High Plains History; Cimarron Cutoff

[Female speaker] Just read it. [Male speaker] Certainly. Early day travelers on the Santa Fe trail developed a shortened route that took them through the southwest corner of Kansas. [Female speaker] OK. Ready? [Male speaker] Certainly. [Female speaker] Go right ahead. [Male speaker] Cut one, Three, two, one. Early day travelers on the Santa Fe trail developed a shortened route that took them through the southwest corner of Kansas. Known as the Cimarron Cutoff, or dry route, the 60-mile stretch between the Arkansas and Cimarron Rivers was a perilous route for men and animals in dry seasons, when wagon trains often ran out of water. Lower Cimarron Springs was an oasis to thirsty travelers and also served as a watering spot for immense herds of buffalo and prairie animals. [Female speaker] Do that one again. Lower Cimarron Springs. [Male speaker] OK. Cut two, in three, two, one. Lower Cimarron Springs was an oasis to thirsty travelers and also served as a watering spot for immense herds of buffalo and prairie animals, as well as for Native American tribes of the area. [clears throat]

Cut two. take two. Three, two, one. Lower Cimarron Springs was an oasis to thirsty travelers and also served as a watering spot for immense herds of buffalo and prairie animals, as well as for an-- OK, one more time. Cut two, take three, in three, two, one. Lower Cimarron Springs was an oasis to thirsty travelers and also served as a watering spot for immense herds of buffalo and prairie animals as well as for Native American tribes of the area. Cut three in three, two, one. In 1831, noted western explorer and fur trader Jedediah Smith, leading a caravan of 74 men, teams, wagons, and pack mules, met his demise near the springs. After three days without water, the situation had become desperate. [Female speaker] It's OK. [Male speaker] Smith left the

caravan to search for water and happened upon a hunting party of Comanche Indians waiting for buffalo to come to the springs. Both Smith and the Comanche chieftain-- both Smith and the Comanche chieftain lost their lives in the resulting battle. Cut four in three, two, one. In 1846 more than 500 men of the Mormon Battalion camped at the Lower Cimarron Springs. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, they had-- Okay, try that one one more time. Cut four in three, two, one. In 1846 more than 500 men of the Mormon Battalion camped at the Lower Cimarron Springs. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, they had volunteered to fight in the war against Mexico, donating their Army pay to the church and its members in Utah. The Mormon Battalion was not required to wear Army uniforms and were not furnished horses. They marched on foot from

Leavenworth to Santa Fe over the Cimarron Cutoff, and then on to California. Cut five in three, two, one. As traffic increased on the Santa Fe Trail, the popular name for the watering place became Wagon Bed Springs, because a wagon box was set in the ground to collect water as it seeped from the springs. The site of springs was recognized-- [throat clearing] The site of the springs was recognized in 1961 when it was designated a National Historic Landmark. However the marker, located twelve miles south of Ulysses in Grant County, sits on dry ground, as wagon-- [throat clearing] However the marker, located twelve miles south of Ulysses in Grant County, sits on dry ground as Wagon Bed Springs went dry when crop irrigation began in the area. Cut six in three, two, one. Thanks to the Historic Adobe Museum for contrib- Cut six in three, two, one. Thanks to the Historic Adobe Museum for contributing to this story. For

High Plains Public Radio, I'm Jerry Horton in Ulysses, Kansas. [New speaker, over phone] --buy and sell General Motors stock. Similarly, you don't need to be a farmer or a flour miller or an exporter or a grain elevator to buy and sell wheat futures. There are of course minimum financial requirements for opening up a brokerage account, and there is margin money that needs to be posted when one takes a position in the futures market, either by buying or selling futures or by buying and selling options contracts. So there are minimum financial requirements that need to be met, but there is no requirement that an individual be a part of the industry in order to trade agricultural futures, energy futures, financial futures, gold and silver futures, cocoa futures, cotton futures, lumber futures, shrimp futures. There's no requirement that you be part of that business in

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edu. Thank you very much for your time. [Man on phone] That's the same ending as my email address. [Man in studio] Great, terrific. I thank you very much. If I need any clarification my I call you again? [Man on phone] Sure. [Man in studio] Excellent, thank you very much, Mr. Kinney. Is it mister or doctor? [Man on phone] Professor, but believe me, with most farm audiences, honorific titles don't get you any credit. [Man in studio] I'm just concerned that someone who knows you is gonna hear me refer to you as mister and chew me out. [laughs] [Man on phone] Well, you can say doctor or professor. [Man in studio] Excellent, thank you very much. Have a good day. Bye.