William Becknell, known as the father of the Santa Fe Trail, first traveled the trail in 1821. Many special events had been planned in 2021 to commemorate the trail’s 200th anniversary, but Covid-19 has hampered some of those events. Consequently, the Santa Fe Trail Association Board has expanded the commemoration of the historic trail to run from 2021-2025. This allows SFT chapters to safely schedule their events over the next few years. The focus will not only be on Becknell’s first trip but also subsequent trips made by Americans as well as Mexican traders who began shipping goods from Santa Fe and Mexico over the SFT to places further east. Visit http://santafetrail.org/ or http://santafetrail200.org for event dates and info.
No events have been planned in Kearny County at this time, but have a look at this video to learn more about points of interest on the trail in our county. You can also head over to our Fun & Games page (https://kearnycountymuseum.org/fun-games-for-young-pioneers-and-the-young-at-heart/) and print out some Santa Fe Trail activity sheets. Remember if you’re ever in Kearny County, we would love to have you drop by the Museum!