Santa Fe Trail Marker #15; Scranton, Kansas

This was the fifteenth of 96 markers placed by the Kansas Chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution to trace the route of the Santa Fe Trail through the State of Kansas. The town of Scranton was chosen because it was just north of a camping spot on the Santa Fe Trail, where wagon trains would regroup after fording 110-mile Creek a mile to the east of this location. The Osage County Old Settlers Association chose the location for the stone, which was initially set a little south of town, closer to the route of the trail itself. The marker was placed in Scranton’s Jones Park to increase visibility, and it was rededicated in 1978. 

One of the tenets of the Daughters of the American Revolution is “To perpetuate the memory of the spirit of men and women who achieved American Independence, by the acquisition and protection of historical spots, and the erection of monuments.” However, there being no sites even remotely associated with the American Revolution in the State of Kansas, the four Kansas chapters of the D.A.R. had long pondered how they would follow this mission. They had made some modest contributions to some local projects, such as the Zebulon Pike monument in Republic County, Ks. but hadn’t spearheaded a project of their own. At the state conference in 1902, it was proposed that they mark the route of the Santa Fe Trail through Kansas, a project made official in 1903. Since its abandonment in 1872, much of the route had been forgotten or covered up by modern roads, farms, and towns. With much of the former trail lost, the Daughters of the American Revolution worked to rediscover its route, a task made even more difficult by the fact that travelers along the trail often took slightly different paths.

Over the next few years, a committee of D.A.R. volunteers consulted old maps and interviewed original settlers to ascertain the original route of the trail. As soon as people heard of the project, they received many letters from locals offering to help. Their assistance was invaluable, especially in the western sections, where the trail split into northern and southern branches. From their research, they commissioned their own map detailing the route through each county. By 1904, the D.A.R. was ready to petition the state legislature for funding. They consulted the “women clubs” in all the communities through which the trail passed to determine the best locations for markers. They determined the size and format for the markers, a bronze plaque on a red granite boulder sourced from Oklahoma. Their inspiration was the Santa Fe Trail marker in Kansas City, Missouri’s Penn Valley Park. However, due to cost constraints, they opted to chisel the same inscription on the face of each monument.        

In the end, the state appropriation of $1000 would prove to be far too little for the 96 markers they planned. They budgeted $20 per marker for construction, freight charges, concrete foundations and installment costs. So the D.A.R. appealed to Kansas school children and asked that they each donate a penny to the cause. This raised another $700. A few private individuals also sponsored the stones in their communities and Douglas County paid for its five stones. The markers were constructed and delivered throughout 1906 and early 1907. A team of workers was arranged ahead of time in each community to receive and install the stone at the prescribed location. Each dedication was a cause for celebration for the various communities. In all, the D.A.R. had successfully delivered and had installed 96 stone trail markers across the entire length of the Santa Fe Trail in Kansas.

This stone was installed sometime in late 1907, a little south of Scranton on what is today 56 Highway. It was shipped by the DAR to E.E. Gardner, chair of the local chapter of the Osage County Old Settlers Association, who had been charged with choosing the locations for the markers. Gardner had installed marker #14 at McGee’s Crossing of 110-Creek on Sep. 14, 1907, and had presided over the ceremonies, which were a cause of celebration for the communities of Carbondale and Scranton. However, contemporary newspapers record no notice for the installation of this marker, originally placed a little south of town on what is today 56 Highway. The marker was moved to Scranton’s Jones Park and rededicated in 1978. 

The history of Scranton, Ks. begins in 1871, when traffic on the Santa Fe Trail, which ran just south of town, had all but died out. It started as a coal mining camp begun by Alexander Thomas and O.H. Sheldon. The camp was named after Scranton, Pennsylvania. In 1872, the Burlingame and Scranton Coal Company was formed, and the mini boomtown of Scranton was born. The post office was established that same year. By 1880, the population was nearly a thousand, and Scranton was incorporated as a third-class city. It became a stop on the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. In 1907, when this marker was placed, Scranton boasted a population of 770. There were stores, banks, churches, schools and a town newspaper, the Scranton Gazette.

Blackmar, Frank W.. Kansas: a cyclopedia of state history, embracing events, institutions, industries, counties, cities, towns, prominent personts, etc.. Volume II. Chicago, Ill. Standar Publishing, 1912.

Kansas Society Daughters of the American Revolution. The Century Survey of the Kansas Santa Fe Trail DAR Markers Placed by the Kansas Society Daughters of the American Revolution in 1906. Topeka, Ks. Kansas Society Daughters of the American Revolution, 2010.

Cordry, Mrs. T.A.. The Story of the Marking of the Santa Fe Trail. Topeka, KS. Crane & Company, 1915.

"A Meeting of the Old Settlers." Scranton Gazette (Scranton, Ks.) June 7th, 1907. .8.

"Ols Settlers' Meeting." Burlingame Enterprise (Burlingame, Ks.) June 6th, 1907. .4.