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Santa Fe Trail

Major overland trade route connecting American towns along the Missouri River with Santa Fe, New Mexico Territory and El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro.[1]

Established in 1821 to take advantage of  American trade opportunit1es with Mexico under its new independence from Spain.[1]

In 1822, the Cimarron Cutoff — a faster, more direct course between Fort Union and Cimarron, Kansas — was chartered. The new trail avoided the difficult mountain passes of the more northerly route, but was often considered riskier due to its lack of water.[1]

From 1865 to 1866,[2] Bret and Bart Maverick served in the Union Army as Galvanized Yankees[3] out of Fort Union[2] to help protect the Santa Fe Trail from hostile Comanche.[3]

The Jeweled Gun: In April of 1876,[2] Bart Maverick traveled by stage with Daisy Haskell[3] along the Santa Fe Trail[2] from Santa Fe to La Mesa, New Mexico Territory. Daisy had hired Bart to pose as her husband, John Haskell, ostensibly to escort her to Laramie, Wyoming Territory. North of Las Vegas, their coach was attacked by a band of Comanche. In La Mesa, Daisy attempted to kill Bart to make it appear her "husband" was killed in a robbery far from Santa Fe, where Henique Fillipe had actually killed the real John Haskell. After Daisy and Fillipe were arrested in La Mesa and returned to Santa Fe for trial, Bart continued his stage journey[3] along the Santa Fe Trail[2] bound for Laramie and found Brother Bret, traveling from Clayton, on the same coach.[3] They traveled together along the Santa Fe Trail as far north as La Junta, Colorado Territory, where they changed routes fro Laramie.[2]

The Day They Hanged Bret Maverick: In September of 1876, Bret Maverick traveled to Santa Fe by stage from Dry Springs Way Station with Molly Sharp.[5] They spent their first night on the trail in Cimarron and last night in Las Vegas before arriving in Santa Fe they next day.[2]