Wet/Dry Routes Chapter Fourth Annual Seminar Plans
Plans for the Wet/Dry Routes 4th Annual Seminar are complete. The seminar is scheduled for June 10, 2000 at the Santa Fe Trail Center, Larned, Kansas. The seminar is titled "Specks of Civilization: U. S. Military Posts in Pre-territorial Kansas". The title is derived from an observation of John Treat Irving who described Fort Leavenworth in 1833 as "a speck of civilization in the heart of a wilderness". The same could be said of the other two U. S. Army Posts established on the eastern edge of Indian Territory in what was to become the Territory of Kansas in 1854: Fort Scott and Fort Riley. The seminar is dedicated to the study of these "specks of civilization" and the particular role that each played in the unfolding saga of the Santa Fe Trail.

Speakers will include Stephen Allie, Frontier Army Museum, Fort Leavenworth; Arnold Schofield, Fort Scott National Historic Site; Terry Van Meter, Fort Riley U.S. Cavalry Museum; and John Lemons, Dragoon reenactor, Canon City, Colorado.

Long Distance Members
The newest members of the Wet/Dry Routes Chapter are Dr. and Mrs. Richard Poole of Stillwater, Oklahoma. Dr. Poole is Vice President Emeritus of Oklahoma State University. The Pooles are avid SFT buffs and quite frequently travel the Wet and Dry Routes using materials produced by the chapter. The Pooles are representative of the many Wet/Dry members who reside some distance from the Larned - Dodge City region. Such members have addresses in Merriam, Wichita, Maize, Woodston, Ulysses, Ness City, Salina, Arlington, all in Kansas. Additionally, members hail from other states: Oklahoma, California, Texas, Washington D.C., Maryland, and Indiana. Many of these long distance members do far more than pay dues. They are active participants who lend much support to other members who live within or adjacent to the area designated as Wet/Dry Routes territory.

Wet/Dry Routes Interpretive Markers
The Wet/Dry Routes Chapter is nearing the completion of an interpretive marker project initiated in the spring of 1999. The interpretive markers are intended to assist the public in gaining a better understanding of the five separate branches of the Santa Fe Trail which emanates from the present Larned area. Four markers are thus far placed: (1) One at the Pawnee Fork crossing near present Larned; (2) One at the junction of the Fort Larned Military Road and the Wet Route near Garfield; (3) One at Offerle which explains the original Dry Route running one mile north of Offerle and a later branch of the Dry Route which ran one mile to the south; (4) One at the junction of The Wet and Dry Routes one mile east of Fort Dodge. A fifth marker is planned for Forks in Santa Fe Road, three and a half miles southwest of Larned on U.S. 56. This was the site of the original Dry Route's eastern terminus. By the time this article is published, this marker will hopefully have been placed.

The markers, 18" X 24", are made of high intensity aluminum and mounted on sturdy, cedar frames.

Five other such markers are in the planning stage for the year 2000.

A special thank you goes to chapter member and webmaster Larry & Carolyn Mix who generously provided funding for purchasing the interpretive marker at the junction of the Wet and Dry Routes one mile east of Fort Dodge.

Did You Know?
While attending the SFT Symposium at Council Grove, I read the inscription on the Madonna of The Trail statue located in the old campgrounds near the Neosho River crossing. I don't recall the exact wording, but the substance of the inscription was that the treaty between the U.S. Survey Commissioners and the Osage Indians in 1825 at what became known as Council Grove initiated the Santa Fe Trail. Too bad that Becknell, the Coopers, Marmadukes, and countless others did not know this. They could have delayed their expeditions to Santa Fe from 1821 to 1825.

Wet/Dry Routes Chapter Mapping
Marker Project Completed
The Wet/Dry Routes Chapter is pleased to announce that the mapping-marker project has been completed. The documentation for the study has been published in A Directory of Santa Fe Trail Sites and the mapping data from the Directory has been transposed on Kansas Geological Survey Maps. Both the Directory and the Geological Survey Maps have been forwarded to Mr. Phil Petersen, Chairman of the SFT Mapping Committee. In addition, a copy of the Directory has been donated th the SFT archives housed at the Santa Fe Trail Center in Larned. Members of the Marking Committee may access the Directory there.

The study is the culmination of ten years' research and the placing of 105 markers on the five separate branches of the Santa Fe Trail in Pawnee, Edwards, and Ford counties, Kansas; and the Fort Hays - Fort Dodge Road which ran through present Ellis, Rush, Pawnee, Ness, Hodgeman, and Ford counties.

David Clapsaddle, the Directory's compiler wishes to acknowledge other members of the Chapter who made significant contributions to the completion of the project: Lee Kroh, Merriam, Kansas; Larry & Carolyn Mix, St. John, Kansas; Richard Ford, Jetmore, Kansas; and Howard Losey, Maize, Kansas

As far as we know, the Wet/Dry Routes Chapter is the first of all the SFT chapters to complete both the marking and mapping assignments.

Washita Tour
Plans are now being made for a traveling seminar to the Washita Battle site near Cheyenne, Oklahoma. Included in the tour will be a visit to Fort Supply which figured significantly in Sheridan's 1868-1869 expedition which led to the destruction of Black Kettle's village on the Washita River. David Clapsaddle, Larned historian and author will lead the tour. The fee for the tour is $150 which includes all meals, lodging, and transportation costs. To register, contact Clapsaddle at 215 Mann, Larned, KS 67550, (316) 285-3295.

"Chevrolet" Hill
Anyone who has been fortunate enough to have lived in or traveled through the little town of Garfield, Kansas is familiar with the high ridge or hill that is located a mile and a half or so northeast of the town. Santa Fe Trail enthusiasts know this ridge as Sibley's Ridge and it has been so marked by the Wet/Dry Routes Chapter of the Santa Fe Trail. The ridge was described by George C. Sibley in his journal and diary of the 1825 government survey of the Road to Santa Fe:

Apprehending more Rain and fearing to be detained here (Pawnee Fork Crossing) by high water, we set to work cutting down the Banks, and preparing the ford for the Waggons to cross. We got all safe over without any accident or much difficulty by 11 o'Clk. And then proceeded South West through a flat bottom about 6 Miles, and came to a High Ridge. The Waggons passed round the point, still keeping in the bottom about half a mile from the River. I rode upon the Ridge, from the top of which, I could distinctly trace the course of the Pawnee River for a great distance by the fringe of Trees along its banks.

Most "Garfieldians" know this ridge as Chevrolet Hill. The story goes that in the early days of automobile travel, Chevrolet dealers would take prospective buyers on demonstration rides out to this ridge to show their car's hill climbing prowess. I can remember, as a little boy, hearing Reuben (Rube) Hven, son of one of the early Swedish pioneers, telling me this story just after he showed me his disappearing coin trick.

Now for the rest of the story. The hill in question was named for C. C. Chevalier, one of Garfield's early pioneers and the original homesteader on the property encompassing the high ridge. Mr. Chevalier ran a nursery at Garfield. He supplied the trees for many of the timber claims in the area plus many of the trees planted by the Santa Fe Railroad on it's many early day forestation projects.

Dr. David Clapsaddle, program director of the Wet/Dry Routes Chapter, commented that C. C. Chevalier was also a charter member of, and Pawnee County's representative to, the Kansas State Horticultural Society. As such, it was his responsibility to take a bi-ennial census of all trees in the county.

Of course, Chevrolet Hill was just a corruption of the pronunciation of Chevalier Hill. It had nothing at all to do with automobiles.

Incidentally, to this day, I have not figured out how Rube got that nickel to go up his sleeve just by snapping his fingers.

David Does Interpretation of Richard Blinn
David Clapsaddle presented an historical interpretation of Richard Blinn at the Santa Fe Trail Center on September 12, 1999. The occasion was a book signing of the recently published A Directory of Santa Fe Trail Sites hosted by The Fort Larned Historical Society.

Richard Blinn was the husband of Clara Blinn and father of little Willie Blinn. Clara and Willie were killed in November 1868 during the attack by the 7th Cavalry on Black Kettle's village near present Cheyenne, Oklahoma. Wet/Dry Chapter members will have an opportunity to visit the site where their tragic murder occurred.

Web Site Award
Chapter members Larry and Carolyn Mix continue to garner awards for their outstanding Wet/Dry Routes Chapter web page. This time it was the coveted SFT Award of Merit that was presented to Larry at the Santa Fe Trail Symposium held at Council Grove on September 23-26, 1999.

Larry and Carolyn have more than 300 pages of information concerning the Santa Fe Trail in the chapter's area of concern. The Page receives more than 1000 visits per month.

Congratulations, Larry and Carolyn!

Fall Meeting
The Autumn meeting of the Wet/Dry Routes Chapter of the SFT was held at the St. Joseph Parish Hall in Offerle, Kansas, October 17, 1999. Offerle is located one mile south of the Pre-1859 dry and one mile north of the Post-1859. This is explained on the chapter's recently installed interpretive marker located in Offerle's city park.

Items discussed during the business meeting included: Report on Council Grove Symposium, Web Site award, completion of mapping project, interpretive markers, Traces printing, Faye Anderson award, chapter non-profit status, and the up-coming seminar.

The program following the business meeting was presented by award winning educator Shirley Stein. She had a display of projects, showed videos, and discussed her teaching methods of subjects relative to the Santa Fe Trail. Shirley is a former member of the Wet/Dry Routes chapter.

January, 2000 Meeting
Where: Municipal Building, Kinsley, Kansas.
When: Sunday, January 16, 2000.
Business Meeting: 2:00 pm.

Program: Lee Kroh will give a talk on the many branches of the Santa Fe Trail in the Kansas City Area. Lee has done extensive research and mapping of the trail through the northeast part of Kansas and Missouri. This is one of those meeting you just don't want to miss if you are interested in the Santa Fe Trail in the least little bit. Lee's wit, humor and knowledge will blend together for an interesting program.

Eagle Project Completed
The first three markers as planned by the chapter have been placed thanks to a Boy Scout Eagle project. Nick Niemeyer, Troop 121, Larned, Kansas recently completed the project, insetting the bronze plaques on limestone posts and installing the markers. All of the markers are located on the original Dry Route: (1) Near Offerle, Site E8 in A Directory of Santa Fe Trail Sites; (2) near Bellefont, Site E9; (3) near Spearville, Site E10. Thanks should be extended to Nick and his scoutmaster, Tom Walters; also to Milden Yeager, Larry Mix, and David Clapsaddle, chapter members who assisted in the project. Not to be overlooked are the property owners Rean Stegman, Diana McKee, and Gaylord Moritz. The placing of these three markers brings the total number to 105. Approximately $10,000 plus in-kind expenditures of equipment, materials, labor, and transportation have been devoted to the project. Chapter members can take great pride in this endeavor.

Santa Fe Trail Research Site
"E-Mail & Home Page"
Larry & Carolyn Mix
St. John, Kansas
© "Forever"