Kansas City, Mo. ? Bill Johnson knows, somewhere among the wildflowers and mowed grass of Schumacher Park, traders in covered wagons in the 1800s rode by on their way to Santa Fe, N.M.

Exactly where is a mystery.

But it might not be that way for long. Johnson, a Kansas University geography professor, and other researchers are working to uncover the precise location of the Santa Fe Trail through several areas of Kansas City, where time has forgotten the exact route.

Johnson believes it can be done, because thousands of wagons made irreparable damage to the ground over decades.

“These things don’t renew themselves overnight,” he said. “They take 2,000 years to develop.”

Johnson this week has been working at three sites in Kansas City: Schumacher Park near Bannister Mall; at Miner Park, at 85th and Manchester; and Hickman Mills School, at 9000 Old Santa Fe Road. The trail is believed to have crossed each of the properties.

He’s taking core samples of the site, which will be examined in a KU lab. He will inspect the samples to determine if they’ve been disturbed over time and whether magnetic minerals are where they should be in undisturbed soil.

KU graduate student Dane Bailey and professor Bill Johnson look over a sample of dirt they drilled along the Santa Fe Trail, in Kansas City, Mo., at Schumacher Park.

“The question is if the soil is pristine or if it has been screwed up,” Johnson said. “If it’s been disturbed, it’s a rut.”

Steven DeVore, a National Park Service archaeologist from Lincoln, Neb., is using three remote-sensing techniques to find the trail: looking for changes in magnetic field caused by erosion, using an electrical current to indicate where ground is hardest packed, and using ground-penetrating radar to indicate soil changes.

The hunt for the trail is part of an effort led by the 3 Trails West organization to build a biking and walking path from Sugar Creek, Mo., to Gardner, Kan. Linking the path to the exact location of the trail could be a tourism and economic draw to the area, said Lou Austin, chairman of the 3 Trails County Improvement District.

“That wouldn’t exist without the Santa Fe Trail,” he said, pointing to the downtown skyline in the distance. “Kansas City is here because of this trail. It’s our heritage. The Santa Fe trail is very much alive. It’s using our past to help our future.”

• National Park Service searching for lost traces of Santa Fe Trail (07-14-05)
• NPS.gov: Santa Fe trail

John Conoboy, chief of interpretation and resource management for the National Parks Service’s trails division, said there has been a revitalization of interest along the Santa Fe Trail in recent years. Many communities are trying to tie the trail to economic development.

But that requires knowing exactly where the trail was, which can be difficult if swales aren’t seen by the naked eye.

“At a lot of places, we have really good historical documents,” he said. “It’s a matter of connecting the dots.

“Historical markers usually say ‘Near here something happened.’ It means more to say, ‘You’re standing right where it happened.'”