Santa Fe Trail Ruts, 1821-1872

The foot line spells the county Kearney, the spelling it first carried. The original Kearney County was established on March 6, 1873, dissolved in 1883, re-established in 1887 and organized on March 27, 1888; in 1889 the name was corrected to Kearny. It honors Philip Kearny, born in New York in 1815, a nephew of Stephen W. Kearny who served in his uncle's 1st Dragoons on the western frontier. He lost his left arm at Churubusco in the Mexican War and was killed at Chantilly on September 1, 1862.

What the plaque says

Santa Fe Trail Ruts 1821-1872 Looking east, up and over the bank of the ditch, one can see the wagon ruts of the Santa Fe Trail. You will notice a difference in the color and texture of the grass in the ruts. This is characteristic of the ruts along the trail. Between Pawnee Rock and Santa Fe, New Mexico, it was customary for the wagons to travel four abreast. This allowed for quicker circling in case of attack. In the distance to the south can be seen trees lining the banks of the Arkansas River. During the early years of the trail, this was the boundary between Mexico and the United States. Erected by Kearney County Historical Society and Kansas State Historical Society-1987

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Sandsage Bison Range and Wildlife Area — 17 mi
  The 3,760-acre remnant of the Kansas National Forest south of Garden City, where federal tree planting failed and the state's oldest publicly owned bison herd now grazes sand sage prairie.
• Lee Richardson Zoo — 17 mi
  Garden City's zoo in Finnup Park, begun in 1927 with two skunks and now accredited, free to walk in and open to cars on a drive-through loop for a vehicle fee.

More markers nearby

• Chouteau's Island — 5.8 mi
• American Indians and the Buffalo — 18 mi