EDMOND — Few cities west of the Mississippi played a bigger part in the settling of the West than Independence, Mo. It was the jumping-off place for thousands of pioneers looking for land, for gold or for trade. Three major trails started here — the Santa Fe Trail (1821), the Oregon Trail in the 1840s, and, when gold was discovered, the California Trail.

Though it was almost two centuries ago, there are still evidences of the heavy wagons that lumbered out of town. Called “swales,” these depressions in the earth have been obliterated by development in most areas. The ruts just south of downtown Independence cross an area that was protected by being part of a great estate.

To experience a bit of a feel of the trail and to learn an amazing amount of local history, make a reservation with Pioneer Trails Adventures for a covered-wagon tour of the town. I was blown away by our driver Ralph Goldsmith. He kept up a non-stop narrative throughout the ride — and it was great! He combined history and local legend — sometimes it was difficult to tell which was which — but it was all interesting. This is the best introduction you could get to the city.

So many themes run through the story of Independence: the trails, the Civil War, Mormon history, the railroad, millionaires and mansions and, of course, the 33rd president of the United States, Harry S. Truman.

Start with the trails. On your wagon tour, you’ll actually ride down a narrow road built in a wide wagon rut from the Santa Fe Trail.  Then stop at the National Frontier Trails Museum. Exhibits in the museum begin with the explorations of Lewis and Clark and fur traders who preceded settlement.

The main display area tells the story of the three western trails and the pioneers who traveled on them. One of my favorite exhibits was a chart showing the costs of hitting the trail. A wagon, in today’s prices, would cost more than $2,000. Most wagons were pulled by teams of oxen or mules — a good mule cost almost as much as a wagon.

Another exhibit shows trash from the trails. As families traveled, they often discovered they brought too much. Many of the exhibits were accompanied by quotes from letters and diaries of travelers. The trail trash exhibit is one of these. In November of 1848 or ’49, J. Quinn Thornton wrote, “We passed household and kitchen furniture, beds and bedding, books, carpets, cooking utensils, dead cattle, broken wagons and wagons not broken, but nevertheless, abandoned. In short, the whole road presented the appearance of a defeated and retreating army.”

A special area for children is stocked with supplies for the trail and youngsters are encouraged to load a wagon with necessities.  Another visual aid is a ’49ers wheel of fortune with choices like “Find nothing — go home broke” or “Find gold but lose it all gambling.”

Between the years of 1840 and 1860, about 400,000 people took to the trails to head west. These travelers included the unfortunate and infamous Donner party.

In this part of the country, the war over slavery was being fought for years before the Confederate Army fired on Fort Sumter.  According to the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, those two territories could vote whether they would enter the United States as free or slave states. Missouri was a slave-holding state and many were determined that their neighbor to the west would be also. Abolitionists were just as adamant. Advocates of both positions poured across the border from Missouri into Kansas to try to influence the results.

Once the war started, Missouri was prime battleground — only in Virginia and Tennessee were more battles fought. Two battles were fought in this area — the First Battle of Independence (Aug. 12, 1862) and the Battle of the Little Blue (Oct. 21-22, 1864).  The Visitors’ Bureau has a helpful brochure with maps to help you follow the action.

One of the most significant landmarks in Independence is the 1859 Jail and Marshal’s Home. A tour of the building will acquaint you with its role in the Civil War. After the war was over, Frank and Jesse James played Robin Hood for their fellow Southerners whose property had been taken during the war.

The only way the landowners could reclaim their land was by paying the back taxes. Impoverished by the war, they had to try to borrow money from Union bankers at usurious rates. Many of the payments they made were liberated by the popular outlaws.

Frank wound up in the jail in Independence where local citizens threw him a party. You can tour his cell, which was comfortably furnished and, if you believe the legend, was never locked.

During the 19th century, railroads were expanding across the country. With the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, the importance of the trails was eclipsed. Independence never achieved the prominence and prosperity it had enjoyed before the conflict.

Much like Guthrie after it lost state capital status, the decline of Independence provides a contemporary bonanza of historical sites which escaped modernization. Its courthouse square is charming and surrounding neighborhoods boast beautifully preserved homes from an earlier era.

In future columns, I’ll introduce you to more of the attractions in Independence. This historic town is truly worth a trip.



ELAINE WARNER is an Edmond resident.