In Stevens County, the history of the Santa Fe Trail and development around the Hugoton Gas Field meet a wide range of recreational and event offerings. When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing between historical points of interest and seasonal or date-specific activities.
Santa Fe Trail and the history of Stevens County
A route of the Santa Fe Trail ran through Stevens County. One precisely defined section is the Santa Fe Trail–Stevens County Segment 1: It is 1.03 miles long and runs along the Cimarron Route between Lower Spring and Middle Spring. The names Schmidt’s Ruts and Bozone’s Ruts also refer to this section. As a historic resource of the Santa Fe Trail, it is nationally significant for transportation and trade along the Cimarron Route from 1822 to 1868. This timeframe helps frame the route not only as a path, but also as part of the trade history of the time.
Another notable landmark is the Zeiler Crossing (Cimarron River) DAR Marker. Erected in 1907, it was the only DAR marker in Stevens County associated with the Santa Fe Trail. Together with the named trail section, it represents two different forms of remembrance: a historic route and a marker erected later. Anyone interested in regional trail history can consider these as separate points of remembrance, without combining them into a single route for an outing.
Hugoton’s museum and gas history
The Stevens County Gas & Historical Museum was dedicated on May 16, 1961. It was established in memory of the Hugoton Gas Field and the development of Stevens County. The Hugoton and Panoma natural gas fields also lie partly within Stevens County, giving the subject a regional scale. Local history therefore encompasses not only the Santa Fe Trail, but also development related to natural gas.
The museum complex includes the Santa Fe Hugoton Train Depot, an 1887 schoolhouse, and a house also built in 1887 that is considered one of the oldest houses in Hugoton. It also includes Hugoton’s first jail building and a church dating from 1905. The buildings bring together different chapters of the town’s history in one complex: school and church construction, early civic facilities, and railroad history. Equipment from the gas well is also on display at the site of the well drilled in 1945.
The museum and the trail section thus focus on different aspects of history. The trail highlights transportation and trade along the Cimarron Route; the museum complex connects the memory of the gas field with the development of Stevens County and Hugoton’s historic buildings. This distinction can help you decide in advance whether to focus your trip more on trail history or on local and regional history.
Recreation and events in Stevens County
Forewinds Golf Course is a nine-hole golf course on the prairie. The Hugoton swimming pool is located in Hugoton City Park on North Main Street. Its stated seasonal opening period runs from May through August; check the specific dates for your travel year before planning a visit. This makes it possible to distinguish a trip focused on history from a seasonal recreational activity when choosing your travel dates.
Events can also serve as dates to plan around. Park Day is Hugoton’s annual Independence Day celebration and takes place in the city park. The Gas Capitol Car Club & Rod Run Show is held annually on the fourth Saturday in August. The W-H Ranch Horse Rendezvous runs from Thursday through Sunday on Mother’s Day weekend. The Annual Diamond Cross Arena Open Roping takes place in May during Guymon’s Pioneer Days. Check the specific event dates before your trip if you would like to plan around one of these events.
Other options cater to different interests: High Plains Theatre offers a movie venue. Jet Drive-In has been in operation since 1964 and is known for big breakfasts, especially pancakes with a side of bacon. These details add movies and breakfast to the historical themes without prescribing a fixed itinerary. You can choose your focus based on your travel dates and interests: trail history, regional development, golf, seasonal swimming, events, or movies and breakfast.
Discover more destinations: Hugoton, Wilson, Dickinson County, Morris County, Thomas County, Shawnee County, Lane County, Kearny County.
For the broader travel overview: Kansas.
