The first white man believed to have rode the Santa Fe trail route was a Frenchman named Pedro Vial. He left Santa Fe in May 1792 and reached St. Louis in early October. He left St. Louis the following June and reached Santa Fe in mid-November. But many had had their eye on Santa Fe for decades. One was Zebulon Pike. Another was Manuel Lisa. The Spanish authorities were hostile to Americans, however, and arrested many traders and confiscated their goods.
This changed in 1821, when Mexico won its independence from Spain. Mexico opened its doors to anyone who wanted to trade. William Becknell is generally accepted as the "father" of the
Santa Fe Trail. He had heard rumors about Mexico declaring independence. So by the time it happened, he was already provisioned and had hired his men. He set out from Arrow Rock,
Missouri, on September 1, 1821. His route went past the future sites of Council Grove, Fort Larned, and Dodge City, Kansas. Then he followed the Arkansas River into Colorado and headed southwest to Raton Pass on the Colorado-New Mexico border. He reached Santa Fe and met with the governor Don Facundo Melgares. He sold all of his trade goods. While there he
observed their agricultural methods and way of life to get an idea of what to bring back.
He left Franklin, Missouri, on May 22, 1822, this time with three wagons full of goods. Because he used wagons this time, he could not go through the treacherous Raton Pass. So he detoured south along the Arkansas and Cimarron Rivers. This route was later called the Cimarron Cutoff. It crossed extremely desolate and dry country, though it was somewhat shorter. Becknell finally reached Santa Fe and made a huge profit. After that he helped the government survey and mark the Santa Fe route.
Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton was most responsible for getting the government to survey the trail. He figured it would benefit all parties, the Mexicans, the Indians, and the Americans. President Monroe authorized the survey on March 3, 1825. Money was set aside for the Indians, whose land they would be passing through, to purchase right of way from them. The new president, John Quincy Adams, appointed Benjamin H. Reeves, Thomas Mather, and George C. Sibley, as commissioners in charge of the project. Joseph C. Brown, a Missouri senator, was chosen was the surveyor. Stephen Cooper was chosen as the pilot, and Joseph R. Walker was chosen was hunter. William Sherly "Old Bill" Williams was appointed interpreter. They left Fort Osage on July 17, 1825.
