Trails of the Smoky Hill

by Wayne C. Lee, Howard Raynesford

The Smoky Hill River is actually a shortcut between the Missouri River and Denver. The area was coveted by white men for their new stage lines and by Native Americans for the abundant buffalo. Most of the colorful characters of the day passed through here. This is the story of the conflict that resulted when two cultures clashed.

Genres: Nonfiction

235 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Solid 4 stars) The good: This is one of the most comprehensive books I've found on the development of the trails, stations, and forts along the Smoky Hill River. It's highly readable and is full of maps, even if the maps are printed small enough to require a magnifying glass for the details. It does a great job of explaining the different routes, locations of different stations and forts, and the personalities involved.

(2 stars) The not-so-good: It's definitely from the perspective of white settlers and the military, and the book does not flesh out any history of the indigenous or immigrant tribes in the area who were being catastrophically forced out of their hunting grounds by the movement of settlers and gold seekers. Some of the author's word choices will read as cringeworthy to the modern reader. (This book was published in 1980.)