On "Grant's Trail" Through History

On "Grant's Trail" Through History. . , Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service, was established in 1990. Its 9.65 acres were the core of the 19th century farm called White Haven, where Ulysses S. Grant first met his wife, Julia Dent, raised a family, and farmed the land. The site is open daily, and offers a variety of visitor activities. Please visit to learn more about Ulysses and Julia, and experience this pivotal era in American history., The path you are on, now known as Grant's Trail, was once the Carondelet Kirkwood Branch of the Pacific Railroad Company (later Missouri Pacific). In 1872, President Grant gave permission for the route to run through his property, and donated land for Grant Station, which was located just south of here. A portion of the abandoned rail line was purchased by Gateway Trailnet in 1991 through the Rails-to-Trails Act, and converted into a recreational trail. It has been administered by St. Louis County Parks and Recreation since 1997., [Captions:] , Ulyssys S. Grant was a devoted family man and a loving husband, as well as a dedicated and visionary leader., White Haven as it appeared around 1860., The park entrance sign and old railroad tracks are pictured here as they existed prior to the trail's development., Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper published this image of White Haven on October 16, 1875. Note the rail line in the lower right corner. Grant would ride the train to bring friends out for a tour around his farm., Walkers, bicyclists, and skaters enjoy the multi-use Grant's Trail year-round.