Scott Springs
Park--Historic Oregon Trail
Scott Springs
Park--Historic Oregon Trail
Location: 1 mile South of Westmoreland on Hwy. K-99
The Oregon Trail, or at least that portion of it which passed through Kansas, was not a single path, but rather many routes which lead from various starting points such as Westport (Kansas City), Ft. Leavenworth, and St. Joseph, MO. These trails headed generally Northwest towards the Platte River in what is today Nebraska, where they followed that water course westward to the Rocky Mountains.
One of these routes passed by the reliable spring south of present-day Westmoreland. The spring came to be known as Scott Spring, and a small historic park has been developed where once covered wagons camped.
The metal sculpture covered wagon pulled with oxen at the park represents the thousands of wagons and pioneers who passed this place. The constant Westward expansion of this nation in the 1800's came to be known as "Manifest Destiny". The availability of a frontier can never be underestimated for the influence it had on the developing republic, the United States. This wide-open area served as a "pressure relief valve" for a society teeming with emigrants of different nationalities. If folks became unhappy with the situation where they were, they had the option of picking up and moving west; and to the chance of a new life that waited for them there.
Not
all of the pioneers reached their destination in the Promised
Land. Cholera claimed many victims. An estimated 4000 travelers died
of this affliction in the first 400 miles of the journey, or 10 for each mile.
Today, we know what organism causes the disease, and that it's water-borne, but
in those days, all one could do was wonder and worry who would be it's next
victim. Add to this all the other dangers these pioneers faced on their
several month long journey, and you can begin to see what intrepid individuals
they must have been.
The remains of the pioneer interred at the park were discovered during construction of the highway, and were reburied and marked as part of the park . This is the exception. Most who died rest in unmarked graves along the various routes of the Oregon Trail.