On the open flat prairies west of Dodge City, Kansas, is an out-cropping of sandstone that rises above the rest of the landscape that can be seen for miles around. This obvious spot was a landmark to early travelers and became known as “Point of Rocks.” To aid travelers on the Santa Fe Trail, two forts were established nearby: Fort Mann (1847-1848) and Fort Atkison (1850-1855). Wagon trains headed for Santa Fe, New Mexico Territory watched for the obvious landmark in order to get their bearings while crossing the wilderness.
Point of Rocks, an important landmark for the Santa Fe and Western Cattle Trails
When the cattle drives started coming north out of Texas in 1874 on the Western Cattle Trail, Point of Rocks was also used as the spot which signaled to the trail bosses that here was where their herds would bypass Dodge City’s west side and turn north toward another cattle town, Ogallala, Nebraska and beyond.
Today, the Kansas Department of Transportation has plans to widen Highway 50 from Dodge City to Cimarron which will destroy Point of Rocks. This landmark, under current plans, will be leveled.
Please help the Santa Fe Trail Association and the Great Western Cattle Trail Association in asking Governor Brownback to not allow KDOT to destroy this site, but to, instead, re-design the highway in that location to spare the landmark. You can participate by giving your virtual signature on the Point of Rocks Petition Page (https://www.westerncattletrail.net/point-rocks-petition/). It’s easy. All you need to do is give your name, email address, city, and state, then click “Sign Now.” That’s all you need to do, but an added bonus would be to share with the “Facebook” and “Twitter” buttons below the form.
Edit: Read an update on the situation.
Author of The Western: The Greatest Texas Cattle Trail 1874-1886
Member of the Great Western Cattle Assoc.
& Fort Dodge/Cimarron Chapter of the Santa Fe Trail Assoc.
Owner of The Old Hardware Store in Halstead, KS
Those who do not read history are doomed to repeat it. George Santayana
Please do not destroy visual history?
In 1969/70, Dodge City tore down and literaly destroyed ALL their western history under the banner of “urban renewal ” Certain people got very rich from this and all this proved that Dodge City cared NOTHING about its history ! Because of this, Dodge DOES NOT deserve anything historical anymore….YOU CANT BRING BACK WHAT YOU HAVE DESTROYED BY SUDDENLY WANTING TO SAVE SOMETHING NOW !
4 lanes of traffic so everyone can even go faster is not worth a piece of history!!
Please do not tear down the point of rocks. That is part of Dodge City. It sets the character of what the town use to be. Change is not always a good thing. Please redo the blueprints. I don’t live there but I enjoy that scene.
Is nothing sacred???
Change in the name of progress. Sometimes progress really means going backwards. Why would you people even consider destroying it? Ever heard the phrase ‘You don’t know what you have until it’s gone’? Well, you destroy it, you can’t build it again. Once it’s gone, it’s GONE.
Just build a concrete wall between the lanes as is done on the turnpike, etc. SQUEEZE and SAVE!!
have the kdot put a roundabout at that location