A map and 19th century memorabilia fill the Santa Fe Trail Center near Larned, a place dedicated to keeping the trade route’s rich history alive. “This was a trail of opportunity, it as a ...

Wieduwilt mows his namesake site, saying the city does little maintenance there. But as a fan of the Santa Fe Trail, he doesn’t mind. “We’ve got the books and maps and stuff,” he said.

Well, that happened in Kansas City in 1998. The man was trails historian Walter Cook, and the piece of history he sought to save was a remnant of the Santa Fe Trail in eastern Kansas City.

The man was trails historian Walter Cook, and the piece of history he sought to save was a remnant of the Santa Fe Trail in eastern Kansas City. As in all these scenarios, an intractable villain ...