Franklin

Franklin. Santa Fe National Historic Trail. , Seat of Howard County , The settlement of Franklin, Missouri Territory, was established as the seat of Howard County in 1816. As the largest town west of St. Louis, it was the hub of a large region along the Missouri River called the "Boonslick country." The Missouri River and the Boone's Lick Road linked Franklin with the towns of St. Charles and St. Louis. , Legal Trade with Mexico , In 1821, William Becknell organized a party from the Franklin area to trade "to the westward." They arrived in Santa Fe shortly after Mexico achieved independence from Spain and dropped Spanish trade restrictions, thus becoming the first Americans to engage in legal trade with Mexico. The Mexicans, Becknell said, "expressed a desire that the Americans would keep up an intercourse with that country [Mexico]." Becknell returned to Franklin in January 1822, told his story, and began organizing a second expedition. Encouraged by this new opportunity, other trade parties were formed. A new era began as a burgeoning commercial enterprise linked Missouri and New Mexico. Franklin flourished as the outfitting point for west bound traders. , Floods Effect the Town , The unpredictable Missouri River was the cause of the town's demise. After the 1826 flood, the newspaper and other businesses moved to Fayette. Two years later, another flood caused the residents to establish a new community - New Franklin - on nearby high ground. The river reclaimed Franklin, "the commercial emporium of Boonslick country." You now stand amid this once thriving settlement, near the corner of Boone and Ash Streets, just two blocks from the town square. , (side quote:), "The Town of Franklin…seems truly to have been the cradle of our trade, and in conjunction with several neighboring towns, continued for many years to furnish the greater number of these adventurous traders." , -Josiah Gregg, Commerce of the Prairies, 1844, (captions:), ·"This town, at present increasing more rapidly than any other on the Missouri…contained one hundred and twenty log houses…thirteen shops for the sale of merchandise, four taverns, two smith's shops, two large steammills…a court house, a log prison…post office, and printing press issuing a weekly paper" , -Major Stephen Long, 1819, ·Historians still debate Becknell's intent. In this advertisement and his later journals, Becknell did not say whether he intended to trade in Santa Fe, or with Indian tribes. Such mysteries add to the excitement and challenge of studying the Santa Fe Trail., ·Up to 1846, the Santa Fe Trail was an international road of commerce, with many American and Mexican trade caravans crossing the plains between Santa Fe and Missouri. New Mexico was taken by the United States in the Mexican War (1846-48). The Trail remained in use as a freight, stagecoach and mail route until the railroad arrived at Santa Fe in 1880.