Expeditions at the Pawnee River Crossing Interpretive Marker

"INTERPRETIVE MARKER"
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Pike Plaza Interpritive Markers

Wet/Dry Routes Markers

With their indepth research of the Santa Fe Trail, the Wet/Dry Routes Chapter felt some sites and trails needed more information. With this in mind the Chapter has placed in prominent locations along the Santa Fe Trail, "Interpretive Markers" to do just that. On these pages you will find a photo of the markers and the text placed on them.

Expeditions at the Pawnee River Crossing
Prior to the Advent of the Santa Fe Trail

Previous to the opening of the Santa Fe Trail, the Pawnee River was forded near this point by Spanish expeditions: Francisco Vasquez Coronado, 1541, Fray Juan de Padilla, 1542, and Lt. Zebulon Pike crossed the Pawnee and traced Melgares' route to the southwest. Pike's 1810 report subsequently directed other American expeditions to the crossing: Robert McKnight, 1812; Capt. John Bell, 1820; and Hugh Glenn-Jacob Fowler, 1821.

"The Directory of Santa Fe Trail Sites"