tL's phOTOGRAPH_oF_tHE_dAY #1938 - Pawnee Rock is a citadel that marked the half-way pont of the 900 mile Santa Fe Trail and was used as a stopping point for settlers heading west in search of adventure and fortune from 1822 to 1880.
Pawnee Rock was the mid-point of the long road between Independence Missouri and Santa Fe New Mexico. Fresh water provided by the nearby Arkansas River & fresh meat obtained by plentiful game in the region was vital to the survival of the wagon trains.
Pawnee Rock is not only one of the most famous landmarks along the Santa Fe Trail it was also the most dangerous, as angry Pawnee Indians (who used the top for a vantage point to spot bison herds) ambushed the overland caravans as their sacred meeting place for their council meetings became hindered.
Originally the rock was much larger than photographed here. Most of the stone was taken from the bluff and used by the railroad that came to the area and the construction of downtown Pawnee Rock Kansas.
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