attributed to Sherman in one of the displays is to the effect that it would be necessary to force the Potawatomies to move to Florida to teach them a lesson.
Our first stop as we leave Topeka in Olathe - the first stop of the pioneers as they crossed the Missouri to begin the trek west. The river crossing may have been arduous, but the first night looks to have been relaxing in a nice area with a single tree - an elm tree hence the name of the Lone Elm campground. A story we have seen suggests that not too long after the first crossing of the river in this location the lone elm was chopped down by travelers looking for a little fuel. So there is no longer a lone elm, but more trees and probably a nicer spot for camping that is was for most of the 1850s, at least.
We then proceed south on Interstate 35 to Gardner's Junction - where the Santa Fe and Oregon trails separate. The Santa Fe trail heads southwest through the western tip of the Oklahoma panhandle and on into New Mexico. The Oregon trail heads northwest toward the Platte. Or course, by the early days of the Oregon Trail, 1840 or so, the Santa Fe trail was well worn by traders who had traveled to and from Mexico beginning ion the 1820s after Mexico won its independence from Spain and trade restriction between the U.S. and Mexico were relaxed. As we were taking pictures at the marker for Gardner's Junction this huge piece of farm equipment was doing something in the surrounding field. I don't know if it was planting, tilling, plowing, or what. The field did not look much different to this city-boy's eye after the machine had passed over a section of the field that before.
We proceed from St. Mary's on in to Kansas City, Missouri. The trail guide book leads us to a city park in where there is now a swimming pool that is well populated on the warm June afternoon we are there. We wander around the area where a stone bridge crosses the river. We walked along the tail on the river bank and observed on the other side a residential neighborhood with yards with children's play sets and mowed lawns. I wonder of the people living there can image a line of wagons queued up to cross the river at that same location?
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