History of Atchison County, Kansas

by Sheffield Ingalls

From Atchison to	Miles	Total	Remarks
Marmon Grove	3½		Junction of the Great Military Road.
Lancaster	5½	9	Provisions and grass.
Huron (Cross. Grasshopper)	4	13	Provisions and grass. First Salt Lake Mail Station.
Kennekuk, do main do	10	23	Provisions, timber, and grass.
Capioma (Walnut Creek)	17	40	Provisions, timber, and grass.
Richmond (head of Nemaha)	15	55	Salt Lake Mail Station and provisions.
Marysville	40	95	Water and Grass.
Small Creek on Prairie	10	105	Luxuriant grass.
Small Creek	10	115	Water and grass.
Small Creek	7	122	Wood and grass.
Wyth Creek	7	129	Wood and grass.
Big Sandy Creek	13	142	Wood and luxuriant grass.
Dry Sandy Creek	17	159	Heavy timber.
Little Blue River	12	171	Wood and grass.
Road leaves Little Blue	44	215	Wood and grass.
Small Creek	7	222	Wood, grass and buffalo.
Platte River	17	239	Salt Lake Mail Station and provisions.
Ft. Kearney	10	249
17 Mile point	17	26	Wood, water and grass.
Plum Creek	18	284	Wood and grass.
Cottonwood Spring	40	324	Wood and grass.
Fremont’s Springs	40	364	Luxuriant grass.
O’Fallon’s Bluffs	5	369	Wood, water and grass.
Crossing South Platte	40	409	Wood, water, and grass.
Ft. St. Vrain	200	609	Provisions, and from this to the mines the route is well timbered and watered.
Cherry Creek	40	649
From Freedom’s Champion, February 12, 1859.

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TABLE OF DISTANCES

—From—

ATCHISON TO THE GOLD MINES,

via the

First Standard Parallel Route to the Republican Fork of the Kansas River, thence following the Trail of Colonel Fremont on his Explorations in 1843, to Cherry Creek and the Mines.

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Compiled from Colonel Fremont’s Surveys, and the most reliable information derived from the traders across the Great Plains.

From Atchison to	Miles	Total	Remarks
Lancaster	9		Settlement, provisions and grass.
Muscotah, on Grasshopper	11	20	Settlement, provisions and grass.
Eureka	11	31	Settlement, provisions and grass.
Ontario, on Elk Creek	10	41	Settlement, provisions and grass.
America, on Soldiers Creek	9	50	Settlement, provisions and grass.
Vermillion City	25	75	Settlement, entertainment and provisions.
Crossing of Big Blue	3	78
Little Blue creek	17	95	Heavy timber and grass.
Head of Blue creek	23	118	Timber and grass.
Republican Fork	12	130	Wood, water and grass.
Republican Fork crossing	2	132	Colonel Fremont describes this section as “affording an excellent road, it being generally over high and level prairies, with numerous streams which are well timbered with ash, elm, and very heavy oak, and abounding in herds of buffalo, elk and antelope.”
Branch of Solomon’s Fork	38	170
Leaves Solomon’s Fork	75	245
Branch of Republican Fork	15	260
Following up Rep. to its head	190	450	Heavy timber and grass on course.
Beaver Creek	23	473	Wood, grass and buffalo.
Bijou Creek	22	495	Wood, grass and buffalo.
Kioway Creek	15	510	The route from this point to the mines runs thro’ a country well timbered and watered, with luxuriant grass and plenty of wild game.
Cherry Creek and Mines	25	535
From Freedom’s Champion, February 12, 1859.