Winter Meeting
The winter meeting was held January 12, 2003, at the Kinsley Municipal Building. Officers for 2003 were elected: President, Rusti Gardner; Vice President, Barbara German; Secretary/Treasurer, Barbara Koester; and Program Director, David Clapsaddle. Reports were given on the seminar scheduled at Fort Larned National Historic Site May 3, 2003 and an interpretive marker was approved for the Pawnee Fork Crossing near Larned, Kansas with reference to the precursors of the Santa Fe Trail who used the crossing: Coronado, Melgares, Pike, and others.

Two presentations were made. A donation of $500 was presented to Leo Oliva, chairman of the Fort Larned Old Guard, to assist with the printing of the recently published brochure about the site of the Cheyenne/Sioux Village on Pawnee Fork. The Faye Anderson Award was presented to the Kansas City Area Historic Trails Association. Craig Crease was present to represent that organization and receive the award.

Following the business meeting, Hal Jackson presented a program on the parallels of the Zebulon Pike Expedition and the Jacob Fowler Expedition.

New Members
The chapter is pleased to welcome our newest members, G. A. and Cee Heller of Kinsley, Ks.

Mexican War Journal Comes to Kansas
Another recent member is Janice Barker of Wichita, Kansas. Many of our members met Janice at the Santa Fe Trail Rendezvous last spring. She is the great, great, great granddaughter of Robert Easley, 1st Illinois Volunteer Infantry, who died and was buried at the Pawnee Fork crossing in 1847 en route to Santa Fe at the onset of the Mexican War. Pvt. Easley's death and burial are mentioned in the journal of James Gaston, another soldier in the 1st Illinois. Ironically, Gaston is also an ancestor of Barker who has secured the original Gaston journal. Plans call for the journal to be presented to the Kansas State Historical Society at the upcoming Wet/Dry Routes Chapter Seminar, May 3, 2003.

Kearny Sideboard on Display
Descendents of Stephan Watts Kearny in recent years donated a sideboard used by the general to the Fort Larned National Historic Site. The sideboard will be on display at the May 3, 2003 seminar. Kearny was commanding officer of the Army of the West which crossed the Pawnee River near present Larned in July 1846. Delayed by high water, Kearny ordered that trees be felled across the Pawnee to serve as foot bridges for the soldiers. The animals swam across the stream and the wagons were floated to the south bank.

Spring Meeting
Please mark your calendars for the spring meeting for April 6, 2003, 2:00 P.M., Fort Larned National Historic Site. Historian George Elmore will present the program.

In Memorial
The chapter was saddened to hear of Connie Casteel's death in December, 2002. A member of our chapter, she is survived by her husband Earl, former board member of the SFT. Our sincere sympathies are extended to the family.

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