Alcove Springs & the Oregon Trail

Alcove Springs & the Oregon Trail (HM1HZA)

Location: Blue Rapids, KS 66411 Marshall County
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Country: United States of America
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N 39° 41.329', W 96° 38.063'

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Inscription
Six miles northwest is Alcove Springs, named in 1846 by appreciative travelers on the Oregon trail who carved the name on the surrounding rocks and trees. One described the Springs as "a beautiful cascade of water... altogether one of the most romantic spots I ever saw."
This country was well-known to early-day traders and "mountain men" as well as to later travelers to the Far West. John C. Fremont and his 1842 exploring expedition bivouacked at the Springs, and Marcus Whitman, with a thousand emigrants to Oregon, stopped there in 1843. Utah-bound Mormons and California-bound goldseekers followed, for only a short distance above was Independence Crossing, the famous ford across the Big Blue river. The Donner party, most of whom later froze or starved in the Sierras, buried its first member, Sarah Keyes, near the Springs in 1846.
The great Tuttle Creek Reservoir at full pool level extends along the Big Blue from Independence Crossing southward nearly to Manhattan.
Details
HM NumberHM1HZA
Series This marker is part of the California Trail series, and the Kansas: Kansas Historical Society series, and the Oregon Trail series.
Tags
Marker Number26
Placed ByKansas Historical Society and State Highway Commission
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Sunday, November 23rd, 2014 at 9:03pm PST -08:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)31N E 166021 N 0
Decimal Degrees39.68881667, -96.63438333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 39° 41.329', W 96° 38.063'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds39° 41' 19.74" N, 96° 38' 3.78" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)785
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling East
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 1009-1015 KS-9, Blue Rapids KS 66411, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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