Preserving, Protecting and Promoting the Historical Legacy of the Santa Fe National Historic Trail

Ramona Malczynski spent the summer traveling through Northern and Central New Mexico and meeting with many people during her time with the Latino Heritage Internship Program.  During summer 2021, she worked as the Latino Historic Trails Partnership Outreach Intern at the National Trails Office of the National Park Service. Currently Ramona is working on her PhD in Geography and Environmental studies at the University of New Mexico. She is interested in environmental history, the politics of knowledge, and likes to ask herself whose environmentalist stories we tell and how does environmental history shape the present. In the future she hopes to serve communities.

     “I will probably do my dissertation research on water governance and water equity. So, I will be asking questions about who has access to water and why and how does scientific narrative or research help determine which people have access to water.”

The National Park Service currently administers 30 trails within the National Trails system;  19 of those are designated historic trails. The National Trails Office for Regions 6, 7, and 8 where Ramona interns administers nine out of those 19 national historic trails and Route 66 that, combined, stretch for 25,000 miles across 24 states. Ramona’s job involved doing a lot of outreach and collaboration with certified trail partners on four of the nine national historic trails administered by her office. Those are: El Camino Real de los Tejas, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, Santa Fe Trail, and Old Spanish Trail.  She was interested in the indigenous and Latino history of these four trails. For the entire story go to : https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/ramona-malcynski-lhip.htm

     The family of Joe Velázquez wants to inform friends and associates that Joe finished his earthly journey on December 30, 2021, and is now with Jesus. He was battling advanced dementia and contracted Covid.  

     Joe began his creative profession building his own advertising agency before embarking on an amazing career as a sculptor and painter. His fine art passion was the depiction of the fur trade era spanning the years of 1800 – 1850. He was renowned for historical accuracy in his work and applauded by the many reenactors and historians dedicated to portraying this era. 

     Joe and his wife, Pam, retired in Lake Chapala, Mexico in 2018. However, he was invited to participate in the Briscoe Western Art Museum show in 2019 and 2020. It was a great honor and the museum acquired his painting, 15 Miles a Day, to be added to their collection portraying the early days of the Texas cattle drives. Joe and Pam moved to Wenatchee, WA in September 2021 to be near family.

     Joe is survived by his wife, Pam; son Mark Velázquez; daughter Lisa Romine and husband John; daughter Cary Grossarth and husband Kurt; sister Mary Velázquez. Joe was preceded in death by his son, Kirk Velázquez in 2015.

                                                          Joe Velázquez                                                                                                      

                               November 4, 1942 – December 30, 2021

                                                         Wenatchee, WA

In the January 2022 True West Magazine, the Santa Fe Trail won the award for Best Preserved Historic Trail in the Western Preservation Category! Here is the online article: https://truewestmagazine.com/article/best-of-the-west-2022-western-preservation/

The bicentennial commemoration of the Santa Fe Trail began in 2020 and continues in 2022. The international highway between the United States and the state of Santa Fe de Nuevo Mexico changed North American history and began American citizens’ settlement in the far Southwest. Today, travelers can enjoy revisiting the historic highway from western Missouri to New Mexico, with trail markers, civic centers, main streets, museums and historic sites marking the way for exploration and education about the trail’s significance. The Santa Fe Trail Association (SantaFeTrail.org) has events planned in communities along the historic trail. Santa Fe National Historic Trail, CO, KS, MO, NM, OK

OKLAHOMA CITY – From cattle trails to summer road trips, the American West has always been in motion. The Cowboy will explore the diverse history of Western movement with Santa Fe Trail and Mother Roads, two concurrent exhibitions opening later this year. The Santa Fe Trail, opening November 20, 2021, and running through May 8, 2022, explores the importance of the historic trails that connected the United States and Mexico. The Santa Fe Trail was both a cross-country road connecting what is now the Midwest United States and a two-way, international commercial highway used by both Mexican and American traders. The exhibition explores the impact the trail had on the military, economic and immigration affairs between United States and Mexico through images, maps, art objects and artifacts in the Museum’s collections. “Mexico and the United States have a long history of shared trade and shared borders that continues to impact our culture, economies and so much more,” said Natalie Shirley, Museum President and CEO. “These exhibitions explore how movement, not only across the nation, but also across borders, created the American West we know today.” Mother Roads opening December 10, 2021, through May 8, 2022, will draw from the diverse archival materials in the Museum’s Dickinson Research Center. The exhibition explores how people got from A to B, with all the stops in between. From families packing their wagons before setting out on the Oregon Trail to tourists stopping to explore roadside America while driving Route 66, Mother Roads helps visitors see the West from the open road. “The Cowboy is situated on historic Route 66, making it the perfect place to learn more about the stories of these amazing roads that connected our nation,” said Shirley. For up-to-date information about the exhibitions or events related to the exhibitions, visit nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Artists were invited to make art inspired by the Santa Fe Trail for the 200th Anniversary Virtual Art Contest. Seven pieces of art were selected to be featured in a virtual exhibition. The winning artwork will be displayed online from December 3, 2021 – April 29, 2022. Visit the virtual exhibition to see the beautiful works of art! 

https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/santa-fe-trail-art-contest-2021.htm

     Thanks to the tireless efforts of Rich Lawson, the private landowner of the Arrow Rock Ferry Landing site, much landscaping work and improvements have been accomplished. One of the new pieces to the puzzle is the installation of a new wayside panel which was designed by Carol Clark of the National Park Service Interpretations team. 

     Funding for this project was made available by a grant of $1000 from the Santa Fe Trail Association’s marking fund, the Missouri River Outfitters Chapter, and not in the least from Rich Lawson with all have his time, construction materials, and labor involved in this major undertaking. 

     We commend Rich for his willingness to make this prominent site on the Santa Fe National Historic Trail available to the public. Arrow Rock National Historic Site makes a wonderful day trip from any part of Missouri.