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Santa Fe Trail Ruts


category : Pioneer Life
Santa Fe Trail Ruts The historic Santa Fe Trail which carried civilization and commerce between the East and the Mexican settlements of the southwest between 1825 and 1875, traversed much of Kansas. Today one of the best sites remaining to see the actual ruts carved into the virgin sod is in the Dr. Ivan Boyd Prairie Preserve. The four deep parallels swales resulted from the parade of heavily-loaded wagons and thousands of oxen, horses and mules turning northwestward on the Santa Fe Trail as it headed for Palmyra, now Baldwin City. The Trail was along the dirt road just south of the park.


The park also offers a unique opportunity to study native grasses and flowers that once grew free throughout eastern Kansas' in the tall-grass prairies.


Address: 3 miles east of Baldwin

Come visit us in Baldwin City, Kansas

Attractions and Upcoming Events

Kibbee Cabin

[Kibbee Cabin] The Kibbee Cabin is a reproduction of a log cabin which stood on the crest of the Santa Fe Ridge (commonly called "Big Hill") north of Baldwin where a group of Methodist ministers met to form Baker University in 1857

Baldwin City, KS Pioneer Life

Parmenter Hall

Parmenter Hall with its distinguishing tower, is the first building actually built on the Baker University campus and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The cornerstone was laid in June, 1866, but lack of financing delayed completion until 1881

Baldwin City, KS National Register

Grove and West Parks

Grove Park, Fremont and Third, and West Park, 11th and High, are tree-shaded city-owned parks equipped with children's playground areas with swings, slides, and other equipment.

Baldwin City, KS Parks

Palmyra Post Office

Located at the Old Castle Complex is the Palmyra Post Office and Blood's Grocery which opened in 1857. Originally located north of the highway on the Santa Fe Trail, it served travelers on the trail and the pioneer community of Palmyra, the original townsite later to become Baldwin City.

Baldwin City, KS Pioneer Life

Case Hall

Case Hall is Baker University's first library building. Completed in 1907 with a grant from the Carnegie Foundation it is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its innovated construction for the time.

It was designed by Baker'

Baldwin City, KS National Register

Things to do Pioneer Life near Baldwin City, KS

Palmyra Post Office

Santa Fe Trail Ruts

Winchester Jail

Kibbee Cabin

Tibbot Schoolhouse